Patent Publication Number: US-2011050422-A1

Title: System and Method for Identifying Location of an Information Handling System

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present disclosure relates in general data center management, and more particularly to a system and method for identifying the location of an information handling system. 
     BACKGROUND 
     As the value and use of information continues to increase, individuals and businesses seek additional ways to process and store information. One option available to users is information handling systems. An information handling system generally processes, compiles, stores, and/or communicates information or data for business, personal, or other purposes thereby allowing users to take advantage of the value of the information. Because technology and information handling needs and requirements vary between different users or applications, information handling systems may also vary regarding what information is handled, how the information is handled, how much information is processed, stored, or communicated, and how quickly and efficiently the information may be processed, stored, or communicated. The variations in information handling systems allow for information handling systems to be general or configured for a specific user or specific use such as financial transaction processing, airline reservations, enterprise data storage, or global communications. In addition, information handling systems may include a variety of hardware and software components that may be configured to process, store, and communicate information and may include one or more computer systems, data storage systems, and networking systems. 
     One type of information handling system is a server. Servers are often self-contained information handling systems designed specifically to allow the placement of multiple servers in a single enclosure or aggregation of enclosures. A server enclosure or chassis may hold multiple servers and provide services to the various servers such as power, cooling, networking, interconnects, and management. For example, the chassis may include a plurality of power supply units configured to provide power to servers mounted in the chassis. 
     Often, multiple enclosures or chasses housing servers may be aggregated in the same room or building, which is sometimes referred to as a “data center.” Efficient management of such data centers often require an accurate understanding of the specific location of each server in the data center. 
     Traditionally, identifying a particular enclosure in which a server is located was a manual process, whereby an administrator would manually log the physical location of each server. Not only is such an approach time consuming, it also prone to human error. 
     More recent approaches have suggested combining radio-frequency identification (RFID)-tagged servers in combination with RFID readers on each enclosure. However, the high-cost of RFID readers often renders such a solution cost prohibitive. 
     Accordingly, an automated and cost-effective approach to identify locations of information handling systems in a data center environment is desired. 
     SUMMARY 
     In accordance with the teachings of the present disclosure, disadvantages and problems associated with identifying the location of an information handling system have been substantially reduced or eliminated. 
     In accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure, a system for identifying a location of an information handling system may include at least one enclosure having one or more slots, at least one slot passive tag, and at least one information handling system mechanically coupled to one of the one or more slots. Each slot may be configured to mechanically couple a corresponding information handling system to the enclosure. The at least one slot passive tag may be configured to indicate its presence to an external device placed substantially proximate to the slot passive tag, wherein each slot passive tag is located substantially proximate to a corresponding slot of the one or more slots. Each information handling system may having an information handling system passive tag configured to indicate its presence to the external device placed substantially proximate to the information handling system passive tag, wherein the information handling system passive tag is located substantially proximate to the slot passive tag corresponding to the slot for which the information handling system is mechanically coupled. 
     In accordance with another embodiment of the present disclosure, a method for identifying a location of an information handling system is provided. The method may include placing each of one or more slot passive tags proximate to a corresponding slot of one or more enclosures, wherein each corresponding slot is configured to mechanically couple a corresponding information handling system to the enclosure and wherein each of the one or more slot passive tags is configured to indicate its presence to an external device placed substantially proximate to the slot passive tag. The method may also include placing each of one or more information handling system passive tags on a corresponding information handling system, such that when the corresponding information handling system is mechanically coupled to one of the slots, the information handling system passive tag is substantially proximate to the slot passive tag of the particular slot to which the information handling system is mechanically coupled, wherein each of the one or more information handling system passive tags is configured to indicate its presence to an external device placed substantially proximate to the information handling system passive tag. 
     In accordance with a further embodiment of the present disclosure, another method for identifying a location of an information handling system is provided. The method may include placing each of one or more enclosure passive tags proximate to a corresponding enclosure of one or more enclosures, each of the one or more enclosures having one or more slots, wherein each slot is configured to mechanically couple a corresponding information handling system to the enclosure and wherein each of the one or more enclosure passive tags is configured to indicate its presence to an external device placed substantially proximate to the enclosure passive tag. The method may further include placing each of one or more information handling system passive tags on a corresponding information handling system, such that when the corresponding information handling system is mechanically coupled to one of the slots, the information handling system passive tag is substantially proximate to the slot passive tag of the particular slot to which the information handling system is mechanically coupled, wherein each of the one or more information handling system passive tags is configured to indicate its presence to an external device placed substantially proximate to the information handling system passive tag. 
