Data processing: measuring – calibrating – or testing – Measurement system in a specific environment – Electrical signal parameter measurement system
Reexamination Certificate
2003-04-04
2004-12-14
Raymond, Edward (Department: 2857)
Data processing: measuring, calibrating, or testing
Measurement system in a specific environment
Electrical signal parameter measurement system
C324S076110
Reexamination Certificate
active
06832168
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The various embodiments of the present invention relate to data centers of computing resources. More specifically, various embodiments of the present invention relate to the verification of network device power cabling configuration of computing resources.
BACKGROUND ART
Modern networking continues to provide an improvement in communication and information access. As an example, in-house data centers, associated with a particular entity or interrelated group of users, could contain a large number of information technology (IT) resources that are interconnected through a network. The resources in the in-house data centers are traditionally managed by network administrators.
Traditional in-house data centers consist of a conglomerate of many unique IT environments. Each of the IT environments are grown and managed specific to the needs of their particular IT environment. As such, computing resources in each of the environments of the in-house data center are in part constantly being physically replaced, physically switched around from IT environment to IT environment, physically removed, physically added, etc.
Moreover, the IT environments are often patched together to form the in-house data center. As such, the network or data center of computing resources can be large and complex. This patchwork infrastructure containing the IT environments in the in-house data center can create a number of challenges. In particular, verification of the correctness of power cabling between automatic power controllers and network computing resources in the in-house data center can be difficult and costly.
Prior Art
FIG. 1
is a block diagram illustrating cabling of the network
100
of computing resources. The network
100
includes a plurality of n computing resources, including device
110
, device
120
, device
130
, on up to the n-th device, device
140
. The computing resources can include network switches, routers, firewalls, load balancers, terminal servers, and computers.
The network
100
also comprises power controller
150
and power controller
160
which provide redundant power to the plurality of n computing resources. Power controller
150
comprises a plurality of power sources, as follows: power port
151
, power port
153
, power port
155
, on up to the n-th power port
157
. Correspondingly, power controller
160
comprises a plurality of power sources, as follows: power port
161
, power port
163
, power port
165
, on up to the n-th power port
167
.
Power controller
150
provides power to each of the plurality of computing resources in the network
100
. Alternatively, the plurality of computing resources could consume power in a subset of the network
100
and comprise a rack of computing devices. More particularly, power controller
150
provides power to device
110
from power port
151
via cable
152
. Power controller
150
also provides power to device
120
from power port
153
via cable
154
. Power controller
150
also provides power to device
130
from power port
155
via cable
156
. Power controller
150
also provides power to device
140
from power port
157
via cable
158
.
Power controller
160
provides power to each of the plurality of computing resources in the network
100
. Alternatively, the plurality of computing resources could consume power in a subset of the network
100
and comprise a rack of computing devices. More particularly, power controller
160
provides power to device
110
from power port
161
via cable
162
. Power controller
160
also provides power to device
120
from power port
163
via cable
164
. Power controller
160
also provides power to device
130
from power port
165
via cable
166
. Power controller
160
also provides power to device
140
from power port
167
via cable
168
.
As shown by Prior Art
FIG. 1
, supplying power from the power controllers
150
and
160
to the plurality of computing devices in the network
100
involves a complex configuration of cables. The complexity of the configuration of cables increases as the number of power controllers, the number of computing resources, and the degree of redundancy increases. As such, verification of the configuration of cables can also be complex, tedious, expensive, and time consuming.
Previously, manual processes were implemented to verify the correctness of power cabling to the plurality of computing resources in the network
100
. One such process involved supplying power via a single power source (e.g., a cable from a single power port of a particular power controller) to a single computing resource, waiting for the computing resource to boot up in a power-up sequence, contacting the computing resource, and waiting for a reply from the computing resource. In this process, all other power sources, including those from other power controllers, are shut down. After verification of the power source, power to the computing resource would be cut off. This process would be repeated for every power source that supplies power to the computing resource.
Specific problems associated with the manual verification include the complex, tedious and inefficient nature of the process. In order to reduce the complexity of the verification process, and properly verify the power cabling to the plurality of computing resources in the network, the verification process is performed device by device, and power source by power source using the previously described manual process. However, this requires having a technician wait through several power-up sequences to test each individual computing resource.
Increasing the number of computing resources and redundant power sources to each computing resource would necessarily increase the amount of time for the technician to wait during power-up sequences when testing the entire network
100
, leading to an inefficient use of the technician's time. Further, during power cable verification, the computing resources are all down during the power cable verification process. This leads to an inefficient use of the computing resources, especially as the number of computing resources being tested and the number of redundant power sources increases.
As a default inspection process, because the manual process of testing power cabling to the network
100
is so complex, tedious, and costly, network administrators tend to rely on visual inspections of the power cabling to the computing resource in the network
100
. This visual inspection does not require a rigorous testing of the computing resources, and therefore less reliable.
Ultimately, by using visual inspections to verify power, problems in the power cabling of the computing resources in the network
100
are discovered at the most inopportune time: when there is an actual failure in the implementation of redundant power to a computing resource. For example, one of a multiple sources of redundant power to a device fails. Unfortunately, power to the computing device would not be supplied if there is improper cabling of the remaining redundant power sources available to the computing device. At a minimum, this would lead to downtime of the computing resource and an increase in the time for accomplishing the tasks assigned to that computing resource.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
A method and system for verifying network device power cabling. Specifically, in one embodiment, the method begins by reading a map that outlines designed cabling information. The cabling information describes how power from a plurality of power sources is supplied over a plurality of cables to a plurality of computing resources in a network. A power test sequence is then performed independently on each of the plurality of computing resources to verify the cabling information. During the test sequence for each of the plurality of computing resources, power is applied continuously. Thereafter, a report is generated that details results from performance of the power test sequence on each of the plurality of computing resources.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4651084 (1987-03-01), Welsh et al.
Graves David A.
Lakshminarasimha Narendra
Nair Parvathi
Ramesh Vikram
Hewlett--Packard Development Company, L.P.
Raymond Edward
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