DATACENTER CABLING SERVICING SYSTEM

• US 20170230233A1
• Filed: 02/04/2016
• Published: 08/10/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/04/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Sane, Sanjay
• Granted Patent: US 10,819,567 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0677 Localisation of faults
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies

Abstract

A datacenter cabling issue addressing system includes computing devices interconnected by cabling subsystems. Cabling locator devices are associated with each of the cabling subsystems. A cabling management system receives cabling issue identification information through a network that identifies a cabling issue with a first cabling subsystem. A cabling issue location of the first cabling subsystem is determined using the cabling issue identification information and a first cabling locator device location received through the network from a first cabling locator device that is associated with the first cabling subsystem. A current location is received through the network from each of the cabling servicing devices and, in response, a first cabling servicing device is determined to include a current location that is closest to the cabling issue location. The cabling issue location of the first cabling subsystem is then provided through the network for display on the first cabling servicing device.

Claims

1. A datacenter cabling servicing system, comprising:

a plurality of computing devices;

a plurality of cabling subsystems interconnecting the plurality of computing devices;

a plurality of cabling locator devices, wherein each of the plurality of cabling locator devices is associated with at least one of the plurality of cabling subsystems;

a plurality of cabling servicing devices;

a cabling issue system; and

a cabling management system that is coupled through a network to the plurality of cabling locator devices, the plurality of cabling servicing devices; and

the cabling issue system, wherein the cabling management system is configured to;

receive cabling issue identification information through the network from the cabling issue system, wherein the cabling issue identification information identifies a cabling issue with a first cabling subsystem of the plurality of cabling subsystems;

determine a cabling issue location of the first cabling subsystem using the cabling issue identification information and a first cabling locator device location received through the network from a first cabling locator device of the plurality of cabling locator devices that is associated with the first cabling subsystem;

receive a current location through the network from each of the plurality of cabling servicing devices and, in response, determine a first cabling servicing device of the plurality of cabling servicing devices that includes a current location that is closest to the cabling issue location; and

provide the cabling issue location of the first cabling subsystem through the network for display on the first cabling servicing device.

2. The datacenter cabling servicing system of claim 1, wherein the cabling management system is configured to:

provide a plurality of direction messages through the network for display on the first cabling servicing device, wherein the plurality of direction messages provide directions between the current location of the first cabling servicing device and the cabling issue location of the first cabling subsystem.

3. The datacenter cabling servicing system of claim 1, wherein the cabling issue system is configured to:

receive an instruction to change a datacenter cabling topology and, in response, generate and send the cabling issue identification information that describes the change in the datacenter cabling topology through the network to the cabling management system.

4. The datacenter cabling servicing system of claim 1, wherein the cabling management system is configured to:

receive a datacenter cabling topology through the network from the cabling issue system; and

determine a difference between the datacenter cabling topology and the cabling locator device locations received through the network from each of the plurality of cabling locator devices that are each associated with at least one of the plurality of cabling subsystems and, in response, send a datacenter cabling topology notification through the network to the cabling issue system.

5. The datacenter cabling servicing system of claim 1, wherein the cabling issue identification information is first cabling issue identification information received by the cabling management system from the cabling issue system at a first time, and the cabling issue location is a first cabling issue location determined using the first cabling issue identification information, and wherein the cabling management system is configured to:

receive second cabling issue identification information through the network from the cabling issue system prior to receiving the first cabling issue information, wherein the second cabling issue identification information identifies a cabling issue with a second cabling subsystem of the plurality of cabling subsystems;

determine a second cabling issue location of the second cabling subsystem using the second cable issue identification information and a second cabling locator device location received through the network from a second cabling locator device of the plurality of cabling locator devices that is associated with the second cabling subsystem; and

determine that the current location of the first cabling servicing device is closer to the first cabling issue location than the second cabling issue location and, in response, provide the first cabling issue location through the network for display on the first cabling servicing device prior to providing the second cabling issue location through the network for display on the second cabling servicing device.

6. The datacenter cabling servicing system of claim 1, wherein the cabling management system is configured to:

provide a graphical user interface through the network for display on the first cabling servicing device that includes the cabling issue location via a rendering of the first cabling subsystem and at least one computing device coupled to the first cabling subsystem.

7. An information handling system (IHS), comprising:

a communication system;

a processing system; and

a memory system that is coupled to the processing system and that includes instructions that, when executed by the processing system, cause the processing system to provide a cabling management engine that is configured to;

receive cabling issue identification information through the communication system from a cabling issue system, wherein the cabling issue identification information identifies a cabling issue with a first cabling subsystem of a plurality of cabling subsystems in a datacenter;

determine a cabling issue location of the first cabling subsystem using the cabling issue identification information and a first cabling locator device location received through the communication system from a first cabling locator device, of a plurality of cabling locator devices in the datacenter, that is associated with the first cabling subsystem;

receive a current location through the communication system from each of a plurality of cabling servicing devices and, in response, determine a first cabling servicing device of the plurality of cabling servicing devices that includes a current location that is closest to the cabling issue location; and

provide the cabling issue location of the first cabling subsystem through the communication system for display on the first cabling servicing device.

