Methods and arrangements for managing and maintaining a switch environment

• US 7,546,374 B2
• Filed: 08/05/2005
• Issued: 06/09/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/05/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Global SERV Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Global SERV Incorporated
• Inventors: de Kerf, Anthony A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Follansbee; John
• Assistant Examiner(s): Patel; Dhairya A
• Application Number:
  US11/198,030
• Publication Number:
  US 20070088840A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,404 Days
• Field of Search: 707/62
• US Class Current: 709/230
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/24 Negotiation of communication capabilities

Abstract

A computer-implemented method of coupling a user interface device (UID) with a system device. The UID and system device are coupled with heterogeneous UID switches. The method includes providing a switch command server (SCS), which is in electronic communication with UID switches. The method also includes receiving at the SCS a switch/location agnostic connectivity indication (SLACI), which indicates a desire to provide a complete data path between the UID and system device. The method further includes performing protocol negotiation, using the SCS and SLACI to ascertain at least one available data path between the UID and system device. The method additionally includes formulating switch commands, which instruct the UID switches to connect the UID and system device to form the complete data path. The method yet further includes transmitting switch commands from the SCS to the UID switches, thereby causing UID switches to connect the UID with the system device.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of coupling a user interface device (UID) with a system device on a network, said UID and said system device being coupled with a set of heterogeneous user interface device (UID) switches, comprising:

providing a switch command server (SCS), said switch command server being in electronic communication with said set of heterogeneous ULD switches, said SCS being configured at least for managing requests for connectivity between said user interface device and said system device and establishing data path connectivity between said user interface device and said system device using at least one of said heterogeneous UID switches without requiring a user of said user interface device to manually perform network discovery to establish viable data paths between said set of heterogeneous UID switches;

receiving at said SCS a switch/location agnostic connectivity indication (SLACI), said SLACI being generic with respect to switch-specific command syntax, said SLACI being received from a SLACI-origination device that is location agnostic with respect to said set of heterogeneous UID switches, said SLACI indicating an identity of said UID and an identity of said system device, said SLACI further indicating a desire to provide a complete data path between said UID and said system device;

performing said network discovery using said SCS to manage said data path connectivity, said network discovery being performed automatically without human intervention, wherein said network discovery includes identifying at least internal backbone structures of said set of heterogeneous UID switches, hardware presence on said network, internal-external connections between said hardware and said set of heterogeneous UID switches, and current state of said internal-external connections;

performing protocol negotiation using said SCS and said SLACI, to ascertain at least one available data path between said UID and said system device, wherein said protocol negotiation being performed automatically without human intervention;

formulating, using said SCS, a set of switch commands, said set of switch commands being configured to instruct said set of heterogeneous UID switches to connect said UID and said system device along said available data path to form said complete data path wherein said set of switch commands being formulated automatically without human intervention; and

transmitting said set of switch commands from said SCS to said set of heterogeneous UID switches, thereby causing said set of heterogeneous UID switches to connect, upon executing said set of switch commands, said UID with said system device, wherein said set of switch commands being transmitted automatically without human intervention.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein said performing network discovery includes generating data pertaining to said UIDs, set of heterogeneous UID switches, and said system devices that are available for interconnection using said SCS.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2 further comprising a set of protocol modules, each of said set of protocol modules being specific to a respective one of said set of heterogeneous UID switches and contains switch-specific information pertaining to said respective one of said set of heterogeneous UID switches.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 3 wherein said formulating is performed using data pertaining to said available data path and switch-specific information associated with said set of heterogeneous UID switches disposed along said available data path.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 3 wherein said SLACI is received from a human being via said UID.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 3 wherein said SLACI is received from a human being via a console that is different from said UID.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 6 wherein said console is geographically remote from said SCS and communicates with said SCS via the Internet.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein said SLACI is machine-provided.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein said SLACI is transmitted to said SCS using the TCP/IP protocol.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein said SLACI pertains to group switching, said group switching involving coupling a plurality of UIDs that include said UID with a plurality of system devices that include said system device.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein said system device is a computer coupled to a computer network.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 11 wherein said UID is a set of keyboard, mouse, and monitor.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein said SLACI is generated by human action that includes drag-and-drop using a computer pointing device.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein said SLACI is generated by human action that includes a hot-key combination.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein said SLACI is obtained via a browser.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein said SLACI is generated by human action that includes double-clicking on a computer mouse.

17. An arrangement for coupling a user interface device (UID) with a system device on a network, said UID and said system device being coupled with a set of heterogeneous user interface device (UID) switches, comprising:

a set of protocol modules associated with a said set of heterogeneous UID switches, individual one of said set of protocol modules including switch-specific information that is specific to respective one of said set of heterogeneous UID switches, wherein said set of protocol modules may include command structure for enabling data path management between said set of heterogeneous UID switches;

a hardware switch command server (SOS) managing requests for connectivity between said user interface device and said system device and establishing data path connectivity between said user interface device and said system device using at least one of said set of heterogeneous UID switches, wherein said hardware SCS performs said establishing data path connectivity automatically without intervention, said hardware switch command server being in electronic communication with said set of heterogeneous UID switches, wherein said hardware SOS is configured to generate responsive to a receipt of a switch/location agnostic connectivity indication (SLACI), a set of switch commands using switch-specific information associated with a first subset of UID switches located along an available data path between said UID and said system device, said hardware SCS is further configured to transmit said set of switch commands to said first subset of UID switches to cause said first subset of UID switches to create a complete data path between said system device and said UID, wherein said SLACI is generic with respect to switch-specific command syntax, said SLACI being received from a SLACI-origination device that is location agnostic with respect to said UID switch, said SLACI indicating at least an identity of said UID and an identity of said system device;

perform network discovery using said hardware SCS to manage said data path connectivity, said network discovery being performed automatically without human intervention, wherein said network discovery includes identifying at least internal backbone structures of said set of heterogeneous UID switches, hardware presence on said network, internal-external connections between said hardware and said set of heterogeneous UID switches, and current state of said internal-external connections;

wherein said hardware SCS is further configured to perform protocol negotiation automatically without requiring human intervention using said SLACI, to ascertain said available data path between said UID and said system device prior to said formulating said set of switch commands;

wherein said hardware SCS is further configured to perform network discovery automatically without requiring human intervention prior to said formulating to generate data pertaining to said UIDs, said set of heterogeneous UID switches, and said system devices that are available for interconnection using said hardware SCS.

18. The arrangement of claim 17, comprising a SLACI-originating device coupled with said hardware SCS for providing said SLACI to said hardware SCS.

19. The arrangement of claim 18 wherein said SLACI-originating device is a console that is different from said UID.

20. The arrangement of claim 18 wherein said SLACI-originating device is a logic circuit that automatically generates said SLACI responsive to a triggering condition.

21. The arrangement of claim 18 wherein said hardware SCS and said SLACI-originating device are coupled via the Internet.

22. The arrangement of claim 18 wherein said SLACI-originating device is said UID.

23. The arrangement of claim 17 wherein said SLACI pertains to group switching, said group switching involving coupling a plurality of UIDs that include said UID with a plurality of system devices that include said system device.