Reliable redundant data communication through alternating current power distribution system

• US 8,421,614 B2
• Filed: 09/19/2007
• Issued: 04/16/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Cagno, Brian James, Elliott, John Charles, Qiu, Kenny Nian Gan, Smith, Donald Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Benjamin C
• Assistant Examiner(s): PHAM, QUANG
• Application Number:
  US11/857,778
• Publication Number:
  US 20090072953A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,036 Days
• Field of Search: 340/310.12, 340 1232- 1239, 340/538, 340/538.11, 340/568.2, 307/64, 307 1- 3, 379/413.03
• US Class Current: 340/538
• 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 mechanism is provided for providing reliable redundant data communications. The mechanism issues a request for data to a set of powered elements using a set of secondary communication channels in response to a reduction in a level of communications being detected. The set of secondary communication channels comprises one or more alternating current power lines and the request is sent as data injected onto the alternating current power lines to the set of powered elements. The mechanism receives the data using the set of secondary communication channels from the set of powered elements, analyzes the data to determine a set of recovery actions to restore the level of communications, and issues the set of recovery actions to the set of powered elements using the set of secondary communication channels.

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 data processing system in a programming device, causes the data processing system to:

detect a reduction in a level of communications to one or more powered elements in a set of powered elements over a primary communication channel coupled to a primary communication controller in each of the set of powered elements, wherein the primary communication channel being coupled to the primary communication controller in each of the set of powered elements forms a set of primary communication channels to the set of powered elements, wherein each primary communication controller is further coupled to a secondary communication channel, and wherein the secondary communication channel being coupled to the primary communication controller in each of the set of powered elements forms a set of secondary communication channels to the set of powered elements;

issue a request for data to the one or more powered elements using one or more of the secondary communication channels in the set of secondary communication channels in response to a reduction in the level of communications to the one or more powered elements being detected, wherein the set of secondary communication channels comprises one or more alternating current power lines and wherein the request is sent as data injected onto the alternating current power lines to the primary communication controller in each of the one or more powered elements;

receive the data using the set of one or more of the secondary communication channels from the one or more powered elements;

analyze the data to determine a set of recovery actions to restore the level of communications to the one or more powered elements in the set of powered elements over the set of primary communication channels coupled to the primary communication controller in each of the one or more powered elements; and

issue the set of recovery actions to the one or more powered elements using the one or more of the secondary communication channels, wherein the set of recovery action is received by the primary communication controller in each of the one or more powered elements and wherein a primary controller in each of the one or more powered elements execute the recovery actions to restore the level of communications to the one or more powered elements in the set of powered elements over the set of primary communication channels coupled to the primary communication controller in each of the one or more powered elements.

2. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the computer readable program further includes a computer readable program that causes the data processing system to:

detect, via the primary communication controller, restoration of the one or more primary communication channels to the one or more powered elements.

3. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the computer readable program to receive the data from the one or more powered elements further includes a computer readable program that causes the data processing system to:

receive the alternating current power lines with the data; and

extract the data from the alternating current power lines.

4. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the request for data is a data capture command and wherein the data capture command is at least one of error logging, event tracing, or register dumping.

5. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the set of recovery actions include at least one of an isolation command or a reset command.

6. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein a powered element in the set of powered elements 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, disk drive module, or serial attached SCSI hard disk drive.

7. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the set of powered elements reside within a set of equipment racks in a rack system.

8. A system, comprising:

a processor; and

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

detect a reduction in a level of communications to one or more powered elements in a set of powered elements over a primary communication channel coupled to a primary communication controller in each of the set of powered elements, wherein by the primary communication channel being coupled to the primary communication controller in each of the set of powered elements forms a set of primary communication channels to the set of powered elements, wherein each primary communication controller is further coupled to a secondary communication channel, and wherein the secondary communication channel being coupled to the primary communication controller in each of the set of powered elements forms a set of secondary communication channels to the set of powered elements;

issue a request for data to the one or more powered elements using one or more of the secondary communication channels in the set of secondary communication channels in response to a reduction in the level of communications to the one or more powered elements being detected, wherein the set of secondary communication channels comprises one or more alternating current power lines and wherein the request is sent as data injected onto the alternating current power lines to the primary communication controller in each of the one or more powered elements;

receive the data using the set of one or more of the secondary communication channels from the one or more powered elements;

analyze the data to determine a set of recovery actions to restore the level of communications to the one or more powered elements in the set of powered elements over the set of primary communication channels coupled to the primary communication controller in each of the one or more powered elements; and

issue the set of recovery actions to the one or more powered elements using the one or more of the secondary communication channels, wherein the set of recovery action is received by the primary communication controller in each of the one or more powered elements and wherein a primary controller in each of the one or more powered elements execute the recovery actions to restore the level of communications to the one or more powered elements in the set of powered elements over the set of primary communication channels coupled to the primary communication controller in each of the one or more powered elements.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to:

detect, via the primary communication controller, restoration of the set of primary communication channels to the one or more of powered elements.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the instructions to receive the data from the one or more powered elements further cause the processor to:

receive the alternating current power lines with the data; and

extract the data from the alternating current power lines.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the request for data is a data capture command and wherein the data capture command is at least one of error logging, event tracing, or register dumping.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the set of recovery actions include at least one of an isolation command or a reset command.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein a powered element in the set of powered elements 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, disk drive module, or serial attached SCSI hard disk drive.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the set of powered elements reside within a set of equipment racks in a rack system.

15. A method, in a data processing system, for providing reliable redundant data communications, the method comprising:

detect a reduction in a level of communications to one or more powered elements in a set of powered elements over a primary communication channel coupled to a primary communication controller in each of the set of powered elements, wherein the primary communication channel being coupled to the primary communication controller in each of the set of powered elements forms a set of primary communication channels to the set of powered elements, wherein each primary communication controller is further coupled to a secondary communication channel, and wherein the secondary communication channel being coupled to the primary communication controller in each of the set of powered elements forms a set of secondary communication channels to the set of powered elements;

issue a request for data to the one or more powered elements using one or more of the secondary communication channels in the set of secondary communication channels in response to a reduction in the level of communications to the one or more powered elements being detected, wherein the set of secondary communication channels comprises one or more alternating current power lines and wherein the request is sent as data injected onto the alternating current power lines to the primary communication controller in each of the one or more powered elements;

receive the data using the set of one or more of the secondary communication channels from the one or more powered elements;

analyze the data to determine a set of recovery actions to restore the level of communications to the one or more powered elements in the set of powered elements over the set of primary communication channels coupled to the primary communication controller in each of the one or more powered elements; and

issue the set of recovery actions to the one or more powered elements using the one or more of the secondary communication channels, wherein the set of recovery action is received by the primary communication controller in each of the one or more powered elements and wherein a primary controller in each of the one or more powered elements execute the recovery actions to restore the level of communications to the one or more powered elements in the set of powered elements over the set of primary communication channels coupled to the primary communication controller in each of the one or more powered elements.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

detecting, via the primary communication controller, restoration of the set of primary communication channels to the set of powered elements.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein receiving the data from the one or more powered elements further comprises:

receiving the alternating current power lines with the data; and

extracting the data from the alternating current power lines.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the request for data is a data capture command and wherein the data capture command is at least one of error logging, event tracing, or register dumping.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the set of recovery actions include at least one of an isolation command or a reset command.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein a powered element in the set of powered elements 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, disk drive module, or serial attached SCSI hard disk drive.