System and method of rack management
AssigneeRackspace US, Inc.
InventorsJason Mick, Dale Lee Bracey
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Abstract
A rack management method and system is disclosed. The method includes detecting the presence of a computing device releasably mounted in a frame, the detecting based on an electrical connection established between a configuration bar disposed in a rear portion of the frame and the computing device, and determining a physical location of the computing device within the frame based on the electrical connection. The method also includes retrieving management information about the computing device from a profile storage disposed within the computing device via the electrical connection and storing the management information in a management table, the management table associating the computing device with the physical location within the frame.
Claims31
A high availability rack management method, comprising,
- receiving, at a first rack management controller configured to manage a first rack system, management information from a second rack management controller configured to manage a second rack system different than the first rack system, the management information being associated with computing devices disposed in the second rack system;
- receiving, at the first rack management controller, periodic heartbeat messages from the second rack management controller;
- if the first rack management controller ceases receiving the periodic heartbeat messages from the second rack management controller, transmitting, with the first rack management controller, a status inquiry message to the first rack management controller;
- and
- if the second rack management controller fails to respond to the status inquiry message, managing, with the first rack management controller, the computing devices disposed in the second rack system using the management information.
A high availability rack management system, comprising,
- a first rack system having a first plurality of computing devices therein;
- a first rack management controller communicatively coupled to each of the first plurality of computing devices and configured to manage each of the first plurality of computing devices using management information about the first plurality of computing devices;
- a second rack system having a second plurality of computing devices therein;
- a second rack management controller communicatively coupled to each of the second plurality of computing devices and configured to manage each of the second plurality of computing devices, the second rack management controller being further configured to store a copy of the management information about the first plurality of computing devices;
- and
- a first communication link communicatively coupling the first management controller to the second rack management controller and configured to carry periodic heartbeat messages transmitted from the first management controller to the second rack management controller;
- wherein the second rack management controller is configured to detect a failure of the first rack management controller to transmit the periodic heartbeat messages and, in response, transmit a status inquiry message to the first rack management controller, and wherein the second rack management controller is further configured to manage the first plurality of computing devices in the first rack system using the copy of the management information if the first rack management controller fails to respond to the status inquiry message.
A high availability rack management system, comprising:
- a first plurality of computing devices;
- a first rack management controller communicatively coupled to each of the first plurality of computing devices configured to manage each of the first plurality of computing devices using first management information about the first plurality of computing devices, the rack management controller having a non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium that stores a plurality of instructions for execution by at least one processor, wherein the instructions comprise:
- instructions to receive second management information from a second rack management controller configured to manage a second plurality of computing devices, the second management information being associated with the second plurality of computing devices;
- instructions to receive periodic heartbeat messages from the second rack management controller;
- instructions to transmit a status inquiry message to the second rack management controller if the first rack management controller ceases receiving the periodic heartbeat messages;
- and
- instructions to manage the second plurality of computing devices using the management information if the second rack management controller fails to respond to the status inquiry message.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.