Method of and System for Finding Physical Locations of Servers

• US 20090109031A1
• Filed: 10/25/2007
• Published: 04/30/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/25/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Calvin, Duane A., Upton, John D.
• Application Number:
  US11/924,310
• Publication Number:
  US 20090109031A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/572.100
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/3344 using natural language analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/345 Summarisation for human users
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/353 into predefined classes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/382 using citations hypermedia G06F16/94
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2216/11 Patent retrieval
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/184 Intellectual property management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information

Abstract

A method of and system for finding the physical location of a server positions a plurality of radio frequency identification (RFID) tags at known locations in an area. Each RFID tag has unique location information. A server is coupled to a collocated RFID tag reader. Upon power up, the server performs a scan with its collocated RFID tag reader. The server determines its physical location with respect to at least one scanned RFID tag. The server storing its physical location of said server. Upon receiving a location request, the server returning its physical location.

Claims

1. A method of finding the physical location of a server, which comprises:

performing a scan with an RFID tag reader coupled to server;

determining a physical location of said server with respect to at least one scanned RFID tag, RFID tag having a known location; and

,

storing said physical location of said server.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said RFID tag reader is collocated with said server.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said scan is performed in connection with powering up said server.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

positioning a plurality of RFID tags at known positions in an area, each said RFID tag having unique location information.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a location request at said server;

returning said physical location in response to said location request.

6. The method as claimed in claim 5, further comprising:

returning server identifying information along with said physical location.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said physical location is the known location of a nearest scanned RFID tag.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said physical location is determined from the known position of a plurality of scanned RFID tags.

9. A server system, which comprises:

a plurality of radio frequency identification (RFID) tags positioned at known locations in an area, each of said RFID tags having stored thereon its know location;

a plurality of servers in said area, each said server comprising;

an RFID tag reader;

means for scanning with said RFID tag reader; and

,

means for determining a physical location of said server with respect to the known location of at least one scanned RFID tag.

10. The system as claimed in claim 9, wherein each said server further comprises:

means for returning said physical location in response to a location request.

11. The system as claimed in claim 9, wherein each said server further comprises:

means for storing said physical location.

12. A method of finding the physical location of a server, which comprises:

positioning a plurality of radio frequency identification (RFID) tags at known locations in an area, each said RFID tag having unique location information;

powering up a server, said server being coupled to a collocated RFID tag reader;

performing a scan with said RFID tag reader;

determining a physical location of said server with respect to at least one scanned RFID tag;

storing said physical location of said server;

receiving a location request for said server; and

,

returning said physical location information in response to said location request.