Controlling coolant flow to multiple cooling units in a computer system

Abstract

Operating a computer system includes determining, for each of a plurality of electronic units in a computer system, at least one upcoming process being assigned to a specific electronic unit. An anticipated workload for the specific electronic unit is identified based upon the at least one upcoming process. At least one control signal is generated based upon a plurality of anticipated workloads for the plurality of electronic units. A flow of cooling fluid to each of a plurality of cooling units in the computer system is controlled based upon the at least one control signal. Each of the plurality of cooling units are respectively associated with an electronic unit of the plurality of electronic units.

1 . A method for operating a computer system, comprising:
 determining, for each of a plurality of electronic units in a computer system, at least one upcoming process being assigned to a specific electronic unit;   identifying an anticipated workload for the specific electronic unit based upon the at least one upcoming process;   generating at least one control signal based upon a plurality of anticipated workloads for the plurality of electronic units; and   controlling, based upon the at least one control signal, a flow of cooling fluid to each of a plurality of cooling units in the computer system, wherein   each of the plurality of cooling units are respectively associated with an electronic unit of the plurality of electronic units.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein
 each of the plurality of cooling units is configured to receive a stream of the cooling fluid,   an input port of each of the plurality of cooling units is hydraulically coupled with an upstream positioned common inlet portion, and   an output port of each of the plurality of cooling units is hydraulically coupled with a downstream positioned common outlet portion.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising
 determining an output temperature value of the cooling fluid at the common outlet portion; and   redistributing, based on the determined output temperature value, a plurality of upcoming processes to predetermined ones of the plurality of electronic units.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , further comprising
 comparing the determined output temperature value to a predetermined temperature threshold value, wherein the plurality of upcoming processes are redistributed to the predetermined ones of the plurality of electronic units to result in workloads, for each of the predetermined ones of the plurality of electronic units, being above a predetermined workload threshold value; and   setting remaining electronic units from the plurality of electronic units into a predetermined low-power mode.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising
 observing process memory access to at least one memory unit within the computer system, wherein the access is caused by a particular process assigned to one of the plurality of electronic units; and   controlling the flow of the cooling fluid to a cooling unit respectively associated with the one of the plurality of electronic units while the one of the plurality of electronic units is performing the process memory access   
     
     
         6 . A method for operating a computer system, comprising
 obtaining, for each of a plurality of electronic units in a computer system, an anticipated workload;   generating at least one control signal based upon a plurality of anticipated workloads for the plurality of electronic units; and   controlling, based upon the at least one control signal, a flow of cooling fluid to each of a plurality of cooling units in the computer system, wherein   each of the plurality of cooling units are respectively associated with an electronic unit of the plurality of electronic units.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein
 each of the plurality of cooling units is configured to receive a stream of the cooling fluid,   an input port of each of the plurality of cooling units is hydraulically coupled with an upstream positioned common inlet portion, and   an output port of each of the plurality of cooling units is hydraulically coupled with a downstream positioned common outlet portion.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising
 determining an output temperature value of the cooling fluid at the common outlet portion; and   redistributing, based on the determined output temperature value, a plurality of upcoming processes to predetermined ones of the plurality of electronic units.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein
 the at least one control signal is generated based on a predetermined output temperature range representing a target temperature range of the cooling fluid at the common outlet portion.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 6 , further comprising
 generating at least one process signal, wherein   the at least one process signal generates upcoming processes assigned to the electronic units, and   the plurality of anticipated workload loads for the plurality of electronics units are identified based upon the at least one process signal.   
     