     Other technical advantages will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art in view of the following specification, claims, and drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       A more complete understanding of the present embodiments and advantages thereof may be acquired by referring to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numbers indicate like features, and wherein: 
         FIG. 1  illustrates a block diagram of an example system for identifying the location of one or more information handling systems, in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 2  illustrates a representation of an example asset database, in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 3  illustrates a representation of an example tag database, in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure; and 
         FIG. 4  illustrates a representation of an example table depicting physical locations of information handling systems, in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Preferred embodiments and their advantages are best understood by reference to  FIGS. 1-4 , wherein like numbers are used to indicate like and corresponding parts. 
     For the purposes of this disclosure, an information handling system may include any instrumentality or aggregate of instrumentalities operable to compute, classify, process, transmit, receive, retrieve, originate, switch, store, display, manifest, detect, record, reproduce, handle, or utilize any form of information, intelligence, or data for business, scientific, control, entertainment, or other purposes. For example, an information handling system may be a personal computer, a PDA, a consumer electronic device, a network storage device, or any other suitable device and may vary in size, shape, performance, functionality, and price. The information handling system may include memory, one or more processing resources such as a central processing unit (CPU) or hardware or software control logic. Additional components or the information handling system may include one or more storage devices, one or more communications ports for communicating with external devices as well as various input and output (I/O) devices, such as a keyboard, a mouse, and a video display. The information handling system may also include one or more buses operable to transmit communication between the various hardware components. 
     For the purposes of this disclosure, computer-readable media may include any instrumentality or aggregation of instrumentalities that may retain data and/or instructions for a period of time. Computer-readable media may include, without limitation, storage media such as a direct access storage device (e.g., a hard disk drive or floppy disk), a sequential access storage device (e.g., a tape disk drive), compact disk, CD-ROM, DVD, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), and/or flash memory, as well as communications media such wires, optical fibers, microwaves, radio waves, and other electromagnetic and/or optical carriers; and/or any combination of the foregoing. 
       FIG. 1  illustrates a block diagram of an example system  100  for identifying the location of one or more information handling systems  102 , in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in  FIG. 1 , system  100  may include one or more enclosures  101 , one or more information handling systems  102 , one or more passive tags  104 , one or more passive tags  106 , a mobile tag reader  108 , a tag database  110 , and an asset database  112 . 
     Each enclosure  101  may include any device, system or apparatus that serves as a container for information handling systems  102  and/or other related components, and may be constructed from steel, aluminum, plastic, and/or any other suitable material. Although the term “enclosure” is used in this disclosure, each enclosure  101  may also be referred to as a rack, case, cabinet, tower, box, chassis, and/or housing. In certain embodiments, each enclosure  101  may be configured to hold and/or provide power to a plurality of information handling systems  102  and/or other related components (e.g., a “rack mount” system). Each enclosure  101  may include one or more slots or positions at which an information handling system  102  may be mechanically coupled to enclosure  101 . Although  FIG. 1  depicts each enclosure  101  as having eight slots (and thus, the capacity to house eight information handling systems  102 ), each enclosure  101  may have any suitable number of slots. 
     Each information handling system  102  may be mounted in a suitable slot and/or interface of an enclosure  101 . In some embodiments, one or more of information handling systems  102  may be a server. As shown in  FIG. 1 , each information handling system  102  may have a particular location within system  100  which may be defined by the enclosure  101  housing the particular information handling system  102 , and the particular slot (e.g., height) of the information handling system  102  within the enclosure  101 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 1 , each enclosure  101  may include one or more passive tags  104 . In some embodiments, each passive tag  104  may be placed proximate to a corresponding position, slot, and/or interface at which an information handling system  102  may be mounted within the enclosure  101 . For example, if an enclosure is configured to house 24 information handling systems  102 , the enclosure may include 24 passive tags  104  corresponding to the individual slots (e.g., heights) at which individual information handling systems  102  may be mounted. In other embodiments, each enclosure  101  may include a passive tag  104 . Each passive tag  104  may be any system, device or apparatus that may transmit, communicate, or otherwise indicate its presence to an external sensor and/or reader proximate to the passive tag  104 , but is generally not able to transmit, communicate, or otherwise indicate its presence autonomously if not proximate to an external sensor and/or reader. For example, in some embodiments, one or more of passive tags  104  may include a passive radio-frequency identification (RFID) tag, wherein the RFID tag transmits a radio-frequency signal to indicate its presence in response to a received radio-frequency signal (e.g., from an RFID reader), but may not autonomously transmit a presence signal in the absence of a received signal. In the same or alternative embodiments, one or more of passive tags  104  may be a magnet, wherein the presence of the magnet may be detected by an appropriate sensor (e.g., a Hall effect sensor). So that each passive tag  104  may appropriately identify the enclosure  101  in which it resides and/or its slot within such enclosure  101 , each passive tag  104  may have its own unique identifier. 
