Abstract:
A method and system for automatically determining the location of equipment mounted in a rack is disclosed. The method and system comprises providing a plurality of signal emitting elements within the rack and transmitting positional information from the rack to the equipment via at least one signal emitting element of the plurality of signal emitting elements. The equipment receives the positional information transmitted by the at least one signal emitting element, and is capable of reporting the positional information, such that the location of the equipment can be determined.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to equipment management and more particularly to locating automatically equipment stored in an equipment rack. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     In many companies, it is common to store equipment in racks, which typically house several components on different shelves therein. By storing components in racks, a company can organize and optimize space utilization. The optimization and organization of space can be very important if the equipment must be stored under particular environmental conditions, such as low humidity and/or low temperature conditions. Under those conditions, a special room is usually dedicated to housing such environmentally sensitive equipment. In any event, it is not uncommon to have a room filled with multiple racks, each storing several pieces of equipment. 
     Keeping track of the location of each component can be a daunting, but necessary, task. If the company desires to reconfigure its network, or if a particular component, such as a server, sends out an alert that a hardware component is about to fail, a system administrator must be able to locate the components quickly. System management software is available to help the system administrator monitor computer components such as servers, storage devices, and network routers, and to warn the system administrator if and when intervention is required for a particular component. For example, intervention would be necessary for environmental concerns (such as elevated temperatures in a portion of the equipment), hardware failures, and performance issues. System alerts can also include warnings of potential problems so that the system administrator can take preventive measures to avoid a catastrophic failure. 
     Typical system management software applications include a system management console program and a system management agent. The console program typically resides on the system administrator&#39;s workstation, and the management agent resides on the managed components. The system administrator is able to monitor each component through the cooperation between the console program and the management agent. Management software applications include IBM Netfinity Manager, IBM Netfinity Director, Tivoli TME 10, and Compaq Insight Manager, to name a few. The utility of such programs is clear, yet, those advantages can be seriously limited if the system administrator cannot identify the physical location of a component, particularly if the component is one of several hundred, or mounted in a rack that is in a room with dozens of other racks. 
     One method of locating or tracking the physical location of a piece of equipment involves manually attaching a label, such as a bar code sticker, to each rack and/or component and scanning the bar code number with a reading device. This method, however, requires either a person operating the reading device to scan each component, or having the component moved past a stationary scanner. Both can be time consuming, inefficient, and costly. To allow system management software to be aware of the physical location of the component, the user typically performs the burdensome task of entering manually the identity and location of the component into the system. As components are added, relocated, removed, or replaced, the physical scanning or data entry methods can easily miss or misidentify components. Thus, accuracy is questionable. 
     Another method of tracking the physical location of a component involves embedding an electrical memory device in the component and providing a physical connection, mechanical or electrical, between the enclosure and the component. When the component is placed in the enclosure, a system, which communicates with the enclosure, reads and stores the memory information of the component. The system then allows the user to enter search terms and the system illuminates an indicator light near the component, which matches the user&#39;s search criteria. 
     This method has several drawbacks, one of which is that the physical connection between the enclosure and the component, such as a cable or connector, can become a source of failure, requiring human intervention and maintenance. Thus, reliability is an issue. Moreover, the connection between the system and the enclosure must support the protocol needed to read the memory and control the light. For example, an interconnection between a server and an enclosure housing disk drives might support the protocols needed to pass information to and from the disks, but might not support commands or signals needed to illuminate and extinguish the light. 
     Accordingly, a need exists for a system and method for locating rack-mounted equipment. The system and method should be automatic, i.e., requiring little or no human intervention, and highly reliable requiring little or no maintenance. In addition, the system and method should be cost effective. The present invention addresses such a need. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A method and system for automatically determining the location of equipment mounted in a rack is disclosed. The method and system comprises providing a plurality of signal emitting elements within the rack and transmitting positional information from the rack to the equipment via at least one signal emitting element of the plurality of signal emitting elements. The equipment receives the positional information transmitted by the at least one signal emitting element, and is capable of reporting the positional information, such that the location of the equipment can be determined. 