     
         11 . A computer system, comprising
 a plurality of electronic units;   a plurality of cooling units, each of the plurality of cooling units respectively associated with one of the plurality of electronic units;   a downstream positioned common outlet portion;   an upstream positioned common inlet portion; and   a controller, wherein   each of the plurality of cooling units is configured to receive a stream of cooling fluid and includes
 an input port hydraulically coupled with the upstream positioned common inlet portion, and 
 an output port hydraulically coupled with the downstream positioned common outlet portion, 
   the controller is configured to
 determine, for each of the plurality of electronic units, at least one upcoming process being assigned to a specific electronic unit; 
 identify an anticipated workload for the specific electronic unit based upon the at least one upcoming process; 
 generate at least one control signal based upon a plurality of anticipated workloads for the plurality of electronic units; and 
 control, based upon the at least one control signal, a flow of the cooling fluid to each of the plurality of cooling units. 
   
     
     
         12 . The computer system of  claim 11 , wherein
 the controller is further configured to
 determine an output temperature value of the cooling fluid at the common outlet portion; and 
 redistribute, based on the determined output temperature value, a plurality of upcoming processes to predetermined ones of the plurality of electronic units. 
   
     
     
         13 . The computer system of  claim 11 , wherein
 the controller is further configured to
 observe process memory access to at least one memory unit within the computer system, wherein the access is caused by a particular process assigned to one of the plurality of electronic units; and 
 control the flow of the cooling fluid to a cooling unit respectively associated with the one of the plurality of electronic units while the one of the plurality of electronic units is performing the process memory access 
   
     
     
         14 . A computer system, comprising
 a plurality of electronic units;   a plurality of cooling units, each of the plurality of cooling units respectively associated with one of the plurality of electronic units;   a downstream positioned common outlet portion;   an upstream positioned common inlet portion; and   a controller, wherein   each of the plurality of cooling units is configured to receive a stream of cooling fluid and includes
 an input port hydraulically coupled with the upstream positioned common inlet portion, and 
 an output port hydraulically coupled with the downstream positioned common outlet portion, 
   the controller is configured to
 determine, for each of the plurality of electronic units, at least one upcoming process being assigned to a specific electronic unit; 
 identify an anticipated workload for the specific electronic unit based upon the at least one upcoming process; 
 generate at least one control signal based upon a plurality of anticipated workloads for the plurality of electronic units; and 
 control, based upon the at least one control signal, a flow of the cooling fluid to each of the plurality of cooling units. 
   
     
     
         15 . The computer system of  claim 14 , wherein
 the controller is further configured to
 determine an output temperature value of the cooling fluid at the common outlet portion; and 
 redistribute, based on the determined output temperature value, a plurality of upcoming processes to predetermined ones of the plurality of electronic units. 
   
     
     
         16 . The computer system of  claim 14 , wherein
 the controller is further configured to generate at least one process signal,   the at least one process signal generates upcoming processes assigned to the electronic units, and   the plurality of anticipated workload loads for the plurality of electronics units are identified based upon the at least one process signal.   
     
     
         17 . A computer program product comprising a computer usable storage medium having stored therein computer usable program code for operating a computer hardware system, the computer usable program code, which when executed by the computer hardware system, causes the computer hardware system to perform:
 determining, for each of a plurality of electronic units in the computer hardware system, at least one upcoming process being assigned to a specific electronic unit;   identifying an anticipated workload for the specific electronic unit based upon the at least one upcoming process;   generating at least one control signal based upon a plurality of anticipated workloads for the plurality of electronic units; and   controlling, based upon the at least one control signal, a flow of cooling fluid to each of a plurality of cooling units in the computer system, wherein   each of the plurality of cooling units are respectively associated with an electronic unit of the plurality of electronic units.   
     
     
         18 . The computer program product of  claim 17 , wherein
 each of the plurality of cooling units is configured to receive a stream of the cooling fluid,   an input port of each of the plurality of cooling units is hydraulically coupled with an upstream positioned common inlet portion, and   an output port of each of the plurality of cooling units is hydraulically coupled with a downstream positioned common outlet portion.   
     
     
         19 . The computer program product of  claim 18 , wherein
 the computer usable program code further causes the computer hardware system to perform:
 determining an output temperature value of the cooling fluid at the common outlet portion; and 
 redistributing, based on the determined output temperature value, a plurality of upcoming processes to predetermined ones of the plurality of electronic units.