On-site visualization of component status

• US 10,572,362 B2
• Filed: 12/14/2017
• Issued: 02/25/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Klein, Arnon H., Parag, Nadav, Riechberg, Tamir, Weiss, Moshe, Yamin, Yinon
• Primary Examiner(s): Contino, Paul
• Application Number:
  US15/841,736
• Publication Number:
  US 20180113778A1
• Time in Patent Office: 803 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/006 Identification G06F11/2289 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3034 where the computing system component is a storage system, e.g. DASD based or network based digital input from or digital output to record carriers G06F3/06; digital recording or reproducing G11B20/18; for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS], H04L67/1097
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/32 with visual or acoustical indication of the functioning of the machine
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/324 Display of status information
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/327 Alarm or error message display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/328 Computer systems status display G06F11/327 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0677 Localisation of faults
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0817 by checking functioning

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention enable a portable computing device such as a smartphone or a tablet computer, to capture one or more codes for one or more corresponding components positioned in proximity to the portable computing device, and to convey the one or more codes to a management system. Upon receiving the one or more codes, the management system can be configured to convey, to the portable computing device, an identification and a status of each of the one or more components. The portable computing device can then present the status of the one or more components on a display, and the one or more components are detected based on a distance of the portable device in relation to the one or more components such that when a plurality of the one or more components are in a field of view of the portable device.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a display;

a sensor configured to capture one or more codes for one or more corresponding components positioned in proximity to the sensor; and

a processor configured;

to convey the one or more codes to a management system, the management system being a separate entity managing a data storage facility housing the one or more components,

to receive, from the management system, an identification and a status of each of the one or more components,

to present, on the display, the status of the one or more components and a visual guide to a location of the one or more components and the location of an individual failed subcomponent comprised within the one or more components, wherein the one or more components include at least storage system servers and uninterruptible power supply (UPS) devices, and wherein the individual failed subcomponent comprises a failed hardware device within the one or more components requiring replacement and includes at least one of a storage disk, a memory module, a central processing unit, and a cooling component, and

to detect, by the management system, the failed subcomponent comprised in the one or more components via the received status indicating failure of the failed subcomponent;

wherein presenting the status comprises presenting one or more icons, each of the icons associated with one of the one or more components, and wherein the one or more icons are displayed based on a distance of the portable device in relation to the one or more components such that when a plurality of the one or more components are in a field of view of the portable device, the plurality of the one or more components are displayed as a plurality of the one or more icons representing each of the plurality of the one or more components, and as the portable device is positioned closer to the displayed plurality of the one or more components, the one or more icons change to display the failed subcomponent within the one or more components.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the one or more codes comprise one or more wireless signals conveyed by one or more transmitters positioned in proximity to the one or more components, and wherein capturing the one or more codes comprises receiving the one or more wireless signals.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to select the one or more transmitters from a list comprising radio frequency identification (RFID) tags and near field communication (NFC) tags.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to present the status by presenting a heat map having a specific color highlighting the failed subcomponent.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to highlight the icon associated with the failed subcomponent.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to present information on the failed subcomponent in response to receiving a signal indicating a selection of the icon associated with the failed subcomponent.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the components further include network ports, cooling systems, fire suppression systems, antennas, communication transceivers, digital signal processors, control electronics and Global Positioning System (GPS) receivers.

8. A computer program product, the computer program product comprising:

a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therewith, the computer readable program code comprising;

computer readable program code executing on a portable computing device having a display and configured to capture one or more codes for one or more corresponding components positioned in proximity to the portable computing device;

computer readable program code configured to convey the one or more codes to a management system, the management system being a separate entity managing a data storage facility housing the one or more components;

computer readable program code configured to receive, from the management system, an identification and a status of each of the one or more components;

computer readable program code configured to present, on the display, the status of the one or more components and a visual guide to a location of the one or more components and the location of an individual failed subcomponent comprised within the one or more components, wherein the one or more components include at least storage system servers and uninterruptible power supply (UPS) devices, and wherein the individual failed subcomponent comprises a failed hardware device within the one or more components requiring replacement and includes at least one of a storage disk, a memory module, a central processing unit, and a cooling component; and

computer readable program code configured to detect, by the management system, the failed subcomponent comprised in the one or more components via the received status indicating failure of the failed subcomponent;

wherein presenting the status comprises presenting one or more icons, each of the icons associated with one of the one or more components, and wherein the one or more icons are displayed based on a distance of the portable device in relation to the one or more components such that when a plurality of the one or more components are in a field of view of the portable device, the plurality of the one or more components are displayed as a plurality of the one or more icons representing each of the plurality of the one or more components, and as the portable device is positioned closer to the displayed plurality of the one or more components, the one or more icons change to display the failed subcomponent within the one or more components.

9. The computer program product according to claim 8, wherein the one or more codes comprise one or more wireless signals conveyed by one or more transmitters positioned in proximity to the one or more components, and wherein capturing the one or more codes comprises receiving the one or more wireless signals.

10. The computer program product according to claim 8, further including computer readable program code configured to select the one or more transmitters from a list comprising radio frequency identification (RFID) tags and near field communication (NFC) tags.

11. The computer program product according to claim 8, further including computer readable program code configured to present the status by presenting a heat map having a specific color highlighting the failed subcomponent.

12. The computer program product according to claim 8, further including computer readable program code configured to highlight the icon associated with the failed subcomponent.

13. The computer program product according to claim 8, further including computer readable program code configured to present information on the failed subcomponent in response to receiving a signal indicating a selection of the icon associated with the failed subcomponent.

14. The computer program product according to claim 8, wherein the components further include network ports, cooling systems, fire suppression systems, antennas, communication transceivers, digital signal processors, control electronics and Global Positioning System (GPS) receivers.