System and method for providing a data center management controller

• US 9,923,766 B2
• Filed: 03/06/2014
• Issued: 03/20/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Palmer, John R., Ahmed, Syed S., Masuyama, Jinsaku
• Primary Examiner(s): Ndiaye, Cheikh
• Assistant Examiner(s): Means, Jaren M
• Application Number:
  US14/199,748
• Publication Number:
  US 20150256394A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,475 Days
• Field of Search: 709221
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/10 Current supply arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0816 the condition being an adaptation, e.g. in response to network events
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/50 in wire-line communication networks, e.g. low power modes or reduced link rate

Abstract

A data center including a data center management controller and a plurality of floor tiles. Each floor tile includes a tile management controller coupled to the data center management controller. The data center management controller aggregates floor tile information from each floor tile and provides floor tile configuration information to each floor tile.

Claims

1. A data center comprising:

a data center management controller;

a plurality of physically instantiated floor tiles, each floor tile including a tile management controller coupled to the data center management controller; and

a plurality of server racks, each server rack including, a rack management controller coupled to the data center management controller and including one or more servers, each server including a baseboard management controller coupled to the rack management controller, wherein the rack management controller is operable to aggregate server information from each server in the server rack, and wherein each server rack is located on an associated one of the floor tiles;

wherein the data center management controller is operable to;

aggregate floor tile information from each floor tile;

provide floor tile configuration information to each floor tile, wherein the floor tile configuration information includes an Internet Protocol address range for equipment located on the associated floor tile;

aggregate server rack information from each server rack. the server rack information including the server information; and

provide rack configuration information to each server rack;

wherein a first tile management controller of a first floor tile is operable to;

detect that a first one of the server racks has been installed on the first floor tile; and

provide an indication to the data center management controller that the first server rack has been installed on the first floor tile;

wherein providing first rack configuration information to the first server rack is in response to receiving, by the data center management controller, the indication from the first floor tile; and

wherein, after providing the first rack configuration information to the first server rack, the data center management controller is further operable to configure first equipment in the first server rack, wherein configuring the first equipment includes configuring a network virtual local area network of the first equipment, installing an operating system on the first equipment, installing application software on the first equipment, providing a server name for the first equipment, and providing a baseboard management controller name for the first equipment.

2. The data center of claim 1, wherein the floor tile configuration information further includes a grid location of a data center floor upon which the floor tile is located and a weight limit for the equipment.

3. The data center of claim 2, further comprising:

a data center management appliance coupled to the data center management controller;

wherein the data center management controller is further operable;

to detect a location for a particular piece of the equipment in the data center; and

provide an indication to the data center management appliance as to the location of the particular piece of equipment; and

wherein the data center management appliance is operable to display a graphical representation of the location of the particular piece of equipment within the data center.

4. The data center of claim 1, wherein each floor tile is operable to provide the Internet Protocol address range to the equipment located on the associated floor tile.

5. A method comprising:

coupling a first tile management controller of a first physically instantiated floor tile to a data center management controller of a data center;

coupling a second physically instantiated tile management controller of a second floor tile to the data center management controller;

aggregating, by the data center management controller, floor tile information from the first tile management controller and the second tile management controller tile; and

providing, by the data center management controller, first floor tile configuration information to the first tile management controller and second floor tile configuration information to the second tile management controller tile, wherein the first floor tile configuration information includes a first Internet Protocol (IP) address range for first equipment located on the first floor tile and the second floor tile configuration information includes a second IP address range for second equipment located on the second floor tile;

wherein a first tile management controller of a first floor tile is operable to;

detect that a first one of the server racks has been installed on the first floor tile; and

provide an indication to the data center management controller that the first server rack has been installed on the first floor tile;

wherein providing first rack configuration information to the first server rack is in response to receiving, by the data center management controller, the indication from the first floor tile;

wherein a second tile management controller of a second floor tile is operable to;

detect that a first one of the server racks has been installed on the second floor tile; and

provide an indication to the data center management controller that the second server rack has been installed on the second floor tile;

