Method and device for managing cabling in a cluster

• US 10,146,889 B2
• Filed: 03/28/2012
• Issued: 12/04/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/05/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Le Commissariat A L'Energie Atomique Et Aux Energies Alternatives
• Original Assignee: Bull Sas (Atos SE)
• Inventors: Razafinjatovo, Andry, Mercier, Michel, Martin, Philippe
• Primary Examiner(s): PIERRE LOUIS, ANDRE
• Application Number:
  US14/110,413
• Publication Number:
  US 20140067339A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,442 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2113/16 Cables, cable trees or wire harnesses
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/00 Computer-aided design [CAD]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/18 Network design, e.g. design based on topological or interconnect aspects of utility systems, piping, heating ventilation air conditioning [HVAC] or cabling circuit design at the physical level G06F30/39; network planning tools for wireless communication networks H04W16/18

Abstract

A method for cabling management in a cluster is disclosed. The cluster comprises at least two computer racks, each rack comprising at least one component device, each component device comprising at least one connector. The method comprises determining at least one external logical link between at least two connectors of the cluster, each of the connectors belonging to a different computer cabinet, and generating a list of logical interconnections comprising the at least one external logical link. The method further comprises identifying locations of the connectors. The method further comprises determining a cable path linking the connectors according to the list of logical interconnections and creating a list of physical interconnections comprising at least the cable path.

Claims

1. A method implemented by at least one processor and a non-transitory, computer readable medium for cabling management in a cluster comprising at least two computer racks, each rack comprising at least one component device, each component device comprising at least one connector, the method comprising:

determining, by the at least one processor, at least one external logical link between at least first and second connectors of at least first and second racks, respectively, of the cluster;

generating, by the at least one processor, a list of logical interconnections forming the at least one external logical link;

identifying, by the at least one processor, locations of the first and second connectors in a frame of reference that accounts for relative positions of the first and second connectors with respect to the first and second racks to which the first and second connectors belong, respectively, and that accounts for locations of the first and second racks, the locations of the first and second connectors being based at least in part on a type of the respective component device to which each of the first and second connectors belongs;

obtaining at least one routing rule from at least one file;

determining, by the at least one processor, at least one cable path linking at least the first and second connectors according to the list of logical interconnections and the at least one routing rule, wherein the at least one routing rule determines one or more constraints for at least one cable passage along the at least one cable path, and wherein the constraints specify (i) a number of cables to use in the at least one cable passage or (ii) the at least one cable path in relation to the first and/or second rack(s) according to a type of the rack(s) or both;

creating, by the at least one processor, a list of physical interconnections comprising the at least one cable path, wherein the list of physical interconnections comprises a length of a cable routed along the determined cable path that connects the first and second connectors, the length being based at least in part on the locations of the first and second connectors; and

using, by a user, the list of physical interconnections to install at least the cable in the cluster.

2. A method according to claim 1, further comprising determining, by the at least one processor, at least one internal logical link between two connectors of at least the first or second rack.

3. A method according to claim 2, further comprising duplicating, by the at least one processor, the at least one internal logical link associated with the at least first or second rack for at least one other of the racks, the at least first or second rack and the at least one other rack being of a same type.

4. A method according to claim 3, wherein the duplicating comprises attributing an identifier to the linked racks.

5. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

initially configuring, by the at least one processor, at least one of the racks.

6. A method according to claim 1, further comprising, by the at least one processor, checking at least one logical link of the list of logical interconnections.

7. A method according to claim 1, further comprising evaluating, by the at least one processor, the length of the at least one cable path, the length of the at least one cable path being determined according to a nature of the cable associated with the at least one cable path.

8. A method according to claim 1, further comprising creating, by the at least one processor, a set of data to generate at least two labels, each of the labels, being configured for an end of the cable associated with the determined cable path, each of the labels comprising information relative to a position of a connector to which the cable is to be connected.

9. A method according to claim 1, further comprising duplicating, by the at least one processor, logical links specific to the racks, forming a first set of racks, for at least one second set of racks, the first and second sets of racks being of a same type.

10. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

outputting, by the at least one processor, the list of physical interconnections for display; and

displaying, by a device, the list of physical interconnections.

11. A method according to claim 1, wherein the locations of the first and second connectors are based on three-dimensional coordinates in the frame of reference.

12. A method according to claim 1, wherein the length of the cable is calculated based on a location of a cable passage along the at least one cable path, including in a ceiling or under a raised floor.

