Acquiring information dynamically regarding a hardware component in the cloud computing system while on the floor of the data center

• US 9,747,286 B2
• Filed: 11/23/2016
• Issued: 08/29/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/23/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Ashok, Rohith K., Chan, Wei L., Hockett, Hugh E., Wan, Shu C.
• Primary Examiner(s): LY, TOAN C
• Application Number:
  US15/360,530
• Publication Number:
  US 20170076126A1
• Time in Patent Office: 279 Days
• Field of Search: 235376, 235385
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/00 Information retrieval; Database structures therefor; File system structures therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10722 Photodetector array or CCD scanning
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/1413 1D bar codes
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/1417 2D bar codes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/04 Network management architectures or arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/082 the condition being updates or upgrades of network functionality

Abstract

A method, system and computer program product for managing hardware components in a cloud computing environment. A mobile device captures an image of a bar code placed on a rack that is associated with an identifier that references an Internet resource of the management software that manages the rack. The mobile device transmits a request to the management software for information regarding a component in the rack, where the request includes a unique identifier (e.g., serial number) associated with the component. The management software uses the unique identifier to identify the component of interest and transmits information regarding the component of interest to the mobile device. In this manner, the client device can conveniently access the management software as well as conveniently acquire information dynamically from the management software about specific hardware components in these racks while the user is on the floor of the data center.

Claims

1. A method for managing hardware components in a cloud computing environment, the method comprising:

downloading photographs of a plurality of computer hardware components of a rack from a management software;

capturing a photograph of a computer hardware component in said rack;

matching said photograph of said computer hardware component with one of said downloaded photographs of said plurality of computer hardware components of said rack to identify a matching downloaded photograph;

identifying a component serial number for the matching downloaded photograph from a table of serial numbers respectively corresponding to said downloaded photographs of said plurality of computer hardware components;

transmitting a request for information regarding said component serial number to said management software, wherein said requested information comprises current users of said computer hardware component, unresolved error codes of said computer hardware component, and utilization data of said computer hardware component;

receiving information as requested for said computer hardware component; and

displaying, by a processor, said received information for said computer hardware component and said component serial number that overlays a displayed downloaded photograph of said computer hardware component.

2. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising:

capturing an image of a bar code placed on said rack containing said plurality of computer hardware components of said cloud computing environment, wherein said image of said bar code is associated with an identifier that references an information resource of said management software configured to manage said computer hardware on said rack, wherein said bar code comprises a Quick Response code.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said information regarding said computer hardware component comprises one or more of the following:

utilization, temperature, energy, errors, traffic, current users, health status, name and description.

4. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising:

informing said management software regarding an action to be performed on said computer hardware component based on said information regarding said computer hardware component.

5. The method as recited in claim 4, wherein said information regarding said computer hardware component comprises performable actions on said computer hardware component.

6. The method as recited in claim 4 further comprising:

receiving guided instructions to perform said action.

7. A computer program product for managing hardware components in a cloud computing environment, the computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having program code embodied therewith, the program code comprising the programming instructions for:

downloading photographs of a plurality of computer hardware components of a rack from a management software;

capturing a photograph of a computer hardware component in said rack;

matching said photograph of said computer hardware component with one of said downloaded photographs of said plurality of computer hardware components of said rack to identify a matching downloaded photograph;

identifying a component serial number for the matching downloaded photograph from a table of serial numbers respectively corresponding to said downloaded photographs of said plurality of computer hardware components;

transmitting a request for information regarding said component serial number to said management software, wherein said requested information comprises current users of said computer hardware component, unresolved error codes of said computer hardware component, and utilization data of said computer hardware component;

receiving information as requested for said computer hardware component; and

displaying said received information for said computer hardware component and said component serial number that overlays a displayed downloaded photograph of said computer hardware component.

8. The computer program product as recited in claim 7, wherein the program code further comprises the programming instructions for:

capturing an image of a bar code placed on said rack containing said plurality of computer hardware components of said cloud computing environment, wherein said image of said bar code is associated with an identifier that references an information resource of said management software configured to manage said computer hardware on said rack, wherein said bar code comprises a Quick Response code.

9. The computer program product as recited in claim 7, wherein said information regarding said computer hardware component comprises one or more of the following:

utilization, temperature, energy, errors, traffic, current users, health status, name and description.

10. The computer program product as recited in claim 7, wherein the program code further comprises the programming instructions for:

informing said management software regarding an action to be performed on said computer hardware component based on said information regarding said computer hardware component.

11. The computer program product as recited in claim 10, wherein said information regarding said computer hardware component comprises performable actions on said computer hardware component.

12. The computer program product as recited in claim 10, wherein the program code further comprises the programming instructions for:

receiving guided instructions to perform said action.

13. A system, comprising:

a memory unit for storing a computer program for managing hardware components in a cloud computing environment; and

a processor coupled to the memory unit, wherein the processor is configured to execute the program instructions of the computer program comprising;

downloading photographs of a plurality of computer hardware components of a rack from a management software;

capturing a photograph of a computer hardware component in said rack;

matching said photograph of said computer hardware component with one of said downloaded photographs of said plurality of computer hardware components of said rack to identify a matching downloaded photograph;

identifying a component serial number for the matching downloaded photograph from a table of serial numbers respectively corresponding to said downloaded photographs of said plurality of computer hardware components;

transmitting a request for information regarding said component serial number to said management software, wherein said requested information comprises current users of said computer hardware component, unresolved error codes of said computer hardware component, and utilization data of said computer hardware component;

receiving information as requested for said computer hardware component; and

displaying said received information for said computer hardware component and said component serial number that overlays a displayed downloaded photograph of said computer hardware component.

14. The system as recited in claim 13, wherein the program instructions of the computer program further comprise:

capturing an image of a bar code placed on said rack containing said plurality of computer hardware components of said cloud computing environment, wherein said image of said bar code is associated with an identifier that references an information resource of said management software configured to manage said computer hardware on said rack, wherein said bar code comprises a Quick Response code.

15. The system as recited in claim 13, wherein said information regarding said computer hardware component comprises one or more of the following:

utilization, temperature, energy, errors, traffic, current users, health status, name and description.

16. The system as recited in claim 13, wherein the program instructions of the computer program further comprise:

informing said management software regarding an action to be performed on said computer hardware component based on said information regarding said computer hardware component.

17. The system as recited in claim 16, wherein said information regarding said computer hardware component comprises performable actions on said computer hardware component.

18. The system as recited in claim 16, wherein the program instructions of the computer program further comprise:

receiving guided instructions to perform said action.