wherein providing second rack configuration information to the second server rack is in response to receiving, by the data center management controller, the indication from the second floor tile;

providing, on the data center management controller, a data center management appliance;

detecting, by the data center management controller, a problem in a particular piece of the first equipment in the data center based upon the received floor tile information;

detecting, by the data center management controller, a location for the particular piece of the first equipment based upon the received floor tile information;

providing, by the data center management controller, an indication to the data center management appliance, the indication being as to the location of the particular piece of the first equipment; and

displaying, by the data center management appliance, a graphical representation of the location of the particular piece of the first equipment within the data center.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising

installing a plurality of server racks into the data center, each server rack including a rack management controller and including one or more servers, each server including a baseboard management controller coupled to the rack management controller, wherein each server rack of the plurality of server racks is located on an associated floor tile of the plurality of floor tiles;

aggregating, by each rack management controller, server information from each server in the server rack;

coupling each rack management controller to the data center management controller;

aggregating, by the data center management controller, server rack information from each server rack, the server rack information including the server information; and

providing, by the data center management controller, rack configuration information to each server rack.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

detecting, by the first tile management controller, that a first server rack of the plurality of server racks has been installed on the first floor tile; and

providing, by the first tile management controller an indication to the data center management controller that the first server rack has been installed on the first floor tile;

wherein providing first rack configuration information to the first server rack is in response to receiving, by the data center management controller, the indication from the first floor tile.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

configuring, by the data center management controller, first equipment in the first server rack after providing the first rack configuration information to the first server rack.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein configuring the first equipment includes configuring a network virtual local area network (vLAN) of the first equipment, installing an operating system on the first equipment, and installing application software on the first equipment.

10. The method of claim 5, wherein the first floor tile configuration information further includes a grid location of a data center floor upon which the first floor tile is located, and a weight limit for the first equipment.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable medium including code for performing a method, the method comprising:

installing a plurality of physically instantiated floor tiles in a data center floor, each floor tile including a tile management controller;

coupling each floor tile to a data center management controller of the data center;

aggregating, by the data center management controller, floor tile information from each floor tile;

providing, by the data center management controller, floor tile configuration information to each floor tile, wherein the floor tile configuration information includes an Internet Protocol address range for equipment located on the associated floor tile;

wherein a first tile management controller of a first floor tile is operable to;

detect that a first one of the server racks has been installed on the first floor tile; and

provide an indication to the data center management controller that the first server rack has been installed on the first floor tile;

wherein providing first rack configuration information to the first server rack is in response to receiving, by the data center management controller, the indication from the first floor tile;

providing, on the data center management controller, a data center management appliance;

detecting, by the data center management controller, a problem in a particular piece of the first equipment in the data center based upon the received floor tile information;

detecting, by the data center management controller, a location for the particular piece of the first equipment based upon the received floor tile information;

providing, by the data center management controller, an indication to the data center management appliance, the indication being as to the location of the particular piece of the first equipment; and

displaying, by the data center management appliance, a graphical representation of the location of the particular piece of the first equipment within the data center.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, the method further comprising

installing a plurality of server racks into the data center, each server rack including a rack management controller and including one or more servers, each server including a baseboard management controller coupled to the rack management controller, wherein each server rack of the plurality of server racks is located on an associated floor tile of the plurality of floor tiles;

aggregating, by each rack management controller, server information from each server in the server rack;

coupling each rack management controller to the data center management controller;

aggregating, by the data center management controller, server rack information from each server rack, the server rack information including the server information; and

providing, by the data center management controller, rack configuration information to each server rack.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, the method further comprising:

detecting, by a first tile management controller of a first floor tile of the plurality of floor tiles, that a first server rack of the plurality of server racks has been installed on the first floor tile; and

providing, by the first tile management controller of a first floor tile of the plurality of floor tiles, an indication to the data center management controller that the first server rack has been installed on the first floor tile;

wherein providing first rack configuration information to the first server rack is in response to receiving, by the data center management controller, the indication from the first floor tile.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the floor tile configuration information further includes a grid location of a data center floor upon which the floor tile is located, and a weight limit for the equipment.