SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MONITORING AND MANAGING DATA CENTER RESOURCES IN REAL TIME

• US 20130227136A1
• Filed: 09/29/2011
• Published: 08/29/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/04/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vertiv IT Systems, Inc. (Vertiv Holdings Co.)
• Original Assignee: Avocent Huntsville Corporation (Vertiv Holdings Co.)
• Inventors: Sturgeon, Donald A., Holloway, Richard T., Blackwell, Steven R.
• Granted Patent: US 9,319,295 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/206 comprising thermal management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3006 where the computing system is distributed, e.g. networked systems, clusters, multiprocessor systems multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46; allocation of resources G06F9/50
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3062 where the monitored property is the power consumption power management in a computing system G06F1/3203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3065 Monitoring arrangements determined by the means or processing involved in reporting the monitored data error or fault reporting or logging G06F11/0766
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3409 for performance assessment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/24 Object-oriented
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0226 Mapping or translating multiple network management protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0253 using browsers or web-pages for accessing management information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/04 Network management architectures or arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/344 Out-of-band transfers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/12 Network monitoring probes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/70 Admission control; Resource allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/1498 Resource management, Optimisation arrangements, e.g. configuration, identification, tracking, physical location thermal management H05K7/20836
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

In one aspect the present disclosure relates to a remote access appliance for facilitating communications between a managed device and a user located remotely from the managed device. The appliance may have a processor adapted to facilitate the communication of keyboard, video and mouse information between the appliance and the managed device. A rack data unit (RDU) subsystem may be used which is adapted to manage communications with, and to receive sensor data directly from, at least one remotely located sensor located at the managed device, without the need to transmit the sensor data over a network. An interface may also be used for interfacing the appliance to the managed device.

Claims

1. A remote access appliance for facilitating communications between a managed device and a user located remotely from the managed device, the appliance comprising:

a processor adapted to facilitate the communication of keyboard, video and mouse information between the appliance and the managed device;

a rack data unit (RDU) subsystem adapted to manage communications with, and to receive sensor data directly from, at least one remotely located sensor located at the managed device, without the need to transmit the sensor data over a network; and

an interface for interfacing the appliance to the managed device.

2. The appliance of claim 1, further comprising at least one autosensing power supply adapted to sense when a loss of power to a rack interface pod coupled to the appliance occurs, where the rack interface pod is interfacing the appliance to the managed device, and to automatically apply direct current (DC) power to the rack interface pod to maintain the rack interface pod in a powered on condition.

3. The appliance of claim 1, wherein the interface includes a plurality of autosensing ports adapted to automatically sense whether an external managed device coupled thereto is a serial device or an Ethernet device.

4. The appliance of claim 1, wherein the appliance is adapted to receive information from a service processor port of the managed device.

5. The appliance of claim 1, wherein the appliance includes at least one RDU digital interface port.

6. The appliance of claim 1, wherein the interface includes at least one RDU e-link port.

7. The appliance of claim 1, wherein the interface includes at least one RDU one-wire port.

8. The appliance of claim 1, wherein the interface includes a RDU digital relay.

9. The appliance of claim 1, wherein the interface includes at least one of an RS-232C interface port and an RS-485 interface port.

10. The appliance of claim 1, wherein the interface includes a network primary port and a network secondary port.

11. The appliance of claim 1, wherein the appliance includes a front panel, the front panel having a plurality of ports in communication with the interface including a serial port, a universal serial bus (USB) port, and an analog video port.

12. A remote access appliance for facilitating communications between a managed device and a user located remotely from the managed device, the appliance comprising:

a processor adapted to facilitate the communication of keyboard, video and mouse information between the appliance and the managed device;

a rack data unit (RDU) subsystem adapted to communicate with a plurality of remotely located sensors and to receive sensor data from the remotely located sensors, without the need to transmit the sensor data over a network;

an interface for interfacing the appliance to the managed device, the interface including;

a serial interface port;

a universal serial bus (USB) interface port;

a video interface port; and

a plurality of RDU input ports that form a portion of the RDU subsystem, and which receive inputs from the plurality of remotely located sensors, and wherein the remotely located sensors generate signals indicative of at least one of;

a condition of an environment in which the managed device is located; and

an operational state of the managed device.

13. The appliance of claim 12, further comprising at least one autosensing power supply adapted to sense when a loss of power to a rack interface pod coupled to the appliance occurs, where the rack interface pod is interfacing the appliance to the managed device, and to automatically apply direct current (DC) power to the rack interface pod to maintain the rack interface pod in a powered on condition.

14. The appliance of claim 12, wherein the interface includes a plurality of autosensing ports adapted to automatically sense whether an external managed device coupled thereto is a serial device or an Ethernet device.

15. The appliance of claim 12, wherein the appliance is adapted to receive information from a service processor port of the managed device, and to send information to the service processor port of the managed device.

16. The appliance of claim 12, wherein the RDU interface ports include at least one of:

at least one RDU digital interface port;

at least one RDU e-link port;

at least one RDU one-wire port; and

at least one RDU digital relay.

17. The appliance of claim 12, wherein the interface includes at least one of an RS-232C interface port and an RS-485 interface port.

18. A method for enabling communications between a managed device and a user located remotely from the managed device, the method comprising:

using an appliance with a processor adapted to facilitate the communication of keyboard, video and mouse information between the appliance and the managed device;

using the appliance to manage communications with, and to receive sensor data directly from, at least one remotely located sensor located in a predetermined area or at the managed device, without the need to transmit the sensor data over a network; and

interfacing the appliance to the managed device by using at least one of the following;

a serial interface port;

a universal serial bus (USB) interface port;

a video interface port; and

a plurality of RDU input ports for receiving inputs from a plurality of remote sensors operatively associated with operation or monitoring of the managed device.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising having the appliance automatically sense whether the managed device is a serial device or an Ethernet device.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising having the appliance apply backup power to an Ethernet device in communication with the appliance.

21. A system including a plurality of remote access appliances for facilitating communications between a plurality of managed devices and at least one user located remotely from the managed devices, each said appliance comprising:

a processor adapted to facilitate the communication of keyboard, video and mouse information between the appliance and at least one managed device;

a rack data unit (RDU) subsystem adapted to manage communications with, and to receive sensor data directly from, at least one remotely located sensor located at the at least one managed device; and

wherein the appliances of the system collectively form a distributed RDU management configuration that enables each said appliance to contribute to monitoring its associated said RDU subsystem.