     Similarly, each information handling system  102  may include one or more passive tags  106  applied to or otherwise incorporated within such information handling systems  102 . Each passive tag  106  may be any system, device or apparatus that may transmit, communicate, or otherwise indicate its presence to an external sensor and/or reader proximate to the passive tag  106 , but is generally not able to transmit, communicate, or otherwise indicate its presence autonomously if not proximate to an external sensor and/or reader. For example, in some embodiments, one or more of passive tags  106  may include a passive radio-frequency identification (RFID) tag, wherein the RFID tag transmits a radio-frequency signal to indicate its presence in response to a received radio-frequency signal (e.g., from an RFID reader), but may not autonomously transmit a presence signal in the absence of a received signal. In the same or alternative embodiments, one or more of passive tags  106  may be a magnet, wherein the presence of the magnet may be detected by an appropriate sensor (e.g., a Hall effect sensor). So that each passive tag  106  may appropriately identify the information handling system  102  in which it is associated, each passive tag  106  may have its own unique identifier. In some embodiments, passive tags may be identical or similar to passive tags  104 . 
     Mobile tag reader  108  may include any system, device, or apparatus configured to detect the presence of a passive tag  104  and/or passive tag  106  in proximity with the mobile tag reader  108 . For example, in some embodiments mobile tag reader  108  may comprise an RFID reader that transmits a radio-frequency signal that, when received by a passive tag  104  and/or a passive tag  106  in proximity to the mobile tag reader  108 , causes the receiving passive tag  104  and/or passive tag  106  to respond with a radio-frequency signal, thus indicating the presence of the passive tag  104  and/or passive tag  106  to the mobile tag reader  108 . As another example, in some embodiments mobile tag reader  108  may comprise a Hall effect sensor that when in proximity to a passive tag  104  and/or a passive tag  106 , senses a magnetic field of passive tag  104  and/or passive tag  106 , thus indicating the presence of the passive tag  104  and/or passive tag  106  to the mobile tag reader  108 . 
     Mobile tag reader  108  may be moved about system  100  either manually or automatically. For example, in some embodiments, mobile tag reader  108  may be a “handheld” device such that an administrator or other person may move or swipe the mobile tag reader  108  proximate to passive tags  104  and/or passive tags  106 . As another example, mobile tag reader  108  may be mounted to a robot, automated vehicle, and/or other device that may cause mobile reader to be moved or swiped proximate to passive tags  104  and/or passive tags  106 . 
     In operation, passive tags  104  and passive tags  106  may be located such that when an information handling system  102  is mounted or placed in a particular slot in an enclosure  101 , the passive tag  106  associated with the information handling system  102  may be substantially proximate to the passive tag  104  associated with the enclosure  101  and the particular slot at which the information handling system  102  is mounted within the enclosure  101 . Accordingly, if mobile tag reader  108  is placed in proximity to a passive tag  106 , it may detect the presence of the passive tag  106  and substantially simultaneously detect the presence of the passive tag  104  proximate to passive tag  106 . Thus, whenever mobile tag reader  108  detects the presence of a passive tag  104  within a certain time threshold of detecting the presence of a passive tag  106 , such substantially simultaneous detection may indicate that the passive tag  104  and passive tag  106  are in proximity, and consequently also provide an indication that the information handling system  102  associated with the passive tag  106  is located in the enclosure and/or at the enclosure slot associated with passive tag  104 . 
     In embodiments in which an enclosure  101  includes only one passive tag  104 , a slot position of an information handling system  102  may be detected where mobile reader  108  detects a passive tag  106  within a certain time interval of detection of the passive tag  104 . In such embodiments, the time difference between detection of a passive tag  104  and a passive tag  106  may be indicative of the slot position of the information handling system  102  associated with the passive tag  106 . 
