Architecture for connection and aggregation of components within a rack
AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation
InventorsNeil Clair Berglund, Patrick Allen Buckland, Thomas James Osten
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The present invention generally is directed to an apparatus for holding one or more devices, comprising a rack. The rack includes one or more devices in which at least one device has a microcontroller. The rack further includes a device memory associated with each device containing a unique identifier. The microcontroller is connected to the device memory through a bus. The microcontroller is configured to retrieve the unique identifier.
Claims29
An apparatus for holding one or more devices, comprising:
- a rack comprising:
- one or more device, at least one device having a microcontroller;
- a device memory associated with the at least one device, the device memory containing a unique identifier;
- and
- a bus connecting the microcontroller and the device memory, the microcontroller being configured to retrieve the unique identifier.
An apparatus for holding one or more devices, comprising:
- a rack comprising:
- one or more device, at least one device having a microcontroller;
- a rack memory associated with the at least one device, the rack memory containing information about the rack;
- and
- a bus connecting the microcontroller and the rack memory, the microcontroller being configured to retrieve the unique identifier.
A microcontroller, comprising:
- a memory containing a device-inventory program;
- and
- a processor which, when executing the device-inventory program, performs an operation comprising:
- receiving a request command;
- issuing a retrieve command to one or more memories connected to the microcontroller in response to receiving the request command, the retrieve command being configured to retrieve inventory information from the one or more memories;
- receiving the inventory information from the one or more memories, the inventory information containing one of information about a device and information about a rack;
- and
- sending the inventory information to the user interface.
A method of programmatically taking an inventory of one or more devices, each device being mounted on a rack, comprising:
- receiving a request command from a user interface communicably linked to a microcontroller;
- issuing a retrieve command to one or more memories connected to the microcontroller in response to receiving the request command, the retrieve command being configured to retrieve inventory information from the one or more memories;
- receiving the inventory information from the one or more memories;
- and
- sending the inventory information to the user interface.
A computer-readable medium containing a program which, when executed by a processor, performs an operation of taking an inventory of one or more devices, each device being mounted on a rack, the operation comprising:
- receiving a request command from a user interface communicably linked to a microcontroller;
- issuing a retrieve command to one or more memories connected to the microcontroller in response to receiving the request command, the retrieve command being configured to retrieve inventory information from the one or more memories;
- receiving the inventory information from the one or more memories;
- and
- sending the inventory information to the user interface.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.