Patent ID: 7689704
Filing Date: 2010-03-30
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A method for automatically creating a complete first data path between a user interface device (UID) and a system device in a computing environment, said UID and said system device being coupled to a set of heterogeneous UID switches, comprising: providing a switch command server (SCS), said SCS being in electronic communication with said set of UID switches; creating and storing at least an automated profile, said automated profile defining at least a non-human initiated triggering condition and instructions for automatically executing commands corresponding to said non-human initiated triggering condition; monitoring said computing environment for said non-human initiated triggering condition as defined in said automated profile; encountering said non-human initiated triggering condition, wherein said SCS being configured to handle said non-human initiated triggering condition as a request for connectivity between said user interface device and said system device, wherein said non-human initiated triggering condition includes a switch/location agnostic connectivity indication (SLACI), said SLACI being generic with respect to switch-specific command syntax, said SLACI being received from a SLACI-origination device that is location agnostic with respect to said set of heterogeneous UID switches, said SLACI indicating an identity of said UID and an identity of said system device, said SLACI further indicating a desire to provide a complete data path between said UID and said system device; and transmitting, automatically in response to said encountering said non-human initiated triggering condition, a first set of commands from said SCS to said set of heterogeneous UID switches, said first set of commands being configured to instruct said set of heterogeneous UID switches to connect, upon executing said first set of commands, said UID and said system device along an available data path to form said complete first data path, said available data path being at least one of a set of viable data paths between said set of heterogeneous UID switches, said set of viable data paths being identified through network discovery performed within said SCS and without human intervention, wherein said network discovery includes identifying at least one of internal backbone structures of said set of heterogeneous UID switches, hardware presence on said computer environment, internal-external connections between said hardware and said set of heterogeneous UID switches, and current state of said internal-external connections, wherein said available data path being determined by performing protocol negotiation automatically without human intervention, said protocol negotiation including ascertaining at least one available data path from said set of viable data paths for connect said UID with said system device.