     In order to determine the location of the various information handling systems  102  of system  100 , mobile tag reader  108  may be swiped, manually and/or automatically, proximate to each passive tag  104 . By analyzing response patterns from passive tags  104  and passive tags  106 , individual passive tags  104  may be associated with individual passive tags  106 , and stored in a database, such as asset database  112 , for example. 
       FIG. 2  illustrates a representation of an example of asset database  112 , in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure. Asset database  112  may include any table, list, record and/or other suitable data structure which includes regarding each passive tag  104  and any passive tag  106  associated with such passive tag  104 . In some embodiments, asset database  112  may be embodied in a computer-readable medium. In the same or alternative embodiments, asset database  112  may be communicatively coupled to mobile tag reader  108  and/or one or more information handling systems  102 . 
     As depicted in  FIG. 2 , asset database  112  may associate each passive tag  104  with a respective passive tag  106  substantially proximate to the passive tag  104 . For example, as seen in  FIG. 2 , passive tag  104   j  is associated with passive tag  106   j,  thus indicating that passive tag  104   j  and passive tag  106   j  are located substantially proximate to each other. As another example, as seen in  FIG. 2 , passive tag  104   a  is not associated with a passive tag  106 , thus indicating that no passive tag  106  is substantially proximate to passive tag  104   a.    
     Based on information collected by mobile tag reader  108  (e.g., information stored in asset database  112 ), the physical location of individual information handling systems  102  may be determined by analyzing such collected information in conjunction with the associations among passive tags  104  and their slots within enclosures  101  and the associations among passive tags  106  and their associated information handling systems  102 . Such enclosure-tag associations and information handling system-tag associations may be maintained in a tag database  110 . Tag database  110  may include any table, list, record and/or other suitable data structure which includes: (a) data regarding each passive tag  104  and the individual enclosure  101  housing the passive tag  104  and/or the slot (e.g., height) of such passive tag  104  within an enclosure  101 ; and/or (b) data regarding each passive tag  106  and the individual information handling system  102  associated with such passive tag  106 . In some embodiments, tag database  110  may be embodied in a computer-readable medium. In the same or alternative embodiments, tag database  110  may be communicatively coupled to mobile tag reader  108  and/or one or more information handling systems  102 . 
       FIG. 3  illustrates a representation of an example of tag database  110 , in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure. As depicted in  FIG. 3 , tag database  110  may associate each tag  104  with a respective enclosure  101  and slot within such enclosure  101 . For example, as shown in  FIG. 3 , passive tag  104   h  is associated with slot  0  of cabinet  101   a,  thus indicating the location of passive tag  104   h  in system  100 . As another example, as shown in  FIG. 3 , passive tag  106   j  is associated with information handling system  102   j,  thus indicating that passive tag  106   j  is applied to and/or incorporated within information handling system  102   j.    
     Mobile tag reader  108  and/or one or more of information handling systems  102  may be configured to read information stored in tag database  110  and asset database  112  and determine the physical location of each information handling system  102 . For example, by analyzing information indicating that: (a) passive tag  104   j  is substantially proximate to passive tag  106   j,  (b) passive tag  104   j  is associated with slot  6  of enclosure  101   b,  and (c) passive tag  106   j  is associated with information handling system  102   j,  mobile tag reader  108  and/or one or more of information handling systems  102  may determine that information handling system  102   j  is located at slot  6  of enclosure  101   b.  In addition to determining individual physical locations of information handling systems  102 , mobile tag reader  108  and/or one or more of information handling systems  102  may be configured to create a file, table, database, or other suitable structure setting forth the identity of the various information handling systems  102  located at each slot within enclosures  101 , such as the table set forth in  FIG. 4 , for example. Such physical location information may be used to manage system  100  (e.g., verification and updating of data center applications, asset management services, providing input to computational fluids dynamics application or other system environmental analysis application). 
     Using the methods and systems disclosed herein, problems associated conventional approaches identifying the location of an information handling system have been reduced or eliminated. For example, the methods and systems disclosed may allow for the use of low-cost passive tags in conjunction with one or a small number of passive tag readers in order to identify the locations of various information handling systems in a data center or enterprise, and accordingly providing a lower-cost solution as compared to traditional approaches. 
     Although the present disclosure has been described in detail, it should be understood that various changes, substitutions, and alterations can be made hereto without departing from the spirit and the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.