Physical change tracking system for enclosures within data centers

• US 9,935,837 B2
• Filed: 03/20/2015
• Issued: 04/03/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/20/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Barajas Gonzalez, Emmanuel, Harrington, Shaun E., McGregor, Harry, Moore, Christopher B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hussain, Imad
• Application Number:
  US14/663,841
• Publication Number:
  US 20160277248A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,110 Days
• Field of Search: 709224
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0853 by actively collecting configuration information or by backing up configuration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/147 for predicting network behaviour
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/08 Monitoring or testing based on specific metrics, e.g. QoS, energy consumption or environmental parameters

Abstract

Embodiments for implementing change control management in computing center environments by a processor. A determination is made of a present status of a monitored component of a computing device in the computer center environment. A recording, using at least one sensor device, of a change of the present status of the monitored component, including a time stamp and information identifying an owner of the change is made. An analysis of a trend of status of the monitored component over time is made to generate an accurate prediction of future activity towards the monitored component.

Claims

1. A method for implementing change control management in computing center environments by a processor, comprising:

determining a present status of a monitored component of a computing device in the computer center environment, the monitored component comprising a hardware device housed within and used by the computing device, and the computer center environment comprising a datacenter having a plurality of racks therein housing a plurality of the computing devices;

recording, using at least one sensor device, a change of the present status of the monitored component, including a time stamp and information identifying an owner of the change;

wherein recording the change of the present status further includes obtaining at least one of an image of the owner of the change for identification purposes by comparing the at least one image of the owner against a database of stored images to make a positive identification of the owner, and further obtaining an image of at least a portion of the monitored component to retain a visual inventory of the change; and

analyzing a trend of status of the monitored component over time to generate an accurate prediction of future activity towards the monitored component.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein recording, using the at least one sensor device, the change of the present status of the monitored component includes implementing at least one of a motion detector, light meter, infrared camera, visible light camera, camera with accompanying flash to record an event of the monitored component in which the change of the present status of the monitored component occurs.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the present status of the monitored component further includes implementing the at least one sensor device to detect a relative position of the monitored component based on at least one of a uniquely identifiable shape, a reflective profile, a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tag, and a Quick Response (QR) code tag.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein if an initiating event triggering the change in the present status is determined to remain unresolved for a predetermined period of time, the at least one sensor device is operated to gather information in an effort to determine if the owner of the change is present and an identity of the owner.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein during a time period of an unresolved initiating event, at least one state of the monitored component is analyzed and compared to a predefined normal state to determine whether any difference has occurred.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein recording, using at least one sensor device, a change of the present status of the monitored component further includes updating flail the database with one of the time stamp and the information identifying the owner of the change.

7. A system for implementing change control management in computing center environments, comprising:

a processor, operational in the computing center environment, that;

determines a present status of a monitored component of a computing device in the computer center environment, the monitored component comprising a hardware device housed within and used by the computing device, and the computer center environment comprising a datacenter having a plurality of racks therein housing a plurality of the computing devices,

records, using at least one sensor device, a change of the present status of the monitored component, including a time stamp and information identifying an owner of the change;

wherein recording the change of the present status further includes obtaining at least one of an image of the owner of the change for identification purposes by comparing the at least one image of the owner against a database of stored images to make a positive identification of the owner, and further obtaining an image of at least a portion of the monitored component to retain a visual inventory of the change, and

analyzes a trend of status of the monitored component over time to generate an accurate prediction of future activity towards the monitored component.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the processor, pursuant to recording, using the at least one sensor device, the change of the present status of the monitored component, implements at least one of a motion detector, light meter, infrared camera, visible light camera, camera with accompanying flash to record an event of the monitored component in which the change of the present status of the monitored component occurs.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the processor, pursuant to determining the present status of the monitored component, implements the at least one sensor device to detect a relative position of the monitored component based on at least one of a uniquely identifiable shape, a reflective profile, a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tag, and a Quick Response (QR) code tag.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the processor, pursuant to, if an initiating event triggering the change in the present status is determined to remain unresolved for a predetermined period of time, operates the at least one sensor device to gather information in an effort to determine if the owner of the change is present and an identity of the owner.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein the processor, during a time period of an unresolved initiating event, analyzes at least one state of the monitored component and compares the at least one state to a predefined normal state to determine whether any difference has occurred.

12. The system of claim 7, wherein the processor, pursuant to recording, using at least one sensor device, a change of the present status of the monitored component, updates flail the database with one of the time stamp and the information identifying the owner of the change.

13. A computer program product for implementing change control management in computing center environments by a processor, the computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program code portions stored therein, the computer-readable program code portions comprising:

a first executable portion that determines a present status of a monitored component of a computing device in the computer center environment, the monitored component comprising a hardware device housed within and used by the computing device, and the computer center environment comprising a datacenter having a plurality of racks therein housing a plurality of the computing devices;

a second executable portion that records, using at least one sensor device, a change of the present status of the monitored component, including a time stamp and information identifying an owner of the change;

wherein recording the change of the present status further includes obtaining at least one of an image of the owner of the change for identification purposes by comparing the at least one image of the owner against a database of stored images to make a positive identification of the owner, and further obtaining an image of at least a portion of the monitored component to retain a visual inventory of the change; and

a third executable portion that analyzes a trend of status of the monitored component over time to generate an accurate prediction of future activity towards the monitored component.

14. The computer program product of claim 13, further including a fourth executable portion that, pursuant to recording, using the at least one sensor device, the change of the present status of the monitored component, implements at least one of a motion detector, light meter, infrared camera, visible light camera, camera with accompanying flash to record an event of the monitored component in which the change of the present status of the monitored component occurs.

15. The computer program product of claim 13, further including a fourth executable portion that, pursuant to determining the present status of the monitored component, implements the at least one sensor device to detect a relative position of the monitored component based on at least one of a uniquely identifiable shape, a reflective profile, a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tag, and a Quick Response (QR) code tag.

16. The computer program product of claim 13, further including a fourth executable portion that, pursuant to, if an initiating event triggering the change in the present status is determined to remain unresolved for a predetermined period of time, operates the at least one sensor device to gather information in an effort to determine if the owner of the change is present and an identity of the owner.

17. The computer program product of claim 13, further including a fourth executable portion that, during a time period of an unresolved initiating event, analyzes at least one state of the monitored component and compares the at least one state to a predefined normal state to determine whether any difference has occurred.

18. The computer program product of claim 13, further including a fourth executable portion that, pursuant to recording, using at least one sensor device, a change of the present status of the monitored component, updates flail the database with one of the time stamp and the information identifying the owner of the change.