13. A method according to claim 8, wherein each of the labels further comprises a cable reference, a link number, and a relative indication of a side by which the cable comes down when seen facing the connector.

14. A non-transitory, computer readable medium comprising code that, when executed, causes at least one processor to:

determine at least one external logical link between at least first and second connectors of at least first and second racks, respectively, of a cluster, the cluster comprising the first and second racks, each of the racks comprising at least one component device, each of the component devices comprising at least one connector;

generate a list of logical interconnections forming the external logical link;

identify the locations of the first and second connectors in a frame of reference that accounts for relative positions of the first and second connectors with respect to the first and second racks to which the first and second connectors belong, respectively, and that accounts for locations of the first and second racks, the locations of the first and second connectors being based at least in part on a type of the respective component device to which each of the first and second connectors belongs;

obtain at least one routing rule from at least one file;

determine at least one cable path linking at least the first and second connectors according to the list of logical interconnections and the at least one routing rule, wherein the at least one routing rule determines one or more constraints for at least one cable passage along the at least one cable path, and wherein the constraints specify (i) a number of cables to use in the at least one cable passage or (ii) the at least one cable path in relation to the first or second rack(s) according to a type of the rack(s), or both;

create a list of physical interconnections, which at least includes the determined cable path, wherein the list of physical interconnections comprises a length of a cable routed along the determined cable path that connects the first and second connectors, the length being based at least in part on the locations of the first and second connectors; and

using, by a user, the list of physical interconnections to install at least the cable in the cluster.

15. The non-transitory, computer readable medium of claim 14, the code, when executed, further causing the processor to determine at least one internal logical link between two connectors of at least the first or second rack.

16. The non-transitory, computer readable medium of claim 15, the code, when executed, further causing the processor to duplicate the at least one internal logical link associated with the at least first or second rack for at least one other of the racks, the at least one first or second rack and the at least one other rack being of a same type.

17. The non-transitory, computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the duplicating comprises attributing an identifier to the linked racks.

18. The non-transitory, computer readable medium of claim 14, the code, when executed, further causing the processor to perform an initial configuration of at least one of the racks.

19. The non-transitory, computer readable medium of claim 14, the code, when executed, further causing the processor to check at least one logical link of the list of logical interconnections.

20. The non-transitory, computer readable medium of claim 14, the code, when executed, further causing the processor to evaluate the length of the at least one cable path, the length of the at least one cable path being determined according to a nature of the cable associated with the at least one cable path.

21. The non-transitory, computer readable medium of claim 14, the code, when executed, further causing the processor to create a set of data to generate at least two labels, each of the labels being configured for an end of a cable associated with the at least one cable path, each of the labels comprising information relative to a position of a connector to which the cable is to be connected.

22. The non-transitory, computer readable medium of claim 14, the code, when executed, further causing the processor to duplicate logical links specific to the racks, forming a first set of racks, for at least one second set of racks, the first and second sets of racks being of a same type.

23. A method implemented by at least one processor and a non-transitory, computer readable medium for cabling management in a cluster, the method comprising:

determining, by the at least one processor, at least one external logical link between at least first and second connectors of at least first and second racks, respectively, of a first row of the cluster;

determining, by the at least one processor, at least one internal logical link between at least third and fourth connectors of at least first and second drawers, respectively, of the first rack of the first row;

duplicating, by the at least one processor, the at least one internal logical link associated with the first rack for at least the second rack, the first and second racks being of a same type;

duplicating, by the at least one processor, the at least one external logical link associated with the first row for at least a second row of the cluster, the first and second rows being of a same type;

generating, by the at least one processor, a list of logical interconnections forming the at least one external logical link and the at least one internal logical link;

identifying, by the at least one processor, locations of the first and second connectors in a frame of reference that accounts for relative positions of the first and second connectors with respect to the first and second racks to which the first and second connectors respectively belong;

obtaining at least one routing rule from at least one file;

determining, by the at least one processor, at least one cable path linking at least the first and second connectors according to the list of logical interconnections, wherein the at least one routing rule determines one or more constraints for at least one cable passage along the at least one cable path, and wherein the constraints specify (i) a number of cables to use in the at least one cable passage or (ii) the at least one cable path in relation to the first and/or second rack(s) according to a type of the rack(s), or both;

creating, by the at least one processor, a list of physical interconnections comprising the at least one cable path, wherein the list of physical interconnections comprises a length of a cable routed along the determined cable path that connects the first and second connectors, the length being based at least in part on the locations of the first and second connectors; and

using, by a user, the list of physical interconnections to install at least the cable in the cluster.