Methods and arrangements for managing automated switching

• US 7,689,704 B2
• Filed: 12/30/2005
• Issued: 03/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/05/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• 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:
  US11/322,989
• Publication Number:
  US 20070088841A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,551 Days
• Field of Search: 709/230, 709/234, 709/250, 709/200, 709/208, 710/5, 710/11, 710/62, 710/316, 710/67
• US Class Current: 709/230
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/25 Routing or path finding in a switch fabric
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/65 Re-configuration of fast packet switches

Abstract

A method for automatically creating a complete first data path between a user interface device (UID) and a system device. The UID and the system device are coupled to a set of UID switches. The method includes providing a switch command server (SCS), which is in electronic communication with the set of UID switches. The method also includes receiving at the SCS a switch/location agnostic connectivity indication (SLACI), which is generic with respect to switch-specific command syntax. The SLACI is also received from a SLACI-origination device that is location agnostic with respect to the set of UID switches. The method further includes transmitting, automatically in response to a triggering condition, a first set of switch commands from the SCS to the set of UID switches to connect the UID and the system device connect along an available data path to form the complete first data path.

Claims

1. A method for automatically creating a complete first data path between a user interface device (UID) and a system device in a computing environment, said UID and said system device being coupled to a set of heterogeneous UID switches, comprising:

providing a switch command server (SCS), said SCS being in electronic communication with said set of UID switches;

creating and storing at least an automated profile, said automated profile defining at least a non-human initiated triggering condition and instructions for automatically executing commands corresponding to said non-human initiated triggering condition;

monitoring said computing environment for said non-human initiated triggering condition as defined in said automated profile;

encountering said non-human initiated triggering condition, wherein said SCS being configured to handle said non-human initiated triggering condition as a request for connectivity between said user interface device and said system device, wherein said non-human initiated triggering condition includes 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; and

transmitting, automatically in response to said encountering said non-human initiated triggering condition, a first set of commands from said SCS to said set of heterogeneous UID switches, said first set of commands being configured to instruct said set of heterogeneous UID switches to connect, upon executing said first set of commands, said UID and said system device along an available data path to form said complete first data path, said available data path being at least one of a set of viable data paths between said set of heterogeneous UID switches, said set of viable data paths being identified through network discovery performed within said SCS and without human intervention, wherein said network discovery includes identifying at least one of internal backbone structures of said set of heterogeneous UID switches, hardware presence on said computer environment, internal-external connections between said hardware and said set of heterogeneous UID switches, and current state of said internal-external connections, wherein said available data path being determined by performing protocol negotiation automatically without human intervention, said protocol negotiation including ascertaining at least one available data path from said set of viable data paths for connect said UID with said system device.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said automated profile is created via a console that is the same as said UID, said console displaying at least one populated list for user selection, said system device being an item on said at least one populated list.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said automated profile is created via a console that is different from said UID, said console displaying at least one populated list for user selection, said system device and said UID being items on said at least one populated list.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said automated profile includes an identity of apparatus being watched.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein said automated profile further includes an identity of an alternative UID, said alternative UID being connected to said system device when said UID is unavailable for said creating said complete first data path, wherein said non-human initiated triggering condition is originating from said UID, wherein said SLACI indicating said identity of said alternative UID and said identity of said system device.

6. The method of claim 5 further including transmitting a second set of commands from said SCS to said set of UID switches when said UID is unavailable for said creating said complete first data path, said second set of commands being configured to instruct said set of UID switches to align, upon executing said second set of commands, said alternative UID with said system device.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein said SCS is configured to formulate said first set of commands using data pertaining to said available data path and switch-specific information associated with said set of UID switches disposed along said available data path.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein said SLACI is transmitted to said SCS using a TCP/IP protocol.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein said system device is a computer coupled to a proprietary computer network.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein said UID includes at least a set of keyboard, mouse, and monitor.

11. An arrangement in a computing environment for automatically creating a complete first data path between a user interface device (UID) and a system device on a network, said UID and said system device being coupled to a set of heterogeneous UID switches, comprising:

a set of protocol modules associated with 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;

at least an automated profile, said automated profile including at least defining a set of non-human initiated triggering conditions and listing corresponding automatic action;

an event listener, said event listener being configured for at least monitoring said computing environment to detect an event corresponding to said set of non-human initiated triggering conditions; and

a hardware switch command server (SCS), said hardware SCS being in electronic communication with said set of UID switches, said hardware SCS being configured for

handling said set of non-human initiated triggering conditions as a request for connectivity between said user interface device and said system device, wherein said non-human initiated triggering condition includes 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

establishing data path connectivity between said UID and said system device automatically without human intervention using at least one of said set of heterogeneous UID switches,

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

performing protocol negotiation automatically without requiring human intervention using said SLACI, to ascertain said available data path between said UID and said system device after at least one of said non-human initiated triggering conditions is triggered.

