System and method to determine fibre channel device locations using GPS

• US 6,643,586 B2
• Filed: 12/17/2001
• Issued: 11/04/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: MediaTek, Inc.
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Allen, James P., Kovacs, Robert G., Neemidge, John Leslie, Iyengar, Madhuranath Narasipur Krishna, Grande, Marcus Bryan
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Tan Q.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tran, Dalena
• Application Number:
  US10/015,279
• Publication Number:
  US 20030114981A1
• Time in Patent Office: 687 Days
• Field of Search: 701/213, 701/300, 701/207, 701/214, 342/357.09, 455/461, 455/466, 455/456, 340/988, 340/989
• US Class Current: 701/213
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0027 of actual mobile position, i.e. position determined on mobile

Abstract

A GPS device is used in conjunction with a device, such as a SAN device, to record and track the device'"'"'s location. A device can periodically report its location to one or more computer systems that track device locations. Another device can send a request to other devices requesting the devices'"'"' geographic location. The devices, in turn, respond with data corresponding to their geographic location. In the event of a catastrophe or other event rendering devices in one area inoperable, one of the computer systems can be used to identify a location of another device that includes similar data. The GPS data corresponding to a device can also be used to identify a technician that should respond to a device maintenance or repair event.

Claims

1. A method for identifying a device location in a computer network that includes a Fibre Channel fabric, said method comprising:

receiving, at a first device, a Fibre Channel request from a second device;

identifying one or more GPS coordinates in response to receiving the request;

writing the GPS coordinates and device identification information corresponding to the first device to a response payload; and

transmitting the response payload through the computer network to the second device.

2. The method as described in claim 1 wherein the Fibre Channel request is a Fibre Channel Request Node Identification Data request.

3. The method as described in claim 1 a wherein the device identification information includes at least one of the identifiers selected from the group consisting of a World Wide Name, a unit type, a physical port number, and an IP address.

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

identifying a requestor identifier corresponding to the second device;

comparing the requester identifier to one or more authorized requester identifiers; and

validating the GPS event in response to the comparison.

5. The method as described in claim 1 further comprising:

repeatedly identifying the GPS coordinates on a time interval basis;

comparing the identified GPS coordinates with one or more previously stored GPS coordinates;

determining whether the device has been moved based on the comparison; and

transmitting the response payload in response to determining that the device has been moved.

6. The method as described in claim 1 further comprising:

retrieving an encryption method; and

encrypting the response payload upon the retrieved encryption method.

7. The method as described in claim 1 further comprising:

receiving the response payload at the second device;

storing the response payload in a GPS storage area accessible to the second device, wherein the GPS storage area includes coordinates for a plurality of devices;

receiving catastrophe data, the catastrophe data including a catastrophe area defined by a plurality of catastrophe GPS coordinates;

comparing the catastrophe GPS coordinates to the plurality of packaged coordinates stored in the GPS storage area;

determining which of the devices are within the catastrophe area based on the comparison; and

determining which of the devices are outside the catastrophe area based on the comparison.

8. An information handling system comprising:

one or more processors;

a memory accessible by the processors;

a nonvolatile storage device accessible by the processors;

a GPS receiving device accessible by the processors;

a network adapter operable to connect the information handling system to a computer network that includes a Fibre Channel fabric;

a Fibre Channel adapter connecting the information handling device to the Fibre Channel fabric; and

a device identification tool for locating a device in a computer network, the device identification tool including;

means for receiving, at the information handling system, a Fibre Channel request from a second device;

means for identifying one or more GPS coordinates from the GPS receiving device in response to receiving the request;

means for writing the GPS coordinates and device identification information corresponding to the first device to a response payload; and

means for transmitting the response payload through the computer network to the second device.

9. The information handling system as described in claim 8 wherein the Fibre Channel request is a Fibre Channel Request Node Identification Data request.

10. The information handling system as described in claim 8 wherein the device identification information includes at least one of the identifiers selected from the group consisting of a World Wide Name, a unit type, a physical port number, and an IP address.

11. The information handling system as described in claim 8 further comprising:

means for identifying a requestor identifier corresponding to the second device;

means for comparing the requestor identifier to one or more authorized requestor identifiers; and

means for validating the GPS event in response to the comparison.

12. The information handling system as described in claim 8 further comprising:

means for repeatedly identifying the GPS coordinates on a time interval basis;

means for comparing the identified GPS coordinates with one or more previously stored GPS coordinates;

means for determining whether the device has been moved based on the comparison; and

means for transmitting the response payload in response to determining that the device has been moved.

13. The information handling system as described in claim 8 further comprising:

means for receiving the response payload at the second device;

means for storing the response payload in a GPS storage area accessible to the second device, wherein the GPS storage area includes coordinates for a plurality of devices;

means for receiving catastrophe data, the catastrophe data including a catastrophe area defined by a plurality of catastrophe GPS coordinates;

means for comparing the catastrophe GPS coordinates to the plurality of packaged coordinates stored in the GPS storage area;

means for determining which of the devices are within the catastrophe area based on the comparison; and

means for determining which of the devices are outside the catastrophe area based on the comparison.

