Burn rack dynamic virtual local area network

• US 6,499,115 B1
• Filed: 10/22/1999
• Issued: 12/24/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/22/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Dell USA LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell USA LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Amberg, Richard, Wiedeman, Dennis M., Baker, Eugene, Potter, Dwayne R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Iqbal, Nadeem
• Application Number:
  US09/426,095
• Time in Patent Office: 1,159 Days
• Field of Search: 714/30, 714/32, 714/37, 714/39, 714/43, 714/44, 714/48, 714/56, 370/252, 370/254, 370/241, 370/242, 709/229, 709/249
• US Class Current: 714/30
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/26 Functional testing

Abstract

Method and apparatus for dynamically connecting a system under test (“SUT”) to and disconnecting an SUT from a private VLAN in a computer manufacturing environment is described. In a preferred embodiment, each time an SUT disposed in a burn rack boots up, a VLAN-capable switch (hereinafter “CAT”) connected thereto checks the media access control (“MAC”) address of the SUT against a MAC address-to-VLAN correlation table (“MAC-VLAN table”). If the SUT'"'"'s MAC address is not listed in the MAC-VLAN table, the CAT connects the SUT to a predefined default VLAN; i.e., the manufacturer'"'"'s main manufacturing network. If the SUT'"'"'s MAC address is included in the MAC-VLAN table, there is a private VLAN associated with the SUT and the CAT connects the SUT to the associated VLAN in a conventional fashion, at which point custom configuration can be performed as needed on the private VLAN.

Claims

1. A system for dynamically connecting a system under test (“

SUT”

) to a designated one of a plurality of virtual local area networks (“

VLANs”

), comprising;

a router connected to a manufacturing network;

a first VLAN-capable switch connected to said manufacturing network via said router and having a default VLAN associated therewith;

a second VLAN-capable switch connected to said first VLAN-capable switch;

a system under test (“

SUT”

) connected to said second VLAN-capable switch;

a DVLAN server complex connected to said first VLAN-capable switch;

wherein responsive to execution of a DVLAN command by said SUT, said SUT is dynamically connected to a VLAN associated with an identifying number of said SUT; and

wherein responsive to a DVLAN disconnect command executed by said SUT, said SUT is disconnected from said VLAN associated with said SUT identifying number and reconnected to said default VLAN.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said VLAN associated with said SUT identifying number is isolated from said manufacturing network and said default VLAN is electrically connected to said manufacturing network.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein said DVLAN server complex comprises a DVLAN database for storing information necessary to run said DVLAN.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein said DVLAN server complex comprises a burn rack monitor (“

BRM”

) database for storing information regarding processes executed by said SUT.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein said DVLAN server complex comprises an application for responding to DVLAN connection requests from said SUT.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein said DVLAN server complex comprises an application for creating a switch file for identifying a VLAN associated with said identifying number of said SUT.

7. The system of claim 5 wherein said application comprises an NT service.

8. The system of claim 6 wherein said application comprises an NT service.

9. The system of claim 1 further comprising a server connected to said VLAN associated with said SUT identifying number, said server enabling custom configuration and testing processes to be performed with respect to said SUT using said associated VLAN.

10. The system of claim 1 further comprising a graphical user interface (“

GUI”

) for use in specifying an association between said SUT identifying number and a VLAN.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein said DVLAN connect command and said DVLAN disconnect command are issued manually.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein said DVLAN connect command and said DVLAN disconnect command are issued automatically using a diskette inserted into a floppy disk drive of said SUT.

13. A method for dynamically connecting a system under test (“

SUT”

) to and disconnecting said SUT from a virtual local area network (“

VLAN”

) using a VLAN-capable switch connected to the SUT, comprising the steps of;

responsive to detection of a request from said SUT to connect to a private VLAN, said request to connect including a MAC address of said SUT;

using said MAC address to determine a private VLAN to which said SUT is to be connected;

adding to a switch file an entry associated with said SUT, said entry indexed by said SUT MAC address and identifying said private VLAN to which said SUT is to be connected;

prebooting said SUT;

said switch file to determine whether said switch file includes an entry associated with said SUT;

responsive to determination that said switch file includes an entry associated with said SUT, connecting said SUT to said private VLAN identified by said entry;

responsive to detection of a request from said SUT to disconnect from said private VLAN;

deleting said entry associated with said SUT from said switch file;

rebooting said SUT;

checking said switch file to determine whether said switch file includes an entry associated with said SUT; and

responsive to determination that said switch file does not include an entry associated with said SUT, connecting said SUT to a default VLAN associated with said VLAN-capable switch.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein said switch file is stored in a DVLAN database connected to said VLAN-capable switch, further comprising the steps of, subsequent to said adding:

detecting a change in said switch file; and

promoting a copy of said switch file from said DVLAN to said VLAN-capable switch.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein said switch file is stored in a DVLAN database connected to said VLAN-capable switch, further comprising the steps of, subsequent to said deleting:

detecting a change in said switch file; and

promoting a copy of said switch file from said DVLAN to said VLAN-capable switch.

