Rack interface pod with intelligent platform control

• US 8,427,489 B2
• Filed: 09/20/2006
• Issued: 04/23/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vertiv IT Systems, Inc. (Vertiv Holdings Co.)
• Original Assignee: Avocent Huntsville Corporation (Vertiv Holdings Co.)
• Inventors: Matthews, Ken
• Primary Examiner(s): Richer, Joni
• Application Number:
  US11/523,582
• Publication Number:
  US 20080040522A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,407 Days
• Field of Search: 345/501, 345/502, 345/520, 710/1, 710/15, 710/100, 710/107, 709/201, 709/217, 709/223, 709/224
• US Class Current: 345/520
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/12 using hardware independent of the central processor, e.g. channel or peripheral processor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/023 Arrangements for converting discrete items of information into a coded form, e.g. arrangements for interpreting keyboard generated codes as alphanumeric codes, operand codes or instruction codes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1454 involving copying of the display data of a local workstation or window to a remote workstation or window so that an actual copy of the data is displayed simultaneously on two or more displays, e.g. teledisplay
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/131 Protocols for games, networked simulations or virtual reality

Abstract

Rack Interface Pods can be augmented with non-KVM (keyboard, video and mouse) functionality that can enable greater analysis of the state of the computer to which the RIP is attached. A RIP can be augmented to include a non-KVM input connection (e.g., an Intelligent Platform/Chassis control protocol input) that is used to communicate between the server and the RIP. The RIP can then multiplex the received information with the KVM signals for transmission to a PEM or to an ARI port. Video and computer environment-style data can be multiplexed across a communications medium exiting the RIP such that they can be received by a remote computer.

Claims

1. A video processor, comprising:

a housing, the housing including;

at least one video connector for receiving video signals from a first computer external to the housing;

a first information connector for receiving informational signals representing status or configuration information from a processor in the first computer but other than a main processor of the first computer;

video capture circuitry for detecting that the informational signals representing status or configuration information indicate an error condition with respect to the first computer and for capturing and saving the video signals from the first computer external to the housing when the informational signals representing status or configuration information indicate the error condition with respect to the first computer;

a packet-based communications controller for transmitting to a second computer external to the housing via a communications port first signals representing at least a portion of the captured and saved video signals received from the first computer across the at least one video connector when the informational signals representing status or configuration information indicate the error condition with respect to the first computer and second signals representing at least a portion of the informational signals received from the first computer across the first information connector indicating the error condition with respect to the first computer and for receiving peripheral signals from a peripheral device connected to the second computer remote from the first computer; and

at least one peripheral connector for transmitting to the first computer the peripheral signals received by the communications controller from the peripheral device connected to the second computer remote from the first computer.

2. The video processor as claimed in claim 1, wherein the informational signals comprise IPMI-based messages.

3. The video processor as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one video connector comprises an analog video connector.

4. The video processor as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first information connector comprises a connector for receiving a cable.

5. The video processor as claimed in claim 4, further comprising a second wired information connector for receiving third signals representing status or configuration information from a processor other than a main processor of a second computer, wherein the communications controller transmits to the second computer via the communications port the third signals received across the second wired connector.

6. The video processor as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first information connector comprises a connector for connecting to a wireless interface.

7. The video processor as claimed in claim 6, wherein the wireless interface further receives third signals representing status or configuration information from a processor other than a main processor of a second computer, wherein the communications controller transmits to the second computer via the communications port the third signals received across the wireless interface.

8. A video processing system, comprising:

(a) plural video processors, each video processor including a housing, with each respective housing including;

(a1) at least one video connector for receiving video signals from a corresponding computer external to each respective housing,

(a2) a first information connector for receiving informational signals representing status or configuration information from a processor in the corresponding computer but other than a main processor of the corresponding computer,

(a3) video capture circuitry for detecting that the informational signals representing status or configuration information indicate an error condition with respect to the corresponding computer and for capturing and saving the video signals from the corresponding computer external to the respective housing when the informational signals representing status or configuration information indicate the error condition with respect to the corresponding computer;

(a4) a packet-based communications controller for transmitting to a remote computer external to the housing across a communications port first signals representing at least a portion of the captured and saved video signals received from the corresponding computer across the at least one video connector when the informational signals representing status or configuration information indicate the error condition with respect to the corresponding computer and second signals representing at least a portion of the informational signals received from the corresponding computer across the first information connector indicating the error condition with respect to the corresponding computer and for receiving peripheral signals from a peripheral device connected to the remote computer; and

(a5) at least one peripheral connector for transmitting to the corresponding computer the peripheral signals from the communications controller from the peripheral device connected to the remote computer; and

(b) an intelligent network peripheral connected to the communications ports of the plural video processors, the intelligent network peripheral including;

(b1) a switch for selectively switching signals representing video signals of one of the corresponding computers to a computer monitor of the remote computer connected to the intelligent network peripheral, and

(b2) a display controller for causing at least a portion of the second signals representing at least a portion of the informational signals received from the corresponding computer across the first information connector indicating the error condition with respect to the corresponding computer to be displayed on the computer monitor with the first signals representing at least a portion of the captured and saved video signals received from the corresponding computer across the at least one video connector.

9. The video processing system as claimed in claim 8, wherein the informational signals comprise IPMI-based messages.

10. The video processing system as claimed in claim 8, wherein the at least one video connector comprises an analog video connector.

11. The video processing system as claimed in claim 8, wherein the first information connector comprises a connector for receiving a cable.

12. The video processing system as claimed in claim 11, further comprising a second wired information connector for receiving third signals representing status or configuration information from a processor other than a main processor of a second computer connected to one of the plural video processors, wherein the communications controller transmits to the remote computer across the communications port the third signals received from the second wired information connector.

13. The video processing system as claimed in claim 8, wherein the first information connector comprises a connector for connecting to a wireless interface.

14. The video processing system as claimed in claim 13, wherein the wireless connection further receives third informational signals representing status or configuration information from a processor other than a main processor of a second computer connected to one of the plural video processors, wherein the communications controller transmits to the remote computer across the communications port the third signals received from the wireless connection.

15. The video processing system as claimed in claim 8, wherein the computer monitor comprises a monitor connected via a KVM interface connector.

16. The video processing system as claimed in claim 8, wherein the intelligent network peripheral comprises a network connection for sending video signals to the computer monitor which is remote from the intelligent network peripheral.

17. The video processing system as claimed in claim 8, wherein the intelligent network peripheral is connected to the communications ports of the plural video processors through a router.