Physical infrastructure management system

• US 8,719,205 B2
• Filed: 11/01/2012
• Issued: 05/06/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panduit Corporation
• Original Assignee: Panduit Corporation
• Inventors: Doorhy, Brendan F., Allen, Shahriar B., Wiemeyer, James F., Wilcox, Robert E., Beran, Donald J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gaffin, Jeffrey A
• Assistant Examiner(s): OLUDE AFOLABI, OLATOYOSI
• Application Number:
  US13/666,430
• Publication Number:
  US 20130063881A1
• Time in Patent Office: 551 Days
• Field of Search: 706/45, 312/223.1, 340/286.02, 713/300, 709/223
• US Class Current: 706/45
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 20/00 Machine learning
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 5/02 Knowledge representation; Symbolic representation
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 5/04 Inference or reasoning models
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0213 Standardised network management protocols, e.g. simple network management protocol [SNMP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0806 for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/16 using machine learning or artificial intelligence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0811 by checking connectivity
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/00 Reducing energy consumption in communication networks

Abstract

Systems and methods of the present invention allow for the discovery of physical location information about network assets and the delivery of that information to network administrators. In addition, environmental and other information about network asset locations can be provided to an administrator. Intelligent patch panels and power outlet units are installed in network cabinets to facilitate the acquisition and reporting of physical infrastructure information, including information about network resource availability.

Claims

1. A network cabinet comprising:

at least one intelligent patch panel installed in said network cabinet, said at least one intelligent patch panel having stored therein a patch panel physical location information that represents the physical location in which said at least one intelligent patch panel is installed;

at least one piece of network equipment installed in said network cabinet and connected to a patch port of said at least one intelligent patch panel;

at least one power outlet unit installed in said network cabinet, said at least one power outlet unit having a power outlet unit management port that is connected to said at least one intelligent patch panel such that information about power consumption in said network cabinet can be collected by said at least one intelligent patch panel and associated with said network cabinet, said at least one power outlet unit further comprising a sensing and control port; and

at least one environmental sensor connected to said sensing and control port of said at least one power outlet unit, environmental data from said at least one environmental sensor being collected by said at least one intelligent patch panel and associated with said network cabinet.

2. The network cabinet of claim 1 wherein said at least one environmental sensor comprises a temperature sensor.

3. The network cabinet of claim 1 wherein said at least one environmental sensor comprises a relative humidity sensor.

4. The network cabinet of claim 1 further comprising at least one actuator connected to said sensing and control port of said at least one power outlet unit.

5. The network cabinet of claim 4 wherein said actuator comprises a cabinet door lock actuator.

6. The network cabinet of claim 4 wherein said actuator comprises an optical signal beacon actuator.

7. The network cabinet of claim 1 wherein said at least one piece of network equipment comprises a network switch.

8. The network cabinet of claim 1 wherein said at least one piece of network equipment is connected to said at least one intelligent patch panel via a ten-wire patch cord.

9. The network cabinet of claim 8 wherein said ten-wire patch cord is provided with an insertion detection switch.

10. A physical infrastructure management system comprising:

a physical infrastructure management server;

at least one intelligent patch panel having a network connection to said physical infrastructure management server, said intelligent patch panel being installed in a network cabinet and having stored therein in a patch panel memory physical location information that represents the physical location in which the intelligent patch panel is installed;

at least one piece of network equipment installed in said cabinet and connected to said intelligent patch panel;

at least one power outlet unit installed in said cabinet, said power outlet unit having a power outlet unit management port that is connected to said intelligent patch panel;

a sensing and control port in communication with at least one of said physical infrastructure management server and connected to at least one said intelligent patch panel; and

at least one environmental sensor connected to said sensing and control port, environmental data from said environmental sensor being associated with at least one said cabinet.

11. The physical infrastructure management system of claim 10 wherein said at least one environmental sensor comprises a temperature sensor.

12. The physical infrastructure management system of claim 10 wherein said at least one environmental sensor comprises a relative humidity sensor.

13. The physical infrastructure management system of claim 10 further comprising at least one actuator connected to said sensing and control port.

14. The physical infrastructure management system of claim 13 wherein said actuator comprises a cabinet door lock actuator.

15. The physical infrastructure management system of claim 13 wherein said actuator comprises an optical signal beacon actuator.

16. The physical infrastructure management system of claim 10 wherein said physical infrastructure management server has a graphical user interface.

17. The physical infrastructure management system of claim 10 wherein said piece of network equipment is a network switch.

18. The physical infrastructure management system of claim 10 wherein said piece of network equipment is connected to said intelligent patch panel via a ten-wire patch cord.

19. The physical infrastructure management system of claim 18 wherein said ten-wire patch cord is provided with an insertion detection switch.

20. The physical infrastructure management system of claim 10 wherein said power outlet unit management port is connected to said intelligent patch panel such that information about power consumption in said cabinet can be collected by said physical infrastructure management server and associated with said cabinet.