Enterprise rack management method, apparatus and media

• US 8,010,565 B2
• Filed: 10/16/2006
• Issued: 08/30/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Reeves, Drus, Gujarathi, Manoj, Pike, Jimmy D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wu; Yicun
• Assistant Examiner(s): Smith; Brannon W
• Application Number:
  US11/549,935
• Publication Number:
  US 20080091701A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,779 Days
• Field of Search: 707/103.R, 707/791, 707/999.103 R, 707/792, 709/225
• US Class Current: 707/791
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders

Abstract

An information handling system having a processor and a computer readable medium accessible by the processor and having stored thereon a data structure operable as a directory service. The data structure includes a field comprising an service level object representing a service and comprising data defining roles for the service level object, and policies for service level object. The data structure also includes a field comprising a rack object map subordinate to and in relationship with the service level object, representing hardware or software supporting the service, and comprising data defining roles for the rack object map, policies for the rack object map, and service oriented architecture polices for the rack object map.

Claims

1. A computer readable medium having stored thereon a data structure operable as a directory service, the data structure comprising:

a first data field comprising a service level object map representing a data center and comprising data defining roles for the service level object map and policies for the service level object map, wherein the roles comprise object access control rights, user access control rights, or default access control rights, and wherein policies comprise configuration parameters or actions to be performed;

a second data field comprising a rack-level rack object map and in relationship with the service level object map, representing a rack and supporting the directory service, and comprising data defining roles for the rack object map, and policies for the rack object map, wherein the policies for the rack object map are created to group a plurality of managed rack elements through dynamic bindings of entities, and wherein the rack object map is extendable into an auxiliary class to define overwrite policies for the rack object map; and

a third data field comprising a managed element object map in relationship with each rack object map, representing server, storage device, or switch, supporting the service, and comprising data defining roles for the managed element object map, and policies for the managed element object map.

2. The computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the data structure further comprises a third data field, comprising a managed element object map subordinate to and in relationship with the rack object map, representing hardware or software supporting the directory service, and comprising data defining roles for the managed element object map, and policies for managed element object map.

3. The computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the directory service comprises a data center.

4. The computer readable medium of claim 3, comprising at least two second data fields.

5. A method of operating an information handling system comprising:

executing a software application to access a rack;

accessing a directory service, wherein the directory service comprises data configured with;

a service level object map representing a service and comprising data defining roles for the service level object map, and policies for the service level object map, wherein the roles comprise object access control rights, user access control rights, or default access control rights, and wherein policies comprise configuration parameters or actions to be performed; and

a rack object map in relationship with the service level object map, representing hardware or software supporting the service, and comprising data defining roles for the rack object map, and policies for the rack object map, wherein the policies for the rack object map are created to group a plurality of managed elements through dynamic bindings of entities, and wherein the rack object map can is extendable into an auxiliary class to define overwrite policies for the rack object map;

at least one managed element object map in relationship with each rack object map, representing server, storage device, or switch, supporting the service, and comprising data defining roles for the managed element object map, and policies for the managed element object map; and

authenticating access of the software application to the rack based on the directory service.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the software application provides username and password information.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the directory service further comprises a managed element object map subordinate to and in relationship with the rack object map, representing hardware or software supporting the service, and comprising data defining roles for the managed element object map, and policies for the managed element object map.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the directory service represents a data center.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the data comprises at least two rack object maps.

10. An information handling system comprising:

a processor;

computer readable medium accessible by the processor and having stored thereon a data structure operable as a directory service, the data structure comprising;

a first field comprising a service level object map representing a service and comprising data defining roles for the service level object map, and policies for the service level object map, wherein the roles comprise object access control rights, user access control rights, or default access control rights, and wherein policies comprise configuration parameters or actions to be performed;

a second field comprising a rack object map in relationship with the service level object map, representing hardware or software supporting the service, and comprising data defining roles for the rack object map, and policies for the rack object map, wherein the policies for the rack object map are created to group a plurality of managed rack elements through dynamic bindings of entities, and wherein the rack object map is extendable into an auxiliary class to define overwrite policies for the rack object map; and

a third data field comprising a managed element object map in relationship with each rack object map, representing server, storage device, or switch, supporting the service, and comprising data defining roles for the managed element object map, and policies for the managed element object map.

11. The system of claim 10 further comprising an application configured to examine data from the information handling system, wherein the application is configured to communicate with the directory service in order to determine roles and policies.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the data structure further comprises a managed element object map subordinate to and in relationship with the rack object map, representing hardware or software supporting the service, and comprising data defining roles for the managed element object map, and policies for the managed element object map.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the service comprises a data center.

14. The system of claim 13, comprising at least two rack object maps.