System and Method for Validating Enterprise Information Handling System Network Solutions

• US 20090240713A1
• Filed: 03/24/2008
• Published: 09/24/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Hayes, Robert, Deshpande, Hemant, Somasundaram, Jayavel, Lai, Hsinlin, Murray, Greg, Jia, Fenghua, Wallis, Jason, Sathyanarayana, Sreenivas
• Application Number:
  US12/053,718
• Publication Number:
  US 20090240713A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0866 Checking the configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1097 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]

Abstract

Enterprise information handling system network solutions are automatically validated within each information handling system, between connected information handling systems and to logical groupings within the solution and to the solution as a whole. A validation engine applies validation rules to determine a network solution topology to validate end user information handling system component selections. Invalid information handling system component selections are automatically corrected, disabled or hidden to ensure that end users select valid configurations.

Claims

1. A system for validating a configuration of networked information handling systems, the system comprising:

a selector interface operable to accept end user information handling system selections from plural available information handling system components;

validation rules defining valid configurations within an information handling system, between information handling systems and connecting information handling systems; and

a validation engine interfaced with the selector interface and the validation rules, the validation engine operable to automatically apply the validation rules to information handling system component selections to validate components within a selected information handling system, between plural selected information handling systems and connecting plural information handling systems.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the validation engine applies the validation rules by automatically determining a topology associated with the information handling system components to apply validation rules associated with the determined topology.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the topology comprises direct attached storage.

4. The system of claim 2 wherein the topology comprises a storage area network.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein the storage area network comprises a redundant storage area network and the validation rule comprises a plurality of switches.

6. The system of claim 4 wherein the storage area network comprises a non-redundant storage area network.

7. The system of claim 1 further comprising a validation correction module operable to detect an invalid information handling system component selection and to replace the invalid selection with a valid selection.

8. The system of claim 1 further comprising a validation disable module operable to identify invalid information handling system component options and to disable the invalid options from selection by an end user.

9. The system of claim 1 further comprising a validation removal module operable to identify invalid information handling system component options to remove the invalid options from selection by an end user.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the information handling system components comprise interconnection devices operable to interconnect information handling systems.

11. A method for validating a configuration of networked information handling systems, the method comprising:

presenting plural available information handling system components to an end user;

accepting information handling system component selections from the end user; and

automatically applying validation rules to the information handling system component selections to validate the components within a selected information handling system, between plural selected information handling systems and for connecting plural information handling systems.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein applying the validation rules further comprises automatically determining a topology associated with the information handling system components to apply validation rules associated with the determined topology.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the topology comprises direct attached storage.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein the topology comprises a storage area network.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the storage area network comprises a redundant storage area network and the validation rule comprises a plurality of switches.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein the topology comprises a storage area network redundant topology and the interconnection device comprises plural switches.

17. The method of claim 14 wherein the storage area network comprises a non-redundant storage area network.

18. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

identify invalid information handling system component options; and

disabling the invalid options from selection by an end user.

19. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

identify invalid information handling system component options; and

removing the invalid options from selection by an end user.

20. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

detect an invalid information handling system component selection; and

replacing the invalid selection with a valid selection.