FIELD

The present technology relates to electric power distribution systems and methods. In particular, the systems and methods allow identifying a connection between a power distribution unit and an electric device.

BACKGROUND

In today's data centers and processing centers, such as those used in blockchain technology, the numbers of computer servers become so large that they come to the verge of being unmanageable. In a data center, new servers may need to be added on a daily basis. Of course, some servers may fail and require maintenance or replacement.

All of these servers consume electric power provided by power sources, for example power distribution units (PDU), via cables.

Keeping track of power cabling in a data center having thousands of servers, perhaps tens of thousands of servers, becomes a daunting task. Failure of a power source may lead to the loss of several servers and it may become urgent to reallocate power to these servers. To this end, it is important to be constantly aware of which server is connected to which power source.

Given that servers are constantly added or changed in large data centers, conventional methods for identifying connections between servers and power sources are inaccurate and slow while being too manpower intensive to be of practical use.

The subject matter discussed in the background section should not be assumed to be prior art merely as a result of its mention in the background section. Similarly, a problem mentioned in the background section or associated with the subject matter of the background section should not be assumed to have been previously recognized in the prior art. The subject matter in the background section merely represents different approaches.

SUMMARY

Embodiments of the present technology have been developed based on developers' appreciation of shortcomings associated with the prior art.

In particular, such shortcomings may comprise (1) lack of accuracy; (2) lack of speed; and/or (3) high manpower requirements of conventional methods for identifying connections between servers and power sources.

In one aspect, various implementations of the present technology provide a method for identifying a connection between a power distribution unit (PDU) and an electric device, the method comprising:generating, at the electric device, a data packet comprising a field containing an identity of the electric device, the data packet being encoded in digital words;transmitting the data packet to the PDU by varying, by the electric device, a power level on a power line connecting an output socket of the PDU to the electric device, the power level being varied between a first intensity for transmitting first logical values of the digital words and a second intensity for transmitting second logical values of the digital words;sensing, at the PDU, the power level on the power line;reporting, from the PDU to an identification module, a socket number of the output socket of the PDU connected to the power line and successive power level data obtained by sensing the power level on the power line;decoding, at the identification module, the identity of the electric device by monitoring the successive power level data reported by the PDU; andselectively storing, in a database, a reference between the identity of the electric device, an identity of the PDU and the socket number.

In some implementations of the present technology, the data packet further comprises a start of frame field preceding the field containing the identity of the electric device; and the method further comprises detecting, at the identification module, a pattern of the reported successive power level data corresponding to the start of frame field of the data packet.

In some implementations of the present technology, the method further comprises using the reported successive power level data corresponding to the start of frame field of the data packet to calibrate the identification module.

In some implementations of the present technology, the data packet further comprises an integrity check field calculated based on the identity of the electric device; the method further comprises: decoding, at the identification module, an integrity check field within the data packet, and verifying, at the identification module, an integrity of the decoded identity of the electric device based on the integrity check field; and storing in the database the reference between the identity of the electric device, the identity of the PDU and the socket number is conditional to a successful verification of the integrity of the decoded identity of the electric device.

In some implementations of the present technology, reporting, from the PDU to the identification module, the socket number and the successive power level data further comprises reporting the identity of the PDU.

In some implementations of the present technology, the method further comprises receiving a power up trigger at the electric device, wherein the data packet is generated in response to receiving the power up trigger.

In some implementations of the present technology, the method further comprises receiving, at the electric device, the identity of the electric device before transmitting the data packet.

In some implementations of the present technology, the identity of the electric device is stored in a non-transitory memory of the electric device; and the data packet is generated at the electric device in response to receiving a control signal.

In some implementations of the present technology, the method further comprises: generating, at the electric device, a first clock sequence defining alternating phases at a first predetermined clock rate; wherein generating the data packet comprises aligning a timing of successive logical values contained in the data packet with the alternating phases of the first clock sequence.

In some implementations of the present technology, the method further comprises: generating, at the PDU, a second clock sequence defining alternating phases at a second predetermined clock rate nominally equal to the first predetermined clock rate of the first clock sequence generated at the electric device; and aggregating, at the PDU, the sensed power levels obtained over each phase of the second clock sequence to produce the successive power level data at successive phases of the second clock sequence.

In some implementations of the present technology, the method further comprises retransmitting, by the electric device, the data packet after completion of a first transmission of the data packet, logical values contained in a retransmission of the data packet being shifted from the alternating phases of the first clock sequence of the electric device by one half of a phase of the first clock sequence.

In some implementations of the present technology, the digital words are selected from 1-bit words, 2-bit-words, 3-bit words and 4-bit words; and transmitting the data packet to the PDU comprises varying the power level on the power line between a number of intensities consistent with a number of bits of the digital words.

