Transceiver locking assembly

• US 9,251,386 B2
• Filed: 11/07/2013
• Issued: 02/02/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Chen, Lei, Tiernan, Martin
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, CHAU D
• Application Number:
  US14/074,205
• Publication Number:
  US 20140223587A1
• Time in Patent Office: 817 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/88 Detecting or preventing theft or loss
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1639 Arrangements for locking plugged peripheral connectors

Abstract

A transceiver locking assembly includes at least one processor device, a network device, in a network environment, in communication with the least one processor device, a transceiver in communication with the network device; a transceiver port, coupled to the network device, defining a first slot opening in at least one of a variety of positions of the transceiver port and configured for selectively receiving the transceiver, and a dynamically controlled locking mechanism coupled to the transceiver port. The dynamically controlled locking mechanism is selectively positioned into the first slot opening to lock the transceiver into the network device or selectively removed away from the first slot opening to unlock the transceiver from the network device.

Claims

1. A method for locking a transceiver by a processor device comprising:

upon a command being issued to a network device, the network device physically performing one of;

selectively positioning a dynamically controlled locking mechanism into a first slot opening on a transceiver port to lock the transceiver into the network device; and

selectively removing a dynamically controlled locking mechanism away from the first slot opening on the transceiver port to unlock the transceiver from the network device.

2. The method of claim 1, further including performing one of:

preventing removal of the transceiver until receipt of the command, and

preventing an insertion of the transceiver into the transceiver port by a remote command.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the dynamically controlled locking mechanism is a solenoid.

4. The method of claim 1, further including issuing the command to the network device from one of a command line interface (CLI) and a graphical user interface (GUI).

5. The method of claim 1, wherein a second slot opening on the transceiver is defined, and further including:

upon the command being issued to the network device;

selectively positioning the dynamically controlled locking mechanism into the first slot opening on the transceiver port and the second slot opening on the transceiver to lock the transceiver into the network device, and

selectively removing the dynamically controlled locking mechanism away from the first slot opening on the transceiver port and the second slot opening on the transceiver to unlock the transceiver from the network device.

6. The method of claim 5, further including issuing the command from one of an administrator and a root user of the network device upon logging into the network environment.

7. The method of claim 6, further including setting the transceiver port to indicate the transceiver is one of locked and unlocked by one of the administrator and the root user of the network device.

8. The method of claim 7, further including, if the one of the administrator and the root user of the network device sets the transceiver port to indicate the transceiver is unlocked, selectively removing the dynamically controlled locking mechanism away from the first slot opening on the transceiver port and the second slot opening on the transceiver and setting the dynamically controlled locking mechanism in an unlocked position.

9. The method of claim 6, further including, if the one of the administrator and the root user of the network device sets the network port to indicate the transceiver is locked:

inserting the dynamically controlled locking mechanism into the first slot opening on the transceiver port and the second slot opening on the transceiver to lock the transceiver into a network device and setting the dynamically controlled locking mechanism in a locked position.