BLADE ENCLOSURE

• US 20130318225A1
• Filed: 05/21/2013
• Published: 11/28/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/24/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: McCloy, Ian James
• Granted Patent: US 9,503,331 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/161 Computing infrastructure, e.g. computer clusters, blade chassis or hardware partitioning casings, cabinets, racks or drawers for data centers H05K5/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/24 using dedicated network management hardware
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/1487 Blade assemblies, e.g. blade cases or inner arrangements within a blade

Abstract

A blade enclosure comprises a plurality of physical interfaces of a first type, each for connecting a blade to the blade enclosure, a plurality of physical interfaces of a second type, each for connecting a conventional computer to the blade enclosure, a management component connected to the physical interfaces and for managing the blades and conventional computers connected to the physical interfaces, and a body containing the physical interfaces and the management component.

Claims

1. A blade enclosure comprising:

a plurality of physical interfaces of a first type, each for connecting a blade to the blade enclosure;

a plurality of physical interfaces of a second type, each for connecting a conventional computer to the blade enclosure;

a management component connected to the physical interfaces and for managing the blades and conventional computers connected to the physical interfaces; and

a body containing the physical interfaces and the management component.

2. An enclosure according to claim 1, and further comprising a caddy for receiving a conventional computer, the caddy connected to a physical interface of the first type and comprising a physical interface of the second type.

3. An enclosure according to claim 1, wherein the management component is arranged to detect connection of a conventional computer to a physical interface of a second type and to connect to a processor of the connected conventional computer.

4. An enclosure according to claim 1, wherein the management component is arranged to detect connection of a conventional computer to a physical interface of a second type and to boot the connected conventional computer following detection of the connection.

5. An enclosure according to claim 1, wherein the management component is arranged to detect connection of a conventional computer to a physical interface of a second type and to prevent connection to a storage device of the connected conventional computer.

6. An enclosure according to claim 1, wherein the management component is arranged to detect connection of a conventional computer to a physical interface of a second type and to disable the wireless functionality of the connected conventional computer.

7. A method of operating a blade enclosure comprising a plurality of physical interfaces of a first type, each for connecting a blade to the blade enclosure, a plurality of physical interfaces of a second type, each for connecting a conventional computer to the blade enclosure, a management component connected to the physical interfaces and for managing the blades and conventional computers connected to the physical interfaces, and a body containing the physical interfaces and the management component, the method comprising the steps of:

detecting the connection of a conventional computer to a physical interface of a second type; and

connecting to a processor of the connected conventional computer.

8. A method according to claim 7, wherein the blade enclosure further comprises a caddy for receiving a conventional computer, the caddy connected to a physical interface of the first type and comprising a physical interface of the second type.

9. A method according to claim 7, and further comprising, following detecting connection of a conventional computer to a physical interface of a second type, booting the connected conventional computer following detection of the connection.

10. A method according to claim 7, and further comprising, following detecting connection of a conventional computer to a physical interface of a second type, preventing connection to a storage device of the connected conventional computer.

11. A method according to claim 7, and further comprising, following detecting connection of a conventional computer to a physical interface of a second type, disabling the wireless functionality of the connected conventional computer.