Fault tolerant closed system control using power line communication
First Claim
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.
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Accused Products
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.
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Citations
18 Claims
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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:
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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. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A rack-mounted data processing system, comprising:
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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. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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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:
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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.
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Specification