INTEGRATED ASSET TRACKING, TASK MANAGER, AND VIRTUAL CONTAINER FOR DATA CENTER MANAGEMENT

• US 20130046884A1
• Filed: 08/15/2012
• Published: 02/21/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/16/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panduit Corporation
• Original Assignee: Panduit Corporation
• Inventors: Doorhy, Brendan F., Panozzo, Guy M., Frost, James D., Lukareski, Thomas F., Cai, Zeshun
• Granted Patent: US 8,924,548 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/00 Input arrangements for transferring data to be processed into a form capable of being handled by the computer; Output arrangements for transferring data from processing unit to output unit, e.g. interface arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/06 using stored programs, i.e. using an internal store of processing equipment to receive or retain programs
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders

Abstract

The present invention provides for the integration of a an infrastructure management software (IMS) asset tracking system, an IMS task manager (ITM) and an IMS virtual container or virtual container feature to alleviate issues such as personnel scheduling issues, lost asset issues and service outages within a data center.

Claims

1. An asset tracking system for tracking assets within a data center, said asset tracking system comprising:

an infrastructure management software;

a task manager; and

a virtual container,

said asset tracking system having a means for recording, tracking, and managing information associated with equipment within said data center, said asset tracking system further having a means for asset tracking reconciliation,

said task manager having a means for viewing information associated with at least one of adding a new asset, updating a newly discovered asset, updating a tagged asset, installing an asset, and removing an asset,

said virtual container providing a graphical representation of a network at least partially connected to said data center.

2. The asset tracking system of claim 1, wherein said means for recording, tracking, and managing information associated with equipment includes means for recording, tracking, and managing information associated with equipment that is not connected to said network.

3. The asset tracking system of claim 2, wherein said means for recording, tracking, and managing information associated with equipment that is not connected to said network includes at least one identification tag placed on said equipment and at least one data entry device capable of gathering information from said at least one identification tag.

4. The asset tracking system of claim 3, wherein said identification tag includes at least one of a radio frequency identification tag and a bar code tag, and wherein said data entry device includes at least one of a radio frequency identification tag scanner and a bar code tag scanner.

5. The asset tracking system of claim 1, wherein said virtual container determines power aggregation for at least one application executed on at least one server.

6. The asset tracking system of claim 5, wherein said virtual container determines power aggregation for all applications associated with at least one department.

7. The asset tracking system of claim 1, wherein said virtual container sets security boundaries for applications executed on servers virtually placed within said virtual container.

8. The asset tracking system of claim 1, wherein said virtual container sets security boundaries for all applications placed within said virtual container.

9. The asset tracking system of claim 1 further comprising an application programming interface (API), said API connecting said infrastructure management software and a third party application.

10. The asset tracking system of claim 9, wherein said third party application is a work order system capable of creating and processing work orders for said data center.