12. The arrangement of claim 11 wherein said hardware SCS is further configured to transmit automatically in response to said set of non-human initiated triggering conditions, a first set of commands from said hardware SCS to said set of heterogeneous UID switches, said first set of commands being configured to instruct said set of UID switches to connect, upon executing said first set of commands, said UID and said system device along an available data path to form said complete first data path.

13. The arrangement of claim 12 wherein said hardware SCS is configured to formulate said first set of command by 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.

14. The arrangement of claim 11 wherein said SLACI is computer generated from user inputs received via a visually-oriented user interface.

15. The arrangement of claim 11 wherein said automated profile is created via a console that is the same as said UID, said console displaying at least one populated list for user selection, said system device being an item on said at least one populated list.

16. The arrangement of claim 11 wherein said automated profile is created via a console that is different from said UID, said console displaying at least one populated list for user selection, said system device and said UID being items on said at least one populated list.

17. The arrangement of claim 11 wherein said automated profile includes an identity of an apparatus being watched.

18. The arrangement of claim 11 wherein said automated profile further includes an identity of an alternative UID, said alternative UID being connected to said system device when said UID is unavailable for said creating said complete first data path, wherein said set of non-human initiated triggering conditions is originating from said UID, wherein said SLACI indicating said identity of said alternative UID and said identity of said system device, said SLACI further indicating a desire to provide a complete second data path between said alternative UID and said system device.

19. The arrangement of claim 18 further including transmitting a second set of commands from said hardware SCS to said set of heterogeneous UID switches when said UID is unavailable for said creating said complete first data path, said set of non-human initiated triggering conditions being created prior to execution of said second set of commands, said second set of commands being configured to instruct said set of heterogeneous UID switches to connect, upon executing said second set of commands, said alternative UID with said system device.

20. An article of manufacturing comprising a program storage medium having computer readable code embodied therein, said computer readable code is configured for automatically creating a complete first data path between a user interface device (UID) and a system device on a network, said UID and system device being coupled to a set of heterogeneous UID switches in a computing environment, comprising:

computer readable code for providing a switch command server (SCS), said SCS being in electronic communication with said set of UID switches, said SCS being configured at least for managing requests for connectively between said UID and said system device and establishing data path connectivity between said UID and said system device using at least one of said set of UID switches without requiring a user of said UID to manually perform discovery to establish viable data paths between said set of UID switches, wherein said discovery includes identifying at least one of internal backbone structures of said set of UID switches, at least one of said set of internal-external UIDs, hardware presence on said network, internal-external connections between said hardware and said set of UID switches, and current state of said internal-external connections;

computer readable code for receiving at said SCS a switch/location agnostic connectivity indication (SLACI), said SLACI being generic with respect to system device-specific command syntax, said SLACI being received from a SLACI-origination device that is location agnostic with respect to said set of 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 said complete first data path between said UID and said system device;

computer readable code for creating and storing at least an automated profile, said automated profile including at least defining at least a non-human initiated triggering condition and instructions for automatically executing commands corresponding to said non-human initiated triggering condition;

computer readable code for monitoring said computing environment for said non-human initiated triggering condition as defined in said automated profile; and

computer readable code for transmitting, automatically in response to said non-human initiated triggering condition, a first set of commands from said SCS to said set of UID switches, said first set of commands being configured to instruct said set of UID switches to connect, upon executing said first set of commands, said UID and said system device along an available data path to form said complete first data path.

21. The article of manufacture of claim 20 wherein said automated profile is created via a console that is the same as said UID, said console displaying at least one populated list for user selection, said system device being an item on said at least one populated list.

22. The article of manufacture of claim 20 wherein said automated profile is created via a console that is different from said UID, said console displaying at least one populated list for user selection, said system device and said UID being items on said at least one populated list.

23. The article of manufacture of claim 20 wherein said automated profile includes an identity of an alternative UID, said alternative UID being a failover target forwarding UID when said UID, wherein said UID is associated with said non-human initiated triggering condition, is unavailable for said creating said complete first data path, said SLACI indicating said identity of said alternative UID and said identity of said system device, said SLACI further indicating a desire to provide a complete second data path between said alternative UID and said system device.

24. The article of manufacture of claim 23 further including transmitting a second set of commands from said SCS to said set of heterogeneous UID switches when said UID is unavailable for said creating said complete first data path, said non-human initiated, triggering condition being created prior to the execution of said second set of commands, said second set of commands being configured to instruct said set of heterogeneous UID switches to connect, upon executing said second set of commands, said alternative UID with said of system device.