Lift apparatus for stable placement of components into a rack

A method uses scales onboard a lift apparatus to weigh an uninstalled component that is positioned on the lift apparatus for installation into a rack. Data is accessed that identifies the weight and rack location of components currently installed in the rack, and one or more available rack locations are identified where the component may be installed without violating one or more predetermined rack stability rules. The method then uses the lift apparatus to raise the component into a selected one of the one or more available rack locations. The components are preferably information technology components, such as servers, network switches and power distribution units.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to the installation of information technology equipment in an appropriate position within a rack.

2. Background of the Related Art

When an entity uses more than a few units of information technology equipment (ITE), such as computer servers, switches and power distribution units, those ITEs are commonly supported and operated in racks. These racks provide physical support for each ITE while maintaining accessibility for use and maintenance. These racks also accommodate the provisioning of power, the communication of data, and the cooling of heat that emanates from the ITEs.

Giving due consideration to the totality of ITEs and other components in and of the rack, it is possible to position each component within the rack such that the rack remains stable. One simple measure of rack stability is a determination of the rack's center of gravity. If the rack's center of mass is higher than a predetermined height, then the rack may become unbalanced and vulnerable to tipping. The actual limitations on the configuration or loading of a rack may be described by a set of best practices distributed by the rack manufacturer or the systems integrator.

If a rack is being fully populated or loaded, the rack configuration may be determined in consideration of all of the components that need to go into the rack. For example, the heavier components may be positioned in the lower portions of the rack. However, a rack may also receive one component at a time as a system is gradually expanded, modified or upgraded. Without knowing what other components will eventually fill the rack, the rack should remain stable after each additional component is installed.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

One embodiment of the present invention provides a method comprising using scales onboard a lift apparatus to weigh the uninstalled component that is positioned on the lift apparatus for installation into a rack. The method further comprises accessing data that identifies the weight and rack location of components currently installed in the rack, and determining one or more available rack locations where the component may be installed without violating one or more predetermined rack stability rules. The method then uses the lift apparatus to raise the component into a selected one of the one or more available rack locations.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

One embodiment of the present invention provides a method comprising using scales onboard a lift apparatus to weigh the uninstalled component that is positioned on the lift apparatus for installation into a rack. The method further comprises accessing data that identifies the weight and rack location of components currently installed in the rack, and determining one or more available rack locations where the component may be installed without violating one or more predetermined rack stability rules. The method then uses the lift apparatus to raise the component into a selected one of the one or more available rack locations.

The scales are preferably built into a horizontal lift platform upon which components are placed. In this manner, the act of weighing the component is performed by the lift apparatus without any additional act of the user. It is also advantageous that the scales weigh the actual component that is about to be lifted into position and installed.

The data that identifies the weight and rack location of the components currently installed in the rack may be maintained and stored in association with the lift apparatus or a rack management module. That rack location may be a vertical height measurement relative to the base of the rack or an indicator that is representative of height, such as a bay number. Optionally, the data may further include the size of the unit, such as 1U, 2U, etc., and/or a slide out distance that the unit might extend out of the rack for use or maintenance.

In embodiments where the data is maintained by a rack management module, the lift apparatus communicates with the rack management module in order to access the data. The communication may use a wireless protocol or a USB cable, and the communication may conform to a short range peer to peer network. However, having the management module maintain this data may be advantageous in some circumstances. For example, if one or more components have been replaced without the use of the lift apparatus (either by hand or with another unit of lift apparatus), the management module should be able to detect this change and update the data. In other embodiments, the data is maintained by a computer that is onboard the lift apparatus and stored in an onboard computer readable medium. Still, if the computer maintains component inventory data for a plurality of racks, such as those in a datacenter, the computer needs to identify the particular rack in which the component is to be installed. Although the user could make a manual entry into the computer through a keyboard, a convenience manner of identifying the rack is to associate component inventory of each rack with a barcode that is physical secured to the rack. Accordingly, a barcode scanner in communication with the onboard computer may scan the barcode and thus identify the rack and use the appropriate data in the determination of rack location availability and rack stability. Alternatively, the barcode may be substituted with a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag, and the lift apparatus may be equipped with a RFID reader. For any circumstance where the data is incomplete, the user may manually enter the weight of a previously installed unit or enter a serial number of a component that may be cross-referenced to the weight of the component. A still further option, where the lift apparatus and rack management module are in communication, includes each bay in the rack having a scale that measures the weight of the component that is installed there, such that the management module can then communicate the weight and rack location data to the lift apparatus.

In another embodiment, input is received from a user identifying a user-proposed rack location for the component to be installed. The method then determines whether the installation of the component in the user-proposed location would violate the one or more predetermined rack stability rules. Optionally, the lift apparatus may be prevented from lifting the component to a position that would violate the one or more predetermined rack stability rules. It is also an option to output an alert to the user that installing the component in the user-proposed location would violate the one or more predetermined rack stability rules.

In yet another embodiment, the method may identify all of the available locations in the rack where the component can be installed without violating one or more predetermined rack stability rules, and then output a list of all of the identified locations. The user may then select one of the identified locations from the list. Since the list identifies locations that satisfy stability requirements, the user may then select which of those locations best satisfy their usability requirements. For example, the user may prefer that a component with a slide out keyboard tray be installed in a location that is about waist high.

