Application ramp rate control in large installations

Abstract

To eliminate the adverse effects of power swings in a large scale computing system during the life cycle of an application or job, control of several operating characteristics for the collective group of processors is provided. By providing certain levels of coordination for the many processors utilized in large scale computing systems, significant and abrupt changes in power needs can be avoided. In certain circumstances, this may involve limiting the transition between several C-States of the processors involved and the overall power transitions for a large scale system are not detrimental and do not create issues for the data center or local power utility. Some cases will require stepped transitions between C-States, while other cases will include both stepped and modulated transitions. Other cases will incorporate random wait times at the various transitions in order to spread the power consumption involved. In yet further circumstances the C-States can be pinned to a specific setting, thus avoiding transitions caused by C-State transitions. To deal with further issues, the processor P-States can also be overridden.