Power mode scheduler on HMC - A smarter way to optimize energy usage

Introduction

As organizations increasingly emphasize energy efficiency and performance optimization, managing power modes dynamically becomes critical. The power mode scheduler feature, introduced in IBM Hardware Management Console (HMC) version of 1110 or later on IBM Power11 generation of systems, empowers administrators to automate power mode changes based on time and day of the week. This innovative addition to the HMC interface ensures systems run at optimal power levels without manual intervention.

This tutorial explains how to configure and use the power mode scheduler feature in HMC to set up schedules using different power mode options.

What is power mode scheduler?

Power mode scheduler is a feature that allows users to define weekly schedules for switching between different power modes on managed systems. It provides a simple, visual UI integrated within the Power Modes section of HMC, enabling users to set the following options:

• Power Mode with Start Day/Time
• Return Power Mode with Start Day/Time

Each schedule entry defines a start mode and time in which a specific power mode should be enforced, with seamless transitions back to the return mode after the window ends.

Functional overview

The power mode scheduler feature includes the following options:

• Add/Remove Schedules: Create new power mode schedules or delete existing ones.
• Pause/Resume: Temporarily halt scheduled changes without deleting the schedule.

The power mode scheduler feature supports the following power mode types:

• Maximum Performance: Workloads run at the highest frequency possible, depending on workload, active core count, and environmental conditions.
• Maximum Power Saver: The frequency is set to the minimum frequency to reduce energy consumption. Enabling this feature reduces power consumption by lowering the processor clock frequency and voltage to fixed values. This configuration reduces power consumption of the system while delivering predictable performance.
• Energy Efficient: It is a power-saving feature available on IBM Power systems. This mode is designed to optimize power consumption while maintaining performance.

You can monitor power consumption and carbon footprint through the HMC environmental dashboard, which displays the following key metrics:

• Power Usage: Shows the average power consumption over the last five minutes.
• Carbon Footprint: Calculated based on the power readings collected by the HMC.
• Energy Mode: Indicates the current energy mode configured on the HMC. Changing the energy mode affects system power consumption and temperature readings.

Add a schedule

Perform the following steps to add a power mode schedule:

1. Log in to HMC.
2. Select the system for which you need to add a schedule and click Power Modes.
3. Scroll down to the Recurring Schedules section and click Add.
4. From the drop-down lists, select the required start mode and time and return mode and time options.
5. Click Save.

Remove a schedule

At the right end of the schedule, click the Delete icon to remove the schedule.

Pause and resume a schedule

On the left side of each row of a schedule, there is an option to enable or disable the schedule. This option is enabled only when the row displays a scheduled item. If you disable a schedule, the activity pauses, and the entire row is disabled. For example, in the following screenshot, the first schedule is currently in the paused state, and notice that the entire row is disabled.

Conclusion

The Power Mode Scheduler is a simple yet powerful tool to automate energy optimization on IBM systems. Whether you're running high-performance workloads or aiming to conserve energy during off-hours, this feature gives you fine-grained control with minimal effort.

Reference

To know more about managing power modes, refer: https://www.ibm.com/docs/en/power11/9043-MRU?topic=environment-managing-power-modes