Fault tolerant closed system control using power line communication

• US 8,130,084 B2
• Filed: 04/30/2007
• Issued: 03/06/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Cagno, Brian James, Qiu, Kenny Nian Gan, Smith, Donald Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Benjamin C
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pham, Quang D
• Application Number:
  US11/742,026
• Publication Number:
  US 20080266077A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,772 Days
• Field of Search: 340/310.11, 340/538.11, 340/538, 340 1232- 1239, 379/413.03, 307 1- 3
• US Class Current: 340/12.32
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/74 for increasing reliability, e.g. using redundant or spare channels or apparatus replacing by standby devices for amplifiers H03F1/52, H03F1/542
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5458 Monitor sensor; Alarm systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/544 Setting up communications; Call and signalling arrangements

Abstract

A method, system, and computer program product are provided for communicating to a powered element in a rack system. A controller injects communication data onto power lines that provides power to a plurality of powered elements. The powered elements determine if the communication data transmitted via the power lines should be used for configuration using an address embedded within the communication data. The powered elements compare an embedded target address within the communication data to the address of the particular element. If there is a match between the addresses, the corresponding powered element processes the communication data to configure the powered element. As a result, data may be communicated over the power lines thereby eliminating the need for separate communication lines. Thus, the amount of cables required to interconnect the powered elements of the distributed data processing system may be reduced by eliminating the communication lines from the system configuration.

Claims

1. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium having a computer readable program, wherein the computer readable program, when executed in a rack-mounted data processing system comprising an alternating current power distribution and communication (ACPDC) controller and a powered element, causes the rack-mounted data processing system to:

receive, by the powered element, a primary alternating current power signal with primary communication data and a redundant alternating current power signal with redundant communication data from the ACPDC controller;

determining, by a primary controller in the powered element, whether the primary communication data is intended for the powered element;

determining, by a redundant controller in the powered element, whether the redundant communication data is intended for the powered element;

responsive to the primary communication data being for the powered element and the primary controller working properly, executing, by the primary controller in the powered element, a set of instructions included in the primary communication data in the powered element;

responsive to execution of the set of instructions, send, by the primary controller in the powered element, a reply message to the ACPDC controller, wherein the computer readable program to send the reply message to the ACPDC controller further includes the computer readable program that causes the rack-mounted data processing system to;

inject, by the primary controller in the powered element, the reply message for the ACPDC controller onto the primary alternating current power signal;

receive, by the ACPDC controller, the primary alternating current power signal with the reply message;

extract, by the ACPDC controller, the reply message from the primary alternating current power signal;

determine, by the ACPDC controller, whether the reply message is from the powered element; and

responsive to the reply message originating from the powered element, send, by the ACPDC controller, the reply message to a programming device external to the rack-mounted data processing system;

monitoring, by the redundant controller in the powered element, the functions performed by the primary controller in the powered element to determine whether the primary controller is working improperly; and

responsive to the redundant communication data being for the powered element and the primary controller working improperly, executing, by the redundant controller in the powered element, a set of instructions included in the redundant communication data in the powered element.

2. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the computer readable program to determine whether the primary communication data is intended for the powered element further includes the computer readable program that causes the rack-mounted data processing system to:

analyze, by the primary controller in the powered element, the primary communication data for an address;

determine, by the primary controller in the powered element, whether the address corresponds to an address of the powered element;

responsive to the address corresponding to the address of the powered element, use, by the primary controller in the powered element, the primary communication data to execute the set of instructions included in the primary communication data;

responsive to the address failing to correspond to the address of the powered element, ignore, by the primary controller in the powered element, the primary communication data.

3. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the set of instructions include instructions to power cycle the powered element.

4. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the powered element is a field replaceable unit and wherein the field replaceable unit is at least one of a computer, router, switch, modular storage element, controller, printer, or serial attached SCSI hard disk drive.

5. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the computer readable program further causes the rack-mounted data processing system to:

extract, by the primary controller in the powered element, the primary communication data from the primary alternating current power signal.

6. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the computer readable program further causes the rack-mounted data processing system to:

receive, by the ACPDC controller, communication data from the programming device external to the rack-mounted data processing system via a primary communications connection intended for the powered element in a plurality of powered elements;

inject, by the ACPDC controller, the primary communication data for the powered element onto the primary alternating current power signal, wherein the primary alternating current power signal supplies primary power to the plurality of powered elements; and

inject, by the ACPDC controller, the redundant communication data for the powered element onto the redundant alternating current power signal, wherein the redundant alternating current power signal supplies redundant power to the plurality of powered elements.

7. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the powered element is one of a plurality of powered elements and wherein the plurality of powered elements reside within a set of equipment racks in the rack-mounted data processing system.

8. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the computer readable program to determine whether the redundant communication data is intended for the powered element further includes the computer readable program that causes the rack-mounted data processing system to:

analyze, by the redundant controller in the powered element, the redundant communication data for an address;

determine, by the redundant controller in the powered element, whether the address corresponds to an address of the powered element;

responsive to the address corresponding to the address of the powered element and the primary controller working improperly, use, by the redundant controller in the powered element, the redundant communication data to execute the set of instructions included in the redundant communication data;

responsive to the execution of the set of instructions, send, by the redundant controller in the powered element, a reply message to the ACPDC controller; and

responsive to the address failing to correspond to the address of the powered element, ignore, by the redundant controller in the powered element, the redundant communication data.

9. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the computer readable program to send the reply message to the ACPDC controller further includes the computer readable program that causes the rack-mounted data processing system to:

inject, by the redundant controller in the powered element, the reply message for the ACPDC controller onto the redundant alternating current power signal;

receive, by the ACPDC controller, the redundant alternating current power signal with the reply message;

extract, by the ACPDC controller, the reply message from the redundant alternating current power signal;

determine, by the ACPDC controller, whether the reply message is from the powered element; and

responsive to the reply message originating from the powered element, send, by the ACPDC controller, the reply message to the programming device external to the rack-mounted data processing system.

10. A rack-mounted data processing system, comprising:

an alternating current power distribution and communication (ACPDC) controller and a powered element, wherein the powered element receives a primary alternating current power signal from the ACPDC controller with primary communication data and a redundant alternating current power signal from the ACPDC controller with redundant communication data;

a first processor within the powered element;

a first memory coupled to the first processor, wherein the first memory comprises first instructions which, when executed by the first processor, cause the first processor to;

determine whether the primary communication data is intended for the powered element;

responsive to the primary communication data being for the powered element and the primary controller working properly, executing a set of instructions included in the primary communication data; and

responsive to execution of the set of instructions, send a reply message to the ACPDC controller, wherein the first instructions to send the reply message to the ACPDC controller further cause the first processor to;

inject the reply message for the ACPDC controller onto the primary alternating current power signal, wherein the ACPDC controller comprises a third processor and a third memory coupled to the third processor, wherein the third memory comprises third instructions which, when executed by the third processor, cause the third processor to;

receive the primary alternating current power signal with the reply message;

extract the reply message from the primary alternating current power signal;

determine whether the reply message is from the powered element; and

responsive to the reply message originating from the powered element, send the reply message to a programming device external to the rack-mounted data processing system;

a second processor within the powered element; and

a second memory coupled to the second processor, wherein the second memory comprises second instructions which, when executed by the second processor, cause the second processor to;

determine whether the redundant communication data is intended for the powered element;

monitor the functions performed by the first processor in the powered element to determine whether the primary controller is working improperly; and

responsive to the redundant communication data being for the powered element and the first processor working improperly, execute a set of instructions included in the redundant communication data.

11. The rack-mounted data processing system of claim 10, wherein the first instructions to determine whether the primary communication data is intended for the powered element further cause the first processor to:

analyze the communication data for an address;

determine whether the address corresponds to an address of the powered element;

responsive to the address corresponding to the address of the powered element, use the primary communication data to execute the set of instructions included in the primary communication data; and

responsive to the address failing to correspond to the address of the powered element, ignore the primary communication data.

