Automatic identification of returned merchandