Distributed service subsystem architecture for distributed network management

• US 6,308,207 B1
• Filed: 09/09/1997
• Issued: 10/23/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Teradata US, Inc. (Teradata Corporation)
• Original Assignee: NCR Corporation (NCR Voyix Corporation)
• Inventors: Chow, Kit Man, Meyer, Michael William, Bruno, Gregory DuVall, Tseng, Weinan William, Muller, P. Keith
• Primary Examiner(s): Harrell, Robert B.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Vaughn, Jr., William C.
• Application Number:
  US08/926,148
• Time in Patent Office: 1,505 Days
• Field of Search: 709/224, 709/223, 709/226, 709/202, 709/201, 709/220, 370/254, 370/257, 370/463
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/042 comprising distributed management centres cooperatively managing the network

Abstract

A distributed service subsystem comprises one or more cabinets containing one or more computer systems, one or more administration consoles for controlling the computer systems in the cabinets, and a network interconnecting the administration consoles and the cabinets. Each of the cabinets includes a cabinet module interface controller (CMIC) coupled to and controlling one or more chassis management boards (CMBs). The CMBs are each adapted to communicate with one or more managed components in the cabinet through a component specific interface.

Claims

1. A Distributed Service Subsystem for managing one or more Computer Systems, comprising:

one or more Complexes residing in one or more of the Cabinets containing one or more Managed Components of one or more Computer Systems, wherein each Complex is a collection of related Managed Components and a set of the Cabinets are grouped into a combination of one or more interconnected Complexes;

one or more Administration Consoles, interconnected with the Cabinets by a Systems Management Network, for controlling the Computer Systems in the Cabinets;

each Cabinet including a Cabinet Module Interface Controller (CMIC) coupled to one or more Chassis Management Boards (CMBs), wherein the CMIC and CMBs each comprise embedded controllers that are configured in a hierarchy within the Cabinet;

each CMB being separate from but adapted to communicate with one or more of the Managed Components through a specific interface to the Managed Component, thereby precluding the need for the Managed Components themselves to adapt to the Distributed Service Subsystem; and

each CMIC offloading management functions from the Administration Console coupled thereto by the Systems Management Network, and isolating the CMBs and Managed Components of a Cabinet from the rest of the Distributed Service Subsystem.

2. The Distributed Service Subsystem of claim 1 above, wherein the CMIC adds identity information to each event communicated from the Cabinet and then broadcasts the event over the Systems Management Network.

3. The Distributed Service Subsystem of claim 2 above, wherein the identity information comprises one or more items selected from a group comprising Cabinet identifier, Complex identifiers, Complex type, time stamp, and Computer System name.

4. The Distributed Service Subsystem of claim 1 above, wherein the Administration Console distributes management functions to the CMICs and CMBs by issuing management commands on the Systems Management Network to the CMICs.

5. The Distributed Service Subsystem of claim 1 above, wherein the Systems Management Network supports a connectionless-style of communication among the Administration Consoles and the CMICs.

6. The Distributed Service Subsystem of claim 1 above, wherein the CMIC communicates with the Administration Console as both a sending and receiving agent.

7. The Distributed Service Subsystem of claim 1 above, wherein the CMIC transmits event information to the Admiration Console to alert an operator of a change in status.

8. The Distributed Service Subsystem of claim 1 above, wherein the CMIC receives command information from the Administration Console to control the Managed Components in the Cabinet via the CMBs.

9. The Distributed Service Subsystem of claim 1 above, wherein the Administration Console routes command information to one or more Computer Systems via appropriate CMICs using one or more communication methods selected from a group comprising point-to-point, broadcast, and multi-cast communications.

10. The Distributed Service Subsystem of claim 1 above, wherein the CMIC converts the command information into a specific language of the Managed Component, and then routes the command information to the CMBs specified by the command information for communication via the specific interface to the Managed Component.

11. A Distributed Service Subsystem for managing one or more Computer Systems, comprising:

one or more Cabinets containing one or more Managed Components of one or more Computer Systems;

one or more Administration Consoles, interconnected with the Cabinets by a Systems Management Network, for controlling the Computer Systems in the Cabinets;

each Cabinet including a Cabinet Module Interface Controller (CMIC) coupled to one or more Chassis Management Boards (CMBs), wherein the CMIC and CMBs comprise embedded controllers that are configured in a hierarchy within the Cabinet;

each CMB being separate from hut adapted to communicate with one or more of the Managed Components through a specific interface to the Managed Component, thereby precluding the need for the Managed Components themselves to adapt to the Distributed Service Subsystem; and

each CMIC offloading management functions from the Administration Console coupled thereto by the Systems Management Network, and isolating the CMBs and Managed Components of a Cabinet from the rest of the Distributed Service Subsystem.

12. A Distributed Service Subsystem for managing one or more Computer Systems, comprising:

one or more Complexes residing in one or more of the Cabinets containing one or more Managed Components of one or more Computer Systems, wherein each Complex is a collection of related Managed Components;

one or more Administration Consoles, interconnected with the Cabinets by a Systems Management Network, for controlling the Computer Systems in the Cabinets;

each Cabinet including a Cabinet Module Interface Controller (CMIC) coupled to one or more Chassis Management Boards (CMBs), wherein the CMIC and CMBs comprise embedded controllers that are configured in a hierarchy within the Cabinet;

each CMB being separate from but adapted to communicate with one or more of the Managed Components through a specific interface to the Managed Component, thereby precluding the need for the Managed Components themselves to adapt to the Distributed Service Subsystem; and

each CMIC offloading management functions from the Administration Console coupled thereto by the Systems Management Network, and isolating the CMBs and Managed Components of a Cabinet from the rest of the Distributed Service Subsystem.