16. A method of dynamically connecting a system under test (“

SUT”

) to a virtual local area network (“

VLAN”

) using a VLAN-capable switch connected to the SUT, comprising the steps of;

issuing an SUT connect request, said SUT connect request including a MAC address of said SUT;

querying a BRM database to obtain an account number associated with said SUT;

providing said account number to a DVLAN database to obtain an indication of a VLAN associated with said SUT;

adding an entry for said SUT to a switch file, said entry including a MAC address-to-VLAN correlation for said SUT;

responsive to an entry for said SUT being added to a switch file, forwarding an acknowledgment to said SUT; and

connecting said SUT to said VLAN associated with said SUT.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising the steps of:

subsequent to said providing said account number to a DVLAN database, setting a status of said SUT in said DVLAN database to requesting connection;

changing said SUT status to waiting for switch file write; and

responsive to an entry for said SUT being added to a switch file, changing said SUT status to switch file written.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein said forwarding is performed responsive to said changing said SUT status to switch file written.

19. The method of claim 17 further comprising the steps of:

responsive to said connecting, changing said SUT status to connected.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein said issuing an SUT connect request, forwarding an acknowledgment to said SUT, and changing said SUT status to connected are performed by a first NT service.

21. The method of claim 17 wherein said changing said SUT status to waiting for switch file write and changing said SUT status to switch file written are performed by a second NT service.

22. The method of claim 16 wherein said VLAN associated with said SUT is a private VLAN.

23. The method of claim 16 wherein said default VLAN is an open network.

24. A method of dynamically disconnecting a system under test (“

SUT”

) from a virtual local area network (“

VLAN”

) using a VLAN-capable switch connected to the SUT, comprising the steps of;

issuing an SUT disconnect request

deleting an entry for said SUT from a switch file;

responsive to said deleting, forwarding an acknowledgment to said SUT;

disconnecting connecting said SUT from said VLAN associated with said SUT; and

connecting said SUT to a default VLAN.

25. The method of claim 24 further comprising the steps of:

responsive to said disconnect request, setting a status of said SUT in a DVLAN database to requesting disconnection;

changing said SUT status to waiting for switch file write; and

responsive to an entry for said SUT being deleted from a switch file, changing said SUT status to switch file written.

26. The method of claim 25 wherein said forwarding an acknowledgment to said SUT is performed responsive to said changing said SUT status to switch file written.

27. The method of claim 25 further comprising, responsive to said connecting, changing said SUT status to connected.

28. The method of claim 27 wherein said issuing an SUT connect request, forwarding an acknowledgment to said SUT, and changing said SUT status to connected are performed by a first NT service.

29. The method of claim 25 wherein said changing said SUT status to waiting for switch file write and changing said SUT status to switch file written are performed by a second NT service.

30. The method of claim 24 wherein said VLAN associated with said SUT is a private VLAN.

31. The method of claim 24 wherein said default VLAN is an open network.

32. Apparatus for dynamically connecting a system under test (“

SUT”

) to a virtual local area network (“

VLAN”

) using a VLAN-capable switch connected to the SUT, the apparatus comprising;

means for issuing an SUT connect request, said SUT connect request including a MAC address of said SUT;

means for querying a BRM database to obtain an account number associated with said SUT;

means for providing said account number to a DVLAN database to obtain an indication of a VLAN associated with said SUT;

means for adding an entry for said SUT to a switch file, said entry including a MAC address-to-VLAN correlation for said SUT;

means responsive to an entry for said SUT being added to a switch file for forwarding an acknowledgment to said SUT; and

means for connecting said SUT to said VLAN associated with said SUT.

33. The apparatus of claim 32 further comprising:

means for setting a status of said SUT in said DVLAN database to requesting connection subsequent to said providing said account number to a DVLAN database;

means for changing said SUT status to waiting for switch file write; and

means responsive to an entry for said SUT being added to a switch file for changing said SUT status to switch file written.

34. The apparatus of claim 33 further comprising means for changing said SUT status to connected responsive to said connecting.

35. The apparatus of claim 34 wherein said means for issuing an SUT connect request, means for forwarding an acknowledgment to said SUT, and means for changing said SUT status to connected comprise a first NT service.

36. The apparatus of claim 33 wherein said means for changing said SUT status to waiting for switch file write and means for changing said SUT status to switch file written comprise by a second NT service.

37. The apparatus of claim 32 wherein said VLAN associated with said SUT is a private VLAN.

38. The apparatus of claim 32 wherein said default VLAN is an open network.

39. Apparatus for dynamically disconnecting a system under test (“

SUT”

) from a virtual local area network (“

VLAN”

) using a VLAN-capable switch connected to the SUT, the apparatus comprising;

means for issuing an SUT disconnect request

means for deleting an entry for said SUT from a switch file;

means for forwarding an acknowledgment to said SUT responsive to said deleting;

means for disconnecting connecting said SUT from said VLAN associated with said SUT; and

means for connecting said SUT to a default VLAN.

40. The apparatus of claim 39 further comprising:

means responsive to said disconnect request for setting a status of said SUT in a DVLAN database to requesting disconnection;

means for changing said SUT status to waiting for switch file write; and

means responsive to an entry for said SUT being deleted from a switch file for changing said SUT status to switch file written.

41. The apparatus of claim 40 further comprising means responsive to said connecting for changing said SUT status to connected.

42. The apparatus of claim 41 wherein said means for issuing an SUT connect request, means for forwarding an acknowledgment to said SUT, and means for changing said SUT status to connected comprise a first NT service.

43. The apparatus of claim 40 wherein said means for changing said SUT status to waiting for switch file write and means for changing said SUT status to switch file written comprise a second NT service.

44. The apparatus of claim 39 wherein said VLAN associated with said SUT is a private VLAN.

45. The apparatus of claim 39 wherein said default VLAN is an open network.