Patent Application
20070293236
The foregoing and other features and advantages of the present invention should be more fully understood from the following detailed description of illustrative embodiments taken in conjunction with the accompanying Figures in which like elements are numbered alike in the several Figures:
Referring to
With the elements of the system 10 introduced, the manner in which these elements associate will now be discussed, beginning with the wireless detectors 16a-d. The server wireless detector 16a is associated with the server 12. This association may occur via internal or external linkage, wherein the server wireless detector 16a may be disposed within, upon, or separately from the server 12. When powered up, the server wireless detector 16a can locate other, powered up wireless detectors in the component network 11, such as the satellite wireless detectors 16b-d. The server wireless detector 16a detects the satellite wireless detectors 16b-d that are internally or externally associated with the satellite devices 14a-c using technology such as universal plug and play (UPnP™). This detection is represented in the Figures as information link 28a-c. Information 30a-c, to be discussed in greater detail hereinbelow, travels from the satellite devices 14a-c to the server 12 via the wireless detectors 16a-d that create the information links 28a-c.
Upon wireless arrival of the information 30a-c at the server 12 via the information links 28a-c, the interactive map generating tool 26 (introduced briefly above) acquires basic data pertaining to the satellite devices 14a-c from the information 30a-c. The interactive map generating tool 26 may be added as a feature to any type of centralized management software, such as IBM TotalStorage software and IBM Director software. The basic data acquired may include satellite device 14a-c features such as, device type and device port number and type. The map generating tool 26 is also associated/linked with the server 12 in a manner that allows the tool 26 to acquire basic data, such as server type and server port number and type, from the server 12.
The interactive map generating tool 26 also acquires physical location coordinates pertaining to each of the satellite devices 14a-c from the information 30a-c. These coordinates can be acquired via the relative position coordinators 18b-d (introduced briefly above) associated internally or externally with the satellite devices 14a-c and linked/associated with the device wireless detectors 16b-d. Also, the relative position coordinator 18a included in the server 12, which may also be internally or externally associated, is associated/linked with the map generating tool 26, allowing the interactive map generating tool 26 to acquire physical location coordinates of the server 12. If the server 12 is a laptop or other mobile device, this will allow tracking of the server 12 as it moves with a system administrator. It should be appreciated that the relative position coordinators 18a-d of both the server 12 and satellite devices 14a-c may be any position locating device, such as a GPS chip or a wireless triangulation device.
Once the interactive map generating tool 26 has acquired the data pertaining to satellite device 14a-c and server 12, including physical location of each, the interactive map generating tool 26 can direct (when enabled by a user) the user through a cabling path process 32 as is illustrated the flow chart (
Referring to activation of the LEDs 22a-d, direction through the cabling path process 32 also includes systematically flashing the LEDs 22a-d corresponding to the server and device ports 20a-d to be cabled. As shown in
When the user actually connects indicated ports 20a-d with appropriate cable 38, the interactive map generating tool 26 will further indicate to the user that the right ports have been cabled. Referring to
If however, the wrong ports have been cabled, the interactive map generating tool 26 will stop the cabling path process 32 and indicate to the user that the wrong ports have been cabled. Referring to
The cabling path process 32 continues until the component network 11 is properly and completely cabled. When finished, the user can disable the cabling path process 32 via interactive map generating tool 26, and turn off the wireless detector 16a in the server 12. This “disable” command is broadcast wirelessly to all satellite devices 14a-c and will allow all cabled/networked devices and their respective LEDs 22a-d to assume their normal functionality. Disabling may also turn off the satellite wireless detectors 16b-d for security purposes. Because the server 12 and satellite devices 14a-c are now cabled, the interactive map generating tool 26 can always enable the cabling path process 32 again at a later time (upon user prompt) without initially requiring the wireless detectors 16a-d to be on. The user can initiate disabling of the cabling path process 32 at any time during the cabling path process 32, as well as re-enable the cabling path process 32 at any time after the cabling path process 32 has been disabled.
It should be appreciated that the cabling path process 32 follows a physical cabling scheme desired for specific application of the component network 11. The cabling scheme refers to the actual physical manner in which the components of the component network 11 are to be cabled. The cabling path processes 32 may be installed in the interactive map generating tool 26 by a technology manufacturer to originally include a default cabling scheme. This default scheme would be automatically implemented by the interactive map generating tool 26 upon detection of the satellite devices 14a-c. In addition, specifically tailored cabling schemes, possibly in the form of an electronic configuration file, may later be provided to a customer via purchase from a technology provider, and used by the interactive map generating tool 26 to generate cabling path processes 32 including new cabling schemes that are tailored to particular applications that may or may not include additional satellite devices 14a-c. Upon installation of the electronic configuration file, these specifically tailored cabling schemes may also be automatically implemented by the interactive map generating tool 26 upon detection of the satellite devices 14a-c. When implementing these specifically tailored schemes after an original or previous scheme has been at least partially cabled, any server ports 20a or device ports 20b-d that include connections that have become obsolete and need to be de-cabled to allow cabling of the new scheme may be indicated as such via flashing LEDs 22a-d and de-cabling icons on the interactive physical location map 34 (as generated by the interactive map generating tool 26). A step in this new or re-cabling scheme may include disconnecting one or both sides of a existing cable 38, reconnecting an existing cable between new server ports 20a or device ports 20b-d, or adding new cable 38 to create an additional connection that was not present in a previous cabling scheme. Steps like these guide the user, allowing the component network 11 to transition from the old cabling scheme to the new or modified cabling scheme. During the cabling process 32, any servers or devices from a previous cabling scheme (that have since been removed from the network 11) may be at least temporarily identified on the physical location map 34, and may need to be addressed by the user (via manual interaction with the interactive map generating tool 26) in order begin or resume cabling.
The interactive map generating tool 26 may also receive custom cabling scheme information from the user, wherein the user custom designs at least a portion (i.e. some of the steps of) of the cabling scheme included in the cabling path process 32. These custom schemes may be saved in interactive map generating tool 26 for sharing with other users, or application at a later date.
It should be appreciated that the icons 36a-b, 40, and 42, and the LEDs 22a-d may be customized by the user to include any flashing/solid lighting activity the user may desire. It should also be appreciated that thought the Figures only show cabling between the server 12 and the satellite devices 14a-c, cabling may additionally occur between one satellite device and another.
Referring to
While the invention has been described with reference to an exemplary embodiment, it should be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the scope of the invention. In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or substance to the teachings of the invention without departing from the scope thereof. Therefore, it is important that the invention not be limited to the particular embodiment disclosed as the best mode contemplated for carrying out this invention, but that the invention will include all embodiments falling within the scope of the apportioned claims. Moreover, unless specifically stated any use of the terms first, second, etc. do not denote any order or importance, but rather the terms first, second, etc. are used to distinguish one element from another.