The one or more predetermined rack stability rules may, for example, require that the center of mass for the combination of the rack and its installed component should not exceed a predetermined height. Alternative stability rules and alternative manners of calculating stability may be implemented as well. The methods of the present invention are not limited to any particular calculation for determining physical stability of the rack. Furthermore, the method may consider compliance with one or more component manufacturer rules about the proper installation of a component, such as a server.

In a further option, the method may include storing the component weight and rack location (for the newly installed component) in the database in response to installing the component. The component to be installed is preferably a unit of information technology equipment, such as a server, a network switch, or a power distribution unit. A rack will typically support a combination of these units and other types of units, including peripherals, cables and computer readable storage devices.

FIG. 1is a diagram of a lift apparatus10that is capable of monitoring the stability of a rack30during installation of a component50, such as a server. The lift apparatus10can be easily moved from one rack to another, and includes a lift mechanism12that is made to lift the component50vertically. The component50is placed on a platform14and lifted to an appropriate height H relative to the rack30for installation of the component into the rack. According to embodiments of the present invention, the platform14has a built-in scale for weighing the component.

With the lift apparatus10positioned in front of a selected rack where the component50is to be installed, the CPU15causes a barcode reader16to read a barcode32that is physically secured to the rack. Each barcode32is used to uniquely identify the rack from among a plurality of N racks in a hypothetical datacenter. A computer readable memory18stores data20, include a record for each of the plurality of N racks. Each of the N rack records includes a rack inventory22that provides the current weight distribution in a given rack. For example, the rack inventory22for a given rack may include the weight and rack location of each component. Although it is not strictly necessary for the rack inventory to identify the type of component or provide a unique component ID, such fields may be included in the data. The rack inventory22may further include the size of the component, such as 1U, 2U and the like, and an indication whether the component is mounted on a slide for use or maintenance.

Once the lift apparatus10has used the barcode reader16to read the barcode32identifying the rack, located the relevant rack inventory22in the data20, and used the scale in the platform14to weigh the component, then the lift apparatus10has the information needed for the rack stability program24. In one embodiment, the rack stability program24determines, and outputs to a user (perhaps via the display26or other output device), which of the available rack locations, if any, can receive the component without violating one or more predetermined rack stability rules. Optionally, the lift mechanism12is automatically prevented from lifting the component into a rack location that would result in a violation of the one or more predetermined rack stability rules. In an alternative embodiment, the user (perhaps using the keyboard28or other input device) inputs a desired rack location for installing the component50and the rack stability program24determines whether or not installing the component in the desired rack location would violate one or more of the rack stability rules. A hypothetical rack stability rule might require that the center of mass of the rack, in consideration of all current rack components as well as the component50that is proposed for installation, should not be higher than one half the full height of the rack30. If the rack is eight feet tall, then no component should be installed in the rack in a location that would result in the center of mass being higher than four feet above the base of the rack.

FIG. 2is a diagram of the lift apparatus10and rack30ofFIG. 1, except that the rack inventory22for the rack30is maintained by a management module40associated with the rack. The management module40includes a CPU42that receives data identifying each of the components currently installed in the rack30. The CPU42stores this data as a rack inventory22in memory44. When a component50is placed on the platform14and the lift apparatus10is positioned in front of a rack, the CPU15of the lift apparatus uses either a wireless device27or a USB port/cable29to communicate with a wireless device47or a USB port/cable49, respectively, of the rack management module40. The lift apparatus10may thus request that the rack management module40provide the rack inventory data22, or some information representative of the rack inventory data (such as the current center of mass, the current total mass, and a list of available locations). Then, the CPU15has access to all the same data as in the previous embodiment ofFIG. 1and is able to use the rack stability program24to identify rack locations, if any, where the component50may be installed without violating one or more predetermined rack stability rules. Alternatively, if a user requests installation of the component in a given location of the rack, then the rack stability program24may determine whether or not the component50may be installed in the given location without violating one or more predetermined rack stability rules.

FIG. 3is a flowchart of a method of maintaining rack stability during installation of a component. After the method begins, the method identifies the weight of the ITE in step70. In step72, the method obtains an inventory of components currently installed in the rack, where the rack inventory includes the weight and rack location of each component. Then, in step74, it is determined whether a user has requested a location for installation within the rack. If the user has requested a given location, then the method proceeds to step76to run the rack stability program, which in step78determines whether the rack will remain stable (i.e., will not violate one or more rack stability rules) with the component installed in the requested location of the rack. If the rack would remain stable, then an approval message is output to the user in step80and the lift motor is enabled for lifting to the requested location and the component is added to the rack inventory.

Referring back to step74, if the user does not request a location for installation within the rack, then the method proceeds to run the rack stability program in step84and identify stable locations (i.e., locations that will not violate one or more rack stability rules) for the component to be installed in the rack in step86. Similarly, if use had requested a given location in step74, but the given location would be stable per step78, then the stable locations may also be identified in step86. In either situation, step88outputs the stable locations to the user, perhaps using a display. Still further, if there are available locations in the rack but none of those locations would be stable, then the method may output proposed new configurations or rearrangements of the currently installed components in order to accommodate the new component.