12. The rack-mounted data processing system of claim 10, wherein the set of instructions include instructions to power cycle the powered element.

13. The rack-mounted data processing system of claim 10, wherein the powered element is a field replaceable unit and wherein the field replaceable unit is at least one of a computer, router, switch, modular storage element, controller, printer, or serial attached SCSI hard disk drive.

14. The rack-mounted data processing system of claim 10, wherein the first instructions further cause the first processor to:

extract the primary communication data from the primary alternating current power signal.

15. The rack-mounted data processing system of claim 10, further comprising:

the ACPDC controller;

the third processor within the ACPDC controller; and

the third memory coupled to the third processor, wherein the third memory comprises third instructions which, when executed by the third processor, cause the third processor to;

receive communication data from the programming device external to the rack-mounted data processing system via a primary communications connection intended for the powered element in a plurality of powered elements;

inject the primary communication data for the powered element onto the primary alternating current power signal, wherein the primary alternating current power signal supplies primary power to the plurality of powered elements; and

inject the redundant communication data for the powered element onto the redundant alternating current power signal, wherein the redundant alternating current power signal supplies redundant power to the plurality of powered elements.

16. The rack-mounted data processing system of claim 10, wherein the second instructions to determine whether the redundant communication data is intended for the powered element further cause the second processor to:

analyze the communication data for an address;

determine whether the address corresponds to an address of the powered element;

responsive to the address corresponding to the address of the powered element, use the redundant communication data to execute the set of instructions included in the redundant communication data;

responsive to the execution of the set of instructions, send a reply message to the ACPDC controller; and

responsive to the address failing to correspond to the address of the powered element, ignore the redundant communication data.

17. The rack-mounted data processing system of claim 16, wherein the second instructions to send the reply message to the ACPDC controller further cause the second processor to:

inject the reply message for the ACPDC controller onto the redundant alternating current power signal, wherein the ACPDC controller comprises the third processor and the third memory coupled to the third processor, wherein the third memory comprises third instructions which, when executed by the third processor, cause the third processor to;

receive the redundant alternating current power signal with the reply message;

extract the reply message from the redundant alternating current power signal;

determine whether the reply message is from the powered element; and

responsive to the reply message originating from the powered element, send the reply message to the programming device external to the rack-mounted data processing system.

18. A method, in a rack-mounted data processing system, to communicate to a powered element from an alternating current power distribution and communication (ACPDC) controller in the rack-mounted data processing system, the method comprising:

receiving, by the powered element, a primary alternating current power signal with primary communication data from the ACPDC controller and a redundant alternating current power signal with redundant communication data;

determining, by a primary controller in the powered element, whether the communication data is intended for the powered element;

determining, by a redundant controller in the powered element, whether the redundant communication data is intended for the powered element;

responsive to the primary communication data being for the powered element and the primary controller working properly, executing, by the primary controller in the powered element, a set of instructions included in the primary communication data;

responsive to execution of the set of instructions, send, by the primary controller in the powered element, a reply message to the ACPDC controller, wherein the computer readable program to send the reply message to the ACPDC controller further includes computer readable program that causes the rack-mounted data processing system to;

inject, by the primary controller in the powered element, the reply message for the ACPDC controller onto the primary alternating current power signal;

receive, by the ACPDC controller, the primary alternating current power signal with the reply message;

extract, by the ACPDC controller, the reply message from the primary alternating current power signal;

determine, by the ACPDC controller, whether the reply message is from the powered element; and

responsive to the reply message originating from the powered element, send, by the ACPDC controller, the reply message to a programming device external to the rack-mounted data processing system;

monitoring, by the redundant controller in the powered element, the functions performed by the primary controller in the powered element to determine whether the primary controller is working improperly; and

responsive to the redundant communication data being for the powered element and the primary controller working improperly, executing, by the redundant controller in the powered element, a set of instructions included in the redundant communication data in the powered element.