Auto alert for server in rack due to abusive usage

• US 10,249,170 B1
• Filed: 04/24/2018
• Issued: 04/02/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Huang, Chih-Wen, Ting, Chih-Chieh, Tsao, Chu-Pei, Pai, Ching-Yuan, Wu, Mao-Chen, Huang, Tung-Sen
• Primary Examiner(s): Small, Naomi J
• Application Number:
  US15/961,427
• Time in Patent Office: 343 Days
• Field of Search: 340665
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 1/005 by electrical means and not provided for in G01L1/06 - G01L1/22
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 1/16 using properties of piezoelectric devices
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/182 Level alarms, e.g. alarms responsive to variables exceeding a threshold
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/1489 characterized by the mounting of blades therein, e.g. brackets, rails, trays H05K7/1491 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/1498 Resource management, Optimisation arrangements, e.g. configuration, identification, tracking, physical location thermal management H05K7/20836

Abstract

A computing device includes a rail mount chassis and a processor. The rail mount chassis includes a pressure sensor. The processor monitors the pressure sensor to obtain pressure sensor data; estimates a load exerted on a rail of the rail mount chassis using the obtained pressure sensor data; makes a determination that the load exerted on the rail exceeds a load rating of the rail; and in response to the determination, notifies a user that the rail may be damaged.

Claims

1. A computing device, comprising:

a rail mount chassis comprising a pressure sensor; and

a processor programmed to;

monitor the pressure sensor to obtain pressure sensor data;

estimate a load exerted on a rail of the rail mount chassis using the obtained pressure sensor data;

make a determination that the load exerted on the rail exceeds a load rating of the rail; and

in response to the determination, notify a user that the rail may be damaged.

2. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the rail mount chassis further comprises:

a top adapted to;

allow access to computing resources of the rail mount chassis while the rail mount chassis is mounted in a frame; and

transmit pressure applied to a first portion of the top to the pressure sensor.

3. The computing device of claim 2, wherein the top comprises:

the first portion mechanically coupled to the pressure sensor; and

a removable portion that is not coupled to the pressure sensor.

4. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the rail mount chassis further comprises:

an enclosure adapted to house the processor; and

a rail mount, coupled to the enclosure, adapted to;

mount the rail to a frame,

transmit a force between the rail and the frame to the pressure sensor.

5. The computing device of claim 1, further comprising:

a light emitting device disposed on a front of the rail mount chassis adapted to be visible from an exterior of a frame when the rail mount chassis is disposed in the frame.

6. The computing device of claim 5, wherein notifying the user that the rail may be damaged comprises:

displaying a light pattern using the light emitting device.

7. The computing device of claim 1, further comprising:

a sound emitting device disposed on a portion of the rail mount chassis.

8. The computing device of claim 7, wherein notifying the user that the rail may be damaged comprises:

playing a sound pattern using the sound emitting device.

9. The computing device of claim 1, wherein notifying the user that the rail may be damaged comprises:

sending a notification to a coordination point,

wherein the notification comprises;

the obtained pressure sensor data,

an identifier of the rail mount chassis.

10. A coordination point, comprising:

a persistent storage storing load policies; and

a processor programmed to;

obtain notification from a rail mount chassis, wherein the notification comprises pressure sensor data generated by a sensor of the rail mount chassis;

make a determination that the pressure sensor data exceeds a pressure rating of a rail of the rail mount chasses;

in response to the determination, perform a remediation action using the load policies.

11. The coordination point of claim 10, wherein the remediation action comprises:

illuminating a light source of the rail mount chassis.

12. The coordination point of claim 10, wherein the remediation action comprises:

playing a sound pattern using a sound emitting device of the rail mount chassis.

13. The coordination point of claim 10, wherein the remediation action comprises:

obtaining aggregated pressure sensor data generated by a plurality of pressure sensors of a plurality of rail mount chassis;

making a second determination that the pressure sensor data is statistically different from the aggregated pressure sensor data; and

in response to the second determination, notify a user that the rail may be damaged.

14. The coordination point of claim 13, wherein making the second determination that the pressure sensor data is statistically different from the aggregated pressure sensor data comprises:

obtaining an average of the aggregated pressure sensor data;

making a second determination that the pressure sensor data is different from the aggregated pressure sensor data using the average of the aggregated pressure sensor data.

15. The coordination point of claim 13, wherein making the second determination that the pressure sensor data is statistically different from the aggregated pressure sensor data comprises:

obtaining a standard of deviation of the aggregated pressure sensor data;

making a second determination that the pressure sensor data is within the obtained standard of deviation.

16. The coordination point of claim 10, wherein the remediation action comprises:

obtaining aggregated pressure sensor data generated by a plurality of pressure sensors of a plurality of rail mount chassis; and

making a second determination that the pressure sensor data is not statistically different from the aggregated pressure sensor data.

17. The coordination point of claim 10, wherein the remediation action comprises:

identifying a location of the rail mount chassis;

selecting a second rail mount chassis using the identified location;

obtaining pressure sensor data from the selected second rail mount chassis.

18. The coordination point of claim 10, wherein location of the rail mount chassis is a frame in which the rail mount chassis is mounted, wherein selecting the second rail mount chassis using the identified location comprises selecting any one of a plurality of rail mount chassis mounted in the frame.

19. A method, comprising:

monitoring a pressure sensor of a rail mount chassis to obtain pressure sensor data;

estimating a load exerted on a rail of the rail mount chassis using the obtained pressure sensor data;

making a determination that the estimated load exerted on the rail exceeds a load rating of the rail; and

in response to the determination, performing a remediation action.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the remediation action comprises notifying a user.