Patent ID: 8874817

Claim:
A system for use with hot-pluggable, field replaceable units (FRUs), comprising: a plurality of receiving structures for interfacing with a corresponding number of FRUs, wherein each receiving structure is in a fixed, physical location within the system relative to other ones of the plurality of receiving structures, wherein a first of the receiving structures is adapted to interface with a first FRU of a first type, wherein a second of the receiving structures is adapted to interface with a second FRU of a second type, and wherein the first type is different than the second type; a central management server for performing out of band (OOB) management of FRUs interfaced within the system; and a fixed interconnect topology interconnecting the central management server to the plurality of receiving structures, wherein the fixed interconnect topology comprises at least one path interconnecting each receiving structure to the central management server, wherein the central management server obtains data corresponding to a first fixed, physical location of the first receiving structure by way of a first path interconnecting the central management server to the first receiving structure, wherein the central management server utilizes the first fixed, physical location data to perform OOB management of a FRU interfaced with the first receiving structure via the fixed interconnect topology, and wherein the central management server performs the OOB management of the FRU interfaced with the first receiving structure by evaluating one or more properties of the FRU in relation to one or more reference properties of any FRU to be installed at the first fixed, physical location within the system.