System management

• US 20030050998A1
• Filed: 08/09/2002
• Published: 03/13/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle America, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sun Microsystems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Mayhead, Martin P., Garnett, Paul J.
• Granted Patent: US 7,158,781 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/217
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/183 Internal mounting support structures, e.g. for printed circuit boards, internal connecting means for buses G06F13/409
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/187 Mounting of fixed and removable disk drives
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/55 Detecting local intrusion or implementing counter-measures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/629 to features or functions of an application
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2119 Authenticating web pages, e.g. with suspicious links
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2137 Time limited access, e.g. to a computer or data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2141 Access rights, e.g. capability lists, access control lists, access tables, access matrices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2149 Restricted operating environment
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 33/128 of the plurality of recording/reproducing devices, e.g. disk drives, onto a chassis
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/083 using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/1416 Event detection, e.g. attack signature detection
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/1425 of standardised dimensions, e.g. 19"-subrack
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/1489 characterized by the mounting of blades therein, e.g. brackets, rails, trays H05K7/1491 takes precedence

Abstract

A method may be provided for establishing a service communication channel to a multi-server computer system comprising a plurality of modular units. At least selected modular units can have a wireless communication port. The method may comprise transmitting an existence request message to the wireless communication port of each modular unit provided therewith; and receiving at least one existence response message from at least one of the plurality of modular units. The existence response message may include an identifier of the modular unit.

Claims

1. A method for establishing a service communication channel to a multi-server computer system comprising a plurality of modular units, wherein at least selected modular unit has a wireless communication port, the method comprising transmitting an existence request message to the wireless communication port of each modular unit provided therewith;

and receiving at least one existence response message including an identifier for the modular unit from at least one of the plurality of modular units.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one modular unit is a modular computer system carrier having removably received therein at least one removably mountable information processing cartridge.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting an identify request to the wireless communication port at least one computer system from which an existence response message is received.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising displaying a list of computer systems from which an existence message is received to a user and selecting a shelf for transmission of an identify message based on a selection input.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining a computer system for further communication based on a selection input from a user.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless communications port is operable to communicate using at least one of an infra-red transmission protocol and a radio frequency transmission protocol.

7. The method of claim 1, comprising transmitting an acknowledgement message to the wireless communication port of each modular unit provided therewith following receipt of a response message therefrom.

8. The method of claim 7, comprising the wireless communication port of each modular unit provided therewith repeatedly transmitting a response message at a randomly determined interval until receipt of an acknowledgement message.

9. The method of claim 8, comprising randomly determining the randomly determined interval following each transmission of the response message.

10. The method of claim 7, comprising applying a predetermined increase to the response interval following each transmission of the response message.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the predetermined increase comprises at least one of a multiplication factor and an increment.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the predetermined increase is determined randomly following each transmission of the response message.

13. A service device for a computer system comprising a plurality of modular units, the device comprising a wireless communications port operable to transmit an existence request message to a wireless communications port of each of a plurality of modular units and to receive an existence response message including an identifier for the modular unit from at least one of said plurality of modular units.

14. The service device of claim 13, further comprising a display operable to display a list of computer systems from which an existence response message is received.

15. The service device of claim 14, further comprising an input device operable to receive a selection input to select at least one computer system from the list and wherein the communications port is further operable to transmit an identify request message to the wireless communications port of a selected computer system to cause the selected computer system to undertake an identification action.

16. The service device of claim 15, further operable to provide information describing a property of a selected computer system to a service process of the service device.

17. The service device of claim 16, wherein the input device is further operable to receive a selection confirmation input from a user and to provide said information to the service process on the basis of the selection confirmation input.

18. The service device of claim 13, wherein the communications port is operable to communicate using at least one of an infra-red communications protocol and a radio frequency communications protocol.

19. A modular computer system comprising a carrier configured removably to receive a plurality of removably mountable information processing cartridges;

a plurality of removably mountable information processing cartridges removably received in the carrier;

a service processor operable to perform a service function for the information processing modules and a wireless communication port operable to establish a service communications channel with a wireless communications port of a remote service device.

20. The modular computer system of claim 19, wherein the wireless communication port is operable to receive an existence request message and to transmit an existence response message including an identifier for the modular unit in response to the existence request message.

21. The modular computer system of claim 20, wherein the wireless communication port is operable to repeatedly transmit the existence response message at randomly determined intervals until receipt of an acknowledge message.

22. The modular computer system of claim 21, wherein the randomly determined interval is randomly redetermined following each transmission of the existence response message.

23. The modular computer system of claim 22, wherein a predetermined increase is applied to the response interval following each transmission of the response message.

24. The modular computer system of claim 23, wherein the predetermined increase comprises at least one of a multiplication factor and an increment.

25. The modular computer system of claim 23, wherein the predetermined increase is determined randomly following each transmission of the response message.

26. The modular computer system of claim 19, wherein the wireless communication port is operable to communicate using at least one of an infra-red protocol and a radio frequency protocol.

27. The modular computer system of claim 19, wherein the wireless communication port is mounted in the carrier at a face of a housing of the carrier.

28. The modular computer system of claim 19, wherein the service processor comprises the wireless communication port.

29. The modular computer system of claim 19, further comprising an indicator operable to be caused to perform an indication action is response to receipt of an instruction to self-identify at the wireless communication port.

30. A method for establishing a service connection between a service device and a service target comprising:

transmitting an existence request from a service device to a plurality of potential service targets across a wireless communication channel;

receiving at the service device an existence response including an identifier for the potential service target from at least one of the potential service targets via the wireless communication channel; and

selecting a potential service target from which an existence response is received as an actual service target.

31. The method of claim 30 comprising the service target repeatedly returning an existence response at intervals until an acknowledgement is received from the service device.

32. The method of claim 30 comprising the service target determining a randomized interval before returning an existence response.