Multiplex communications – Diagnostic testing
Reexamination Certificate
1999-10-22
2003-11-25
Ton, Dang (Department: 2666)
Multiplex communications
Diagnostic testing
C370S338000, C370S395530, C702S118000, C709S224000, C714S712000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06654347
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND
The disclosures herein relate generally to use of virtual local area networks (“VLANs”) in a manufacturing environment and, more particularly, to a technique for dynamically connecting a system under test (“SUT”) to and disconnecting an SUT from a private VLAN in a computer manufacturing environment.
In a computer manufacturing environment, once a computer system is physically assembled, it is placed in a bay, or “cell,” in a burn rack for testing and software configuration. Each burn rack bay includes various connectors, including a network connection for connecting a computer system, or “system under test” (“SUT”), disposed in the bay to a main manufacturing network of the manufacturer. The network connection to the main manufacturing network enables software to be downloaded to and various diagnostics to be performed on the SUT while it is disposed within the burn rack.
In some cases, several SUTs being configured for the same customer require, in addition to conventional software installation and performance of diagnostics tests, some sort of custom configuration. For example, the customer may require that one or more of its systems be configured as Microsoft Outlook® clients or as dynamic host configuration protocol (“DHCP”) servers or that confidential security data be preloaded onto the system. Often, this sort of custom configuration would conflict with the main manufacturing network. For example, if an SUT is to be configured as a DHCP server, once the SUT is up and running on the network, it will begin advertising its presence and capturing and attempting to respond to requests from other SUTs on the main manufacturing network. Alternatively, it may require the transmission of data that is proprietary to the customer and hence, should not be made accessible to non-customer SUTs on the main manufacturing network. Accordingly, such custom configuration needs to be performed “off-line”; that is, off of the main manufacturing network.
In the past, this has been accomplished by physically disconnecting the SUT from the manufacturing network and performing the required custom configuration in a laboratory environment. More recently, virtual local area network (“VLAN”) technology has been used to logically separate physically proximate SUTs onto separate, private, networks, providing a way to isolate a DHCP server. Previously, this has been accomplished by providing within the burn rack bay(s) a second network connection to the private network and then disconnecting the SUT from the main manufacturing network and connecting it to the private network when custom configuration is to be performed, and then reconnecting the SUT to the main manufacturing network, if necessary, after custom configuration. Clearly, the problem with this solution is that the disconnection and reconnection must be performed manually, leaving room for operator error and making it more time-consuming and expensive, in terms of operator cost, than if the connection to and disconnection from the private network at the appropriate times could be performed automatically.
In addition, the foregoing solution requires that an additional connector to each of the private networks be included in each of the burn rack bays, such that it becomes increasingly expensive with each additional private network that is required. Alternatively, several bays could be associated with each of the private networks, such that each bay would only include one additional connector to network with which it is associated. This solution is also problematic in that it requires that each SUT be placed in a particular burn rack bay, rather than the first available or most convenient burn rack bay for the SUT. In addition, manual intervention would still be required to disconnect and reconnect the SUT to the appropriate network at the appropriate times. Moreover, in each of the above-described scenarios involving VLAN technology, the SUT is statically connected to a preset VLAN.
Therefore, what is needed is a technique for implementing a dynamic VLAN (“DVLAN”) arrangement in which SUTs are automatically dynamically connected to an appropriate one of a plurality of VLANs.
SUMMARY
One embodiment, accordingly, is a system for dynamically implementing a plurality of virtual local area networks (“VLANs”) across multiple sites. To this end, the system includes a first VLAN-capable switch located at a first site; a first system under test (“SUT”) located at the first site and connected to the first VLAN-capable switch via a first burn rack switch; a second VLAN-capable switch located at a second site remote from the first site; a second SUT located at the second site and connected to the second VLAN-capable switch via a second burn rack switch; and means for connecting the first VLAN-capable switch to the second VLAN-capable switch such that the first and second SUTs are connected to a single virtual private network (“VPN”).
A principal advantage of this embodiment is that it provides a method for dynamically, rather than statically, connecting an SUT to a private VLAN in a computer manufacturing environment, thereby reducing the amount of operator intervention needed to perform custom configuration of SUTs.
Another advantage of this embodiment is that the connection of the SUT to a private VLAN can be automated, further reducing the amount of operator intervention needed to perform custom configuration of SUTs.
Another advantage of this embodiment is that it can be used to provide an “out-of-the-box” network solution for customers, in that all network components (clients and servers) can be easily configured on a separate DVLAN.
Yet another advantage of this embodiment is that it enables SUTs to be connected directly to a customer's server during custom configuration thereof.
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Amberg Richard
Baker Eugene
Potter Dwayne R.
Wiedeman Dennis M.
Dell USA L.P.
Haynes and Boone LLP
Phan Tri H.
Ton Dang
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