8. The IHS of claim 7, wherein the cabling management engine is configured to:

provide a plurality of direction messages through the communication system for display on the first cabling servicing device, wherein the plurality of direction messages provide directions between the current location of the first cabling servicing device and the cabling issue location of the first cabling subsystem.

9. The IHS of claim 7, wherein the cabling management engine is configured to:

receive a datacenter cabling topology through the communication system from the cabling issue system; and

determine a difference between the datacenter cabling topology and respective cabling locator device locations received through the communication system from each of the plurality of cabling locator devices that are each associated with at least one of the plurality of cabling subsystems and, in response, send a datacenter cabling topology notification through the communication system to the cabling issue system.

10. The IHS of claim 7, wherein the cabling issue identification information is first cabling issue identification information received by the cabling management engine from the cabling issue system at a first time, and the cabling issue location is a first cabling issue location determined using the first cabling issue identification information, and wherein the cabling management engine is configured to:

receive second cabling issue identification information through the communication system from the cabling issue system prior to receiving the first cabling issue information, wherein the second cabling issue identification information identifies a cabling issue with a second cabling subsystem of the plurality of cabling subsystems;

determine a second cabling issue location of the second cabling subsystem using the second cable issue identification information and a second cabling locator device location received through the network from a second cabling locator device, of the plurality of cabling locator devices, that is associated with the second cabling subsystem; and

determine that the current location of the first cabling servicing device is closer to the first cabling issue location than the second cabling issue location and, in response, provide the first cabling issue location through the communication system for display on the first cabling servicing device prior to providing the second cabling issue location through the network for display on the second cabling servicing device.

11. The IHS of claim 7, wherein the cabling management engine is configured to:

provide a graphical user interface through the communication system for display on the first cabling servicing device that includes the cabling issue location via a rendering of the first cabling subsystem and at least one computing device coupled to the first cabling subsystem.

12. The IHS of claim 7, wherein the cabling issue includes at least one of a cabling issue associated with adding a computing device to the datacenter, a cabling issue associated with a failed computing device in the datacenter, a cabling issue associated with a failed cable in the datacenter, and a cabling issue associated with a provisioning of increased communication capacity to a computing device in the datacenter.

13. The IHS of claim 7, wherein first cabling servicing device includes a mobile computing device that is configured to display the cabling issue location, and a separate location beacon device that is configured to provide the current location of the first cabling servicing device.

14. A method for servicing cabling issues in a datacenter, comprising:

receiving, by a cabling management device through a network from a cabling issue system, cabling issue identification information that identifies a cabling issue with a first cabling subsystem of a plurality of cabling subsystems in a datacenter;

determining, by the cabling management device, a cabling issue location of the first cabling subsystem using the cabling issue identification information and a first cabling locator device location received through the network from a first cabling locator device, of a plurality of cabling locator devices in the datacenter, that is associated with the first cabling subsystem;

receiving, by the cabling management device through the network from each of a plurality of cabling servicing devices, a current location and, in response, determining a first cabling servicing device of the plurality of cabling servicing devices that includes a current location that is closest to the cabling issue location; and

providing, by the cabling management device through the network for display on the first cabling servicing device, the cabling issue location of the first cabling subsystem.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

providing, by the cabling management device through the network for display on the first cabling servicing device, a plurality of direction messages that provide directions between the current location of the first cabling servicing device and the cabling issue location of the first cabling subsystem.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

receiving, by the cabling management device through the network from the cabling issue system, a datacenter cabling topology; and

determining by the cable management device, a difference between the datacenter cabling topology and respective cabling locator device locations received through the communication system from each of the plurality of cabling locator devices that are each associated with at least one of the plurality of cabling subsystems and, in response, sending a datacenter cabling topology notification through the communication system to the cabling issue system.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the cabling issue identification information is first cabling issue identification information received by the cabling management engine from the cabling issue system at a first time, and the cabling issue location is a first cabling issue location determined using the first cabling issue identification information, and wherein the method further comprises:

receiving, by the cabling management device through the network from the cabling issue system, second cabling issue identification information prior to receiving the first cabling issue information, wherein the second cabling issue identification information identifies a cabling issue with a second cabling subsystem of the plurality of cabling subsystems;

determining, by the cable management device, a second cabling issue location of the second cabling subsystem using the second cable issue identification information and a second cabling locator device location received through the network from a second cabling locator device, of the plurality of cabling locator devices, that is associated with the second cabling subsystem; and

determining, by the cable management device, that the current location of the first cabling servicing device is closer to the first cabling issue location than the second cabling issue location and, in response, providing the first cabling issue location through the communication system for display on the first cabling servicing device prior to providing the second cabling issue location through the network for display on the second cabling servicing device.

18. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

providing, by the cabling management device through the network for display on the first cabling servicing device, a graphical user interface that includes the cabling issue location via a rendering of the first cabling subsystem and at least one computing device coupled to the first cabling subsystem.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein the cabling issue includes at least one of a cabling issue associated with adding a computing device to the datacenter, a cabling issue associated with a failed computing device in the datacenter, a cabling issue associated with a failed cable in the datacenter, and a cabling issue associated with a provisioning of increased communication capacity to a computing device in the datacenter

20. The method of claim 14, wherein first cabling servicing device includes a mobile computing device that is configured to display the cabling issue location, and a separate location beacon device that is configured to provide the current location of the first cabling servicing device.