In other aspects, various implementations of the present technology provide a power distribution system, comprising:a database;a plurality of electric devices, each electric device comprising:a power input,a load adapted to consume power received at the power input, anda processor operatively connected to the load, the processor being configured to:generate a data packet comprising a field containing an identity of the electric device,encode the data packet in digital words, andcause the load to vary a power level received at the power input, the power level being varied between a first intensity corresponding to first logical values of the digital words and a second intensity corresponding to second logical values of the digital words;a power distribution unit, PDU, comprising:a plurality of output sockets connectable to power inputs of respective electric devices, via respective power lines, for providing power from the PDU to the respective electric devices, anda power level sensor adapted to sense power levels at each of the output sockets and to generate successive power level data based on the sensed power levels; andan identification module operatively connected to the PDU, the identification module comprising a decoder adapted to:receive, from the PDU:a socket number of a given output socket connected via a given power line to a given electric device, andsuccessive power level data obtained on the given output socket,monitor the successive power level data reported by the PDU for decoding the identity of the given electric device, andtransmitting, to the database, a reference between the identity of the given electric device, an identity of the PDU and the socket number.

In some implementations of the present technology, the PDU is one of a plurality of PDUs; and the PDU is configured to transmit the identity of the PDU to the identification module with the socket number of the given output socket and with the successive power level data obtained on the given output socket.

In some implementations of the present technology, the PDU is adapted to receive power from a main power source via a main power line.

In some implementations of the present technology, the database is adapted to store the reference between the identity of the electric device, the identity of the PDU and the socket number.

In some implementations of the present technology, the processor of the electric device is further configured to: generate a first clock sequence defining alternating phases at a first predetermined clock rate; and generate the data packet by aligning a timing of successive logical values contained in the data packet with the alternating phases of the first clock sequence.

In some implementations of the present technology, the PDU is further adapted to: generate a second clock sequence defining alternating phases at a second predetermined clock rate nominally equal to the first predetermined clock rate of the first clock sequence generated at each electric device; and aggregate the sensed power levels obtained over each phase of the second clock sequence to produce the successive power level data at successive phases of the second clock sequence.

In some implementations of the present technology, the processor of the electric device is further configured cause to retransmit, by the electric device, the data packet after completion of a first transmission of the data packet, logical values contained in a retransmission of the data packet being shifted from the alternating phases of the first clock sequence of the electric device by one half of a phase of the first clock sequence.

In some implementations of the present technology, the second clock sequence generated by the PDU is not synchronized with the first clock sequence generated by the processor of the electric device.

In some implementations of the present technology, the processor of the electric device is further configured to include, in the data packet, a start of frame field preceding the field containing the identity of the electric device; and the decoder is further adapted to: detect a pattern of the reported successive power level data corresponding to the start of frame field of the data packet, and use the reported successive power level data corresponding to the start of frame field of the data packet to calibrate the identification module.

In some implementations of the present technology, the digital words are selected from 1-bit words, 2-bit-words, 3-bit words and 4-bit words; and the processor of the electric device is further configured to cause the load to vary the power level received at the power input between a number of intensities consistent with a number of bits of the digital words.

In the context of the present specification, unless expressly provided otherwise, a computer system may refer, but is not limited to, an “electronic device”, an “operation system”, a “system”, a “computer-based system”, a “controller unit”, a “monitoring device”, a “control device” and/or any combination thereof appropriate to the relevant task at hand.

In the context of the present specification, unless expressly provided otherwise, the expression “computer-readable medium” and “memory” are intended to include media of any nature and kind whatsoever, non-limiting examples of which include RAM, ROM, disks (CD-ROMs, DVDs, floppy disks, hard disk drives, etc.), USB keys, flash memory cards, solid state-drives, and tape drives. Still in the context of the present specification, “a” computer-readable medium and “the” computer-readable medium should not be construed as being the same computer-readable medium. To the contrary, and whenever appropriate, “a” computer-readable medium and “the” computer-readable medium may also be construed as a first computer-readable medium and a second computer-readable medium.

In the context of the present specification, unless expressly provided otherwise, the words “first”, “second”, “third”, etc. have been used as adjectives only for the purpose of allowing for distinction between the nouns that they modify from one another, and not for the purpose of describing any particular relationship between those nouns.

Implementations of the present technology each have at least one of the above-mentioned object and/or aspects, but do not necessarily have all of them. It should be understood that some aspects of the present technology that have resulted from attempting to attain the above-mentioned object may not satisfy this object and/or may satisfy other objects not specifically recited herein.

Additional and/or alternative features, aspects and advantages of implementations of the present technology will become apparent from the following description, the accompanying drawings and the appended claims.

