Integrated asset tracking, task manager, and virtual container for data center management

• US 8,924,548 B2
• Filed: 08/15/2012
• Issued: 12/30/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/16/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panduit Corporation
• Original Assignee: Panduit Corporation
• Inventors: Frost, James D., Doorhy, Brendan F., Lukareski, Thomas F., Cai, Zeshun, Panozzo, Guy M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hussain, Tauqir
• Application Number:
  US13/586,569
• Publication Number:
  US 20130046884A1
• Time in Patent Office: 867 Days
• Field of Search: 709/224
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/00 Input arrangements for transferring data to be processed into a form capable of being handled by the computer; Output arrangements for transferring data from processing unit to output unit, e.g. interface arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/06 using stored programs, i.e. using an internal store of processing equipment to receive or retain programs
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders

Abstract

The present invention provides for the integration of a an infrastructure management software (IMS) asset tracking system, an IMS task manager (ITM) and an IMS virtual container or virtual container feature to alleviate issues such as personnel scheduling issues, lost asset issues and service outages within a data center.

Claims

1. An asset tracking system for tracking assets within a data center, said asset tracking system comprising:

a processor coupled to a memory executing an infrastructure management software;

a task manager providing a list of work order tasks, each of said work order tasks being associated with at least one of adding a new asset, updating a newly discovered asset, updating a tagged asset, installing an asset, and removing an asset; and

a virtual container providing a graphical representation of a network at least partially connected to said data center,

said asset tracking system recording, tracking, and managing information associated with equipment, within said data center, that is not connected to said network, via at least one identification tag placed on said equipment and at least one data entry device capable of gathering information from said at least one identification tag, wherein said identification tag includes at least one of a radio frequency identification tag and a bar code tag, and wherein said data entry device includes at least one of a radio frequency identification tag scanner and a bar code tag scanner,

said asset tracking system further comprises an asset tracking reconciliation.

2. The asset tracking system of claim 1, wherein said virtual container determines power aggregation for at least one application executed on at least one server.

3. The asset tracking system of claim 2, wherein said virtual container determines power aggregation for all applications associated with at least one department.

4. The asset tracking system of claim 1, wherein said virtual container sets security boundaries for applications executed on servers virtually placed within said virtual container.

5. The asset tracking system of claim 1, wherein said virtual container sets security boundaries for all applications placed within said virtual container.

6. The asset tracking system of claim 1 further comprising an application programming interface (API), said API connecting said infrastructure management software and a third party application.

7. The asset tracking system of claim 6, wherein said third party application is a work order system capable of creating and processing work orders for said data center.

8. The asset tracking system of claim 1, wherein said asset tracking reconciliation includes:

a manual reconciliation;

a automatic reconciliation;

a reconciliation rejection; and

a reconciliation deferral.

9. The asset tracking system of claim 8, wherein said manual reconciliation are achieved by human interaction, and said automatic reconciliation are achieved without human interaction.