Patent ID: 7370227

Claim:
Method for remotely isolating faults in computer network devices coupled to a computer network, the computer network devices including a plurality of first computer units coupled to the computer network, the plurality of first computer units located on a user side of the computer network and a plurality of second computer units coupled to the computer network, the plurality of second computer units located on a service provider side of the network, a one of the plurality of second computer units being designated to provide computing services to one of the plurality of first computer units, the method comprising: determining that a one of the plurality of first computer units is experiencing a fault communicating with its designated second computer unit; and using another of the plurality of first computer units as a proxy computer unit to remotely isolate the fault, wherein the plurality of first computer units are deskside units in a desktop blade system and the plurality of second computer units are desktop blades included as part of a bladecenter, and wherein using another of the plurality of first computer units as a proxy computer unit to remotely isolate the fault comprises: instructing the bladecenter to diagnostically test the desktop blade assigned to the deskside unit experiencing the fault, rebooting the desktop blade assigned to the deskside unit experiencing the fault if the desktop blade assigned to the deskside unit experiencing the fault passes the diagnostic tests; and assigning another desktop blade to the deskside unit experiencing the fault if the desktop blade assigned to the deskside unit experiencing the fault fails the diagnostic tests.