Patent ID: 8463974

Claim:
A plug-in unit comprising: a plug-in connector configured to plug into a socket of an electronics shelf, the electronics shelf configured to receive a plurality of plug-in units, the socket configured to couple the plug-in unit to power and communications busses of the electronics shelf, the power and communications busses coupling the plurality of plug-in units received into the electronics shelf; a processor; and an information verification module communicatively coupled to the processor, the information verification module comprising: a non-volatile memory for storing information, the information including at least one of a software release version number and a firmware release version number associated with the plug-in unit; a controller communicatively coupled to the non-volatile memory and configured to, when the connector of the plug-in unit is not plugged into the socket of the electronics shelf: read the information from the non-volatile memory; and communicate control signals based at least in part on the read information; and a display communicatively coupled to the controller and configured to, when the connector of the plug-in unit is not plugged into the socket of the electronics shelf, display graphic images or alphanumeric characters associated with the software release version number or firmware release version number based at least in part on the control signals.