14. A computer program product stored on a computer operable medium for identifying a device location in a computer network that includes a Fibre Channel fabric, said computer program product comprising:

means for receiving, at a first device, a Fibre Channel request from a second device;

means for identifying one or more GPS coordinates in response to receiving the request;

means for writing the GPS coordinates and device identification information corresponding to the first device to a response payload; and

means for transmitting the response payload through the computer network to the second device.

15. The computer program product as described in claim 14 wherein the Fibre Channel request is a Fibre Channel Request Node Identification Data request.

16. The computer program product as described in claim 14 wherein the device identification information includes at least one of the identifiers selected from the group consisting of a World Wide Name, a unit type, a physical port number, and an IP address.

17. The computer program product as described in claim 14 further comprising:

means for identifying a requester identifier corresponding to the second device;

means for comparing the requester identifier to one or more authorized requester identifiers; and

means for validating the GPS event in response to the comparison.

18. The computer program product as described in claim 14 further comprising:

means for repeatedly identifying the GPS coordinates on a time interval basis;

means for comparing the identified GPS coordinates with one or more previously stored GPS coordinates;

means for determining whether the device has been moved based on the comparison; and

means for transmitting the response payload in response to determining that the device has been moved.

19. The computer program product as described in claim 14 further comprising:

means for retrieving an encryption method; and

means for encrypting the response payload based upon the retrieved encryption method.

20. The computer program product as described in claim 14 further comprising:

means for receiving the response payload at the second device;

means for storing the response payload in a GPS storage area accessible to the second device, wherein the GPS storage area includes coordinates for a plurality of devices;

means for receiving catastrophe data, the catastrophe data including a catastrophe area defined by a plurality of catastrophe GPS coordinates;

means for comparing the catastrophe GPS coordinates to the plurality of packaged coordinates stored in the GPS storage area;

means for determining which of the devices are within the catastrophe area based on the comparison; and

means for determining which of the devices are outside the catastrophe area based on the comparison.

21. A method for identifying a device location in a computer network said method comprising:

receiving a GPS event;

identifying one or more GPS coordinates in response to receiving the event;

packaging the GPS coordinates;

transmitting the packaged coordinates through the computer network to a second device;

receiving the packaged coordinates at the second device;

storing the packaged coordinates in a GPS storage area accessible to the second device, wherein the GPS storage area includes packaged coordinates for a plurality of devices;

receiving catastrophe data, the catastrophe data including a catastrophe area defined by a plurality of catastrophe GPS coordinates;

comparing the catastrophe GPS coordinates to the plurality of packaged coordinates stored in the GPS storage area;

determining which of the devices are within the catastrophe area based on the comparison; and

determining which of the devices are outside the catastrophe area based on the comparison.

22. An information handling system comprising:

one or more processors;

a memory accessible by the processors;

a nonvolatile storage device accessible by the processors;

a GPS receiving device accessible by the processors;

a network adapter operable to connect the information handling system to a computer network; and

a device identification tool for locating a device in a computer network, the device identification tool including;

means for receiving a GPS event;

means for identifying one or more GPS coordinates from the GPS receiving device in response to receiving the event;

means for packaging the GPS coordinates; and

means for transmitting the packaged coordinates through the computer network to a second device;

means for receiving the packaged coordinates at the second device;

means for storing the packaged coordinates in a GPS storage area accessible to the second device, wherein the GPS storage area includes packaged coordinates for a plurality of devices;

means for receiving catastrophe data, the catastrophe data including a catastrophe area defined by a plurality of catastrophe GPS coordinates;

means for comparing the catastrophe GPS coordinates to the plurality of packaged coordinates stored in the GPS storage area;

means for determining which of the devices are within the catastrophe area based on the comparison; and

means for determining which of the devices are outside the catastrophe area based on the comparison.

23. A computer program product stored on a computer operable medium for identifying a device location in a computer network, said computer program product comprising:

means for receiving a GPS event;

means for identifying one or more GPS coordinates in response to receiving the event;

means for packaging the GPS coordinates;

means for transmitting the packaged coordinates through the computer network to a second device;

means for receiving the packaged coordinates at the second device;

means for storing the packaged coordinates in a GPS storage area accessible to the second device, wherein the GPS storage area includes packaged coordinates for a plurality of devices;

means for receiving catastrophe data, the catastrophe data including a catastrophe area defined by a plurality of catastrophe GPS coordinates;

means for comparing the catastrophe GPS coordinates to the plurality of packaged coordinates stored in the GPS storage area;

means for determining which of the devices are within the catastrophe area based on the comparison; and

means for determining which of the devices are outside the catastrophe area based on the comparison.