     Through the aspects of the present invention, the location of a piece of equipment mounted in a rack is automatically provided to the component itself. This positional data can then be reported automatically to a system management software application utilized by the system administrator. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 illustrates a block diagram of the system in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
     FIG. 2 illustrates a block diagram of an equipment rack in accordance with the present invention. 
     FIG. 3 illustrates a block diagram illustrating an example of the alignment of the signal emitting elements to the rack-mounted component and the detector therein. 
     FIG. 4 is a flow chart illustrating the process of automatically transmitting positional information from the rack in accordance with the present invention. 
     FIG. 5 is a flow chart illustrating the process of automatically receiving positional information in the component from the rack in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
     FIG. 6 illustrates an example of signals emitted from the signal emitting elements mounted on a strip in accordance to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The present invention relates to equipment management and more particularly to automatically locating equipment stored in an equipment rack. The following description is presented to enable one of ordinary skill in the art to make and use the invention and is provided in the context of a patent application and its requirements. Various modifications to the preferred embodiment and the generic principles and features described herein will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art. Thus, the present invention is not intended to be limited to the embodiment shown but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and features described herein. 
     In accordance with the present invention, a rack-mounted component locating system allows each component to self identify the rack in which it rests and the vertical position within that rack. The component can communicate this information to a system administrator via a system management software application. A block diagram of the system in accordance with the present invention is illustrated in FIG.  1 . As shown, the system  10  includes a plurality of equipment racks (“racks”)  12 , a plurality of components  50  within each rack  12 , and a system administrator  18 . The system administrator  18  monitors the components  50  via a personal computer or workstation  14  which is network connected to the components  50 . The system management console program (“hereinafter referred to generally as system management software)  16 , which preferably resides in the workstation  14 , communicates with the components  50  through the system management agent (not shown) residing on each component  50 . If certain conditions are detected in a component  50 , the system management software  16  will issue an appropriate message to the system administrator  18 . According to the present invention, that message will include information enabling the system administrator  18  to determine the physical location of the component  50  that is the subject of the message. In one embodiment, the system management software  16  is capable of presenting a graphical representation of the physical location of the component to the system administrator. 
     FIG. 2 illustrates a rack  12  for automatically locating rack-mounted equipment in accordance with the present invention. The rack  12  includes an open face for receiving shelves and equipment (not shown). In one embodiment, a light emitting diode (“LED”) strip  30  containing a plurality of LEDs  40  is preferably vertically mounted on an interior side wall of the rack  12 . In this embodiment, the LED strip  30  extends from the top of the rack  12  to its bottom. Each of the LEDs  40  are preferably evenly spaced throughout the LED strip  30 . Although the system  10  preferably uses LEDs  40 , those skilled in the art will appreciate that different signal emitting devices could be used, and that such use would fall within the scope and spirit of the present invention. 
     Referring again to FIG. 2, in a preferred embodiment, a single chip microcontroller  20  is mounted onto the LED strip  30  and drives the LEDs  40 . The microcontroller  20  can be powered by, for example, a low cost AC adapter (not shown) similar to that utilized in hand held devices, such as calculators. 
     FIG. 3 provides a frontal view of one rack-mounted component  50  and its relative position to the LEDs  40   a - 40   n  in the rack  12 . Although one component  50  is illustrated in FIG. 3, in a typical configuration, a plurality of components  50  would be stored within a rack  12 . Referring again to FIG. 3, the component  50  sits on a shelf (not shown) inside the rack  12 . A detector  54  is provided inside the component  50  for sensing a signal transmitted by at least one LED  40   a - 40   n . In a preferred embodiment, the detector  54  is an infrared phototransistor that is mounted on a circuit board  58  in the component  50  in a location that faces the LED strip  30 . An opening  52  on the side of the component provides a window through which the detector  54  can “see” one or more LEDs  40 . An intelligent component  56 , such as a service processor, is provided in the equipment  50  to read a signal from the detector  54 . The intelligent component  56  communicates with a system management agent (not shown), which in turn is in communication with a system management software application  16  (not shown) that is utilized by the system administrator  18  (not shown). 
     In operation, the present invention can be described using two processes. In the first, the microcontroller  20  directs each LED  40  to transmit a signal containing rack identification and positional information, one LED  40  at a time in sequential order, starting with a first LED  40 . When the last LED  40  has transmitted, the process begins again with the microcontroller  20  directing the first LED  40  to transmit. While the first process focuses on the microcontroller  20  and the LEDs  40 , the second process is centered on the component  50  in the rack  12 . In the second process, the component  50  senses the signal from at least one LED  40  and updates, if necessary, the positional information conveyed in the signal. This process repeats, whereby the component  50  is always aware of its positional information. The component  50  has the ability to provide this information to the system management agent, and in turn to the system management software application  16 , thereby informing the system administrator  18  to its physical location. Both processes will be discussed in detail below. 
     FIG. 4 illustrates the first process  100  of automatically transmitting positional information from the rack  12  in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. Starting with the first, and in this embodiment, topmost LED  40   a  in the strip  30  (FIG.  3 ), the microcontroller  20  drives the first LED  40   a  to transmit a signal containing positional information in step  102  For example, the microcontroller directs the LED  40  to turn off and on, i.e. blink, in a pattern which would convey data (and possibly timing information). This pattern can be in bits representing the ASCII value of each character in the message serially. Naturally, those skilled in the art appreciate that other ways of encoding a message on an optical signal exist, and the scope of the present invention is in no way limited to the described form. 
     Referring again to FIG. 4, after the first LED  40   a  transmits its signal in step  102 , it is determined whether that LED  40   a  is the last LED  40   n  in the strip  30 , via step  104 . If the LED  40   a  is not the last LED  40   n , then the microcontroller  20  directs the next LED  40   b  in the strip to transmit positional information in step  106 . The process returns to step  104  to determine whether the last LED  40  to transmit is the last LED  40  in the strip  30 . If not, the process repeats until the last LED  40   n  has transmitted its signal and step  104  is answered affirmatively. Thereafter, the process loops back to step  102 , wherein the microcontroller  20  drives the first LED  40   a  to transmit its signal, and the process continues indefinitely. 
     FIG. 5 illustrates the second process  200  of automatically receiving positional information in the component  50  from the rack  12  in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. As is seen, process  200  begins by initializing the positional information in the component  50  to “UNKNOWN” in step  202 . This step occurs when a component  50  is introduced to the system. In other words, the component  50  is new and has not received positional information. Once the component  50  is mounted in the rack  12  of the present invention, it is determined if the component  50  senses a signal from at least one LED  40 , via step  204 . 
     Once the component  50  senses the signal, e.g., it “sees” the LED  40  transmit the signal, the component  50  determines whether its positional information is “UNKNOWN” in step  206 . If so, the component  50  will update its positional information to reflect the information conveyed in the signal via the LED  40  in step  210 . On the other hand, if the component&#39;s  50  positional information is not determined to be “UNKNOWN” in step  206 , the component  50  determines whether its positional information is the same as the information conveyed in the signal by the LED  40 , via step  208 . If the information is not the same, the component  50  will update its positional information to reflect the new information in step  210 . 
     After the component  50  updates or confirms its positional information in steps  210  and  208 , respectively, it is determined whether a condition exists in the component  50  to require communication of the positional information, via step  212 . For example, as discussed above, the component  50  is capable of generating messages to alert the system administrator  18  of potential problems. In the alternative, the software management software application  16  can initiate a “call” to the components  50  via the system management agent to report respective positional information. If such a condition exists, the component  50  generates a message including the positional information and transmits the message, via step  214 . Thereafter, the process loops back to step  204 . 
     As is shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the two processes  100  and  200  are continuous and operate simultaneously. Because the microprocesser  20  directs the LEDs  40  to transmit their positional information continuously in process  100 , a component  50  can be added to, or moved within, the rack  12  at any time, and be informed of its positional information within seconds. Also, because process  200  is continuous, the component  50  is regularly updating its positional information to reflect its current physical location within a rack  12 . Accordingly, the system administrator  18  has access to reliable, accurate, and up-to-the-minute information regarding the physical location of the equipment  50 . 
     Referring now to FIG. 6, an example of the signals emitted from the LEDs  40  is provided. The positional information transmitted by each LED  40  preferably identifies the rack  12  and the vertical position of the LED  40  in the strip  30 . The rack  12  is identified by the microcontroller  20 , which in one embodiment is assigned a unique identification number preferably at the time the device is manufactured. The vertical position of the LED  40  can be a number giving its relative position from the top or bottom of the strip  30 . Thus, for example, in FIG. 6, the signal transmitted by each LED  40  contains the identification number assigned to the microcontroller  20  (“R872X987”) followed by a number representing the relative vertical position of each LED  40  in the strip  30 . The microcontroller  20  (not shown in FIG. 4) drives LED  40   a  to transmit R872X987-01, LED  40   b  to transmit R872X987-02, and so on until all LEDs  40  have transmitted their respective signals. Thus, each signal is unique to the LED  40 , and each signal identifies the rack  12  and the vertical position in the rack  12 . Any component  50  receiving this signal can communicate its location by rack  12  and vertical position therein. 
     In some cases, a component  50  in the rack  12  may “see” or receive the positional information transmitted from more than one LED  40 . Here, the intelligent component  56  has the ability to collect the signals, and interpolate between the received signals to deduce an intermediate position. Thus, for example, let LEDs  40  be located at vertical positions  1 ,  3  and  5 , but not positions  2  and  4 , and let the component  50  be mounted at position  2 . Assuming the component  50  senses the signals from LEDs  40  located at positions  1  and  3 , the intelligent component  56  in the equipment  50  will determine that its vertical position is  2  by interpolating between the two signals. Accordingly, in this embodiment, fewer LEDs  40  are required without impairing performance. 
     According to the present invention, the rack  12  conveys positional information to the components  50  contained therein. In one embodiment, each component  50  is aware of the rack  12  in which it is contained and what position within the rack  12  it occupies. If the equipment  50  is in need of repair or intervention, the equipment  50  itself can initiate a trouble alert and provide its positional information automatically to the system administrator  18 . Moreover, if the equipment  50  is moved to another location, the positional information in the equipment  50  is automatically updated to correspond to the new rack  12  and/or new position within the rack  12 . Furthermore, the positional information from all equipment  50  in all racks  12  may be collected by the system management software application  16  to determine which equipment  50  is in the same rack  12  and where in the rack  12  each piece of equipment  50  is located. With this information, the system management software  16  can also create a graphical representation of equipment  50  in the rack  12  for the system administrator  18 , who can then automatically locate the equipment  50  for upgrade or maintenance. 
     According to the present invention, the equipment  50  can be located automatically, i.e., without human intervention. Therefore, the system administrator  18  is not required to scan bar code numbers or enter data into a software application, thereby saving time and eliminating a source of mistakes. The present invention also does not require physical connections between the equipment  50  and the rack  12 , thereby improving its reliability over other devices which utilize such cables and connectors. Finally, the main elements of the present invention, e.g., LEDs  40 , microcontrollers  20 , and phototransistors  54 , are readily available commercially and very inexpensive. Thus, the present invention is low in cost and reliable. 
     Although the present invention has been described in accordance with the embodiments shown, one of ordinary skill in the art will readily recognize that there could be variations to the embodiments and those variations would be within the spirit and scope of the present invention. Accordingly, many modifications may be made by one of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.