Cable management and security system

• US 9,635,056 B2
• Filed: 05/15/2014
• Issued: 04/25/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Warden, David Matthew
• Primary Examiner(s): Homayounmehr, Farid
• Assistant Examiner(s): LWIN, MAUNG T
• Application Number:
  US14/278,101
• Publication Number:
  US 20150334166A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,076 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/085 Retrieval of network configuration; Tracking network configuration history
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0811 by checking connectivity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/087 Jitter
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/061 for key exchange, e.g. in peer-to-peer networks cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key agreement H04L9/0838
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0823 using certificates cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving certificates H04L9/3263
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/20 for managing network security; network security policies in general filtering policies H04L63/0227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46

Abstract

A cable management system includes a cable that transmits data between information handling systems (IHSs). The cable includes a first end and a second end that is opposite the cable from the first end. A first connector is located on the first end of the cable and couples the cable to a first IHS. A second connector is located on the second end of the cable and couples the cable to a second IHS. A first communication system is located adjacent the first end of the cable. The first communication system receives and stores first IHS information about the first IHS when the first connector is coupled to the first IHS and second IHS information about the second IHS when the second connector is coupled to the second IHS. The first communication system may then provide the first and second IHS information to a management device.

Claims

1. A cable management system, comprising:

a cable that is configured to transmit data between information handling systems (IHSs), wherein the cable includes a first end and a second end that is opposite the cable from the first end;

a first connector that is located on the first end of the cable and that is configured to couple the cable to a first IHS;

a second connector that is located on the second end of the cable and that is configured to couple the cable to a second IHS;

a first communication system that is located adjacent the first end of the cable, wherein the first communication system includes a first memory and a first processor that is coupled to the first memory and that is configured to;

receive and store first IHS identifying information about the first IHS in the first memory when the first connector is coupled to the first IHS; and

provide the first IHS identifying information to a management device when the first connector is not coupled to the first IHS; and

a second communication system that is located adjacent the second end of the cable, wherein the second communication system includes a second memory and a second processor that is coupled to the second memory that is configured to;

receive and store second IHS identifying information about the second IHS in the second memory when the second connector is coupled to the second IHS; and

provide the second IHS identifying information to the management device.

2. The cable management system of claim 1, wherein the first IHS identifying information and the second IHS identifying information include at least one of an IHS identifying number, an IHS type, an IHS physical location, a port number, a port type, and a port characteristic.

3. The cable management system of claim 1, wherein the second processor included in the second communication system is configured to;

send the second IHS identifying information over the cable to the first communication system; and

receiving the first IHS identifying information over the cable from the first communication system.

4. The cable management system of claim 1, wherein the first processor included in the first communication system is configured to;

receive the first IHS identifying information wirelessly from a mobile device.

5. The cable management system of claim 1, wherein the first processor included in the first communication system is configured to:

retrieve a security certificate that is stored in the first communication system; and

provide the security certificate to the first IHS to allow the cable to transmit data with the first IHS.

6. The cable management system of claim 1, wherein the first processor included in the first communication system is configured to:

receive a security certificate from the first IHS;

verify the security certificate and, in response, permit the first IHS to transmit data with the cable.

7. The cable management system of claim 1, wherein the first processor included in the first communication system and the second processor included in the second communication system are configured to:

negotiate one or more encryption session keys and use the one or more encryption session keys to perform an encryption operation on data transmitted through the cable.

8. An information handling system (IHS) network, comprising:

a first IHS;

a second IHS;

a cable connecting the first IHS and the second IHS, wherein the cable includes;

a first connector that is located on a first end of the cable and that connects the cable to the first IHS;

a second connector that is located on a second end of the cable and that connects the cable to the second IHS;

a first communication system that is located adjacent the first end of the cable, wherein the first communication system includes a first memory and a first processor that is coupled to the first memory and that;

receives and stores first IHS identifying information about the first IHS in the first memory when the first connector is coupled to the first IHS; and

a second communication system that is located adjacent the second end of the cable, wherein the second communication system includes a second memory and a second processor that is coupled to the second memory and that;

receives and stores second IHS identifying information about the second IHS in the second memory when the second connector is coupled to the second IHS;

receives and stores the first IHS identifying information about the first IHS that is provided by the first communication system in the second memory; and

provides the first IHS identifying information and second IHS identifying information to a management device.

9. The IHS network of claim 8, wherein the first IHS identifying information and the second IHS identifying information include at least one of an IHS identifying number, an IHS type, an IHS physical location, a port number, a port type, and a port characteristic.

10. The IHS network of claim 8, wherein the second processor included in the second communication system sends the second IHS identifying information over the cable to the first communication system.

11. The IHS network of claim 8, wherein the first processor included in the first communication system receives the first IHS identifying information wirelessly from a mobile device.

12. The IHS network of claim 8, wherein the first processor included in the first communication system retrieves a security certificate that is stored in the first communication system and provides the security certificate to the first IHS to allow the first IHS to transmit data through the cable.

13. The IHS network of claim 8, wherein the first processor included in the first communication system receives a security certificate from the first IHS, verifies the security certificate and, in response, permits the first IHS to transmit data through the cable.

14. The IHS network of claim 8, wherein the first processor included in the first communication system and the second processor included in the second communication system negotiate one or more encryption session keys and use the one or more encryption session keys to perform an encryption operation on data transmitted through the cable.

15. A method for cable management, comprising:

coupling a first connector that is located on a first end of a cable to a first information handling system (IHS);

coupling a second connector that is located on a second end of the cable to a second IHS;

receiving, by a first communication system that is located adjacent the first end of the cable, first IHS identifying information about the first IHS and, in response, storing the first IHS identifying information;

receiving, by a second communication system that is located adjacent the second end of the cable, second IHS identifying information about the second IHS and, in response, storing the second IHS identifying information;

providing, by the first communication system, the first IHS identifying information directly to a management device when the first connector is not coupled to the first IHS; and

providing, by the second communication system, the second HIS identifying information directly to the management device.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the first IHS identifying information and the second IHS identifying information include at least one of an IHS identifying number, an IHS type, an IHS physical location, a port number, a port type, and a port characteristic.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

sending, by the second communication system, the second HIS identifying information over the cable to the first communication system; and

sending, by the first communication system, the first IHS identifying information over the cable to the second communication system.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

retrieving, by the first communication system, a security certificate that is stored in the first communication system;

providing, by the first communication system, the security certificate to the first IHS; and

transmitting, by the first IHS, data through the cable in response to verifying the security certificate.

19. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

receiving, by the first communication system, a security certificate from the first IHS;

verifying, by the first communication system, the security certificate and, in response, permitting the first IHS to transmit data through the cable.

20. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

negotiating, by the first communication system and the second communication system that is located adjacent the second end of the cable, one or more encryption session keys; and

using, by the first communication system and the second communication system, the one or more encryption session keys to perform an encryption operation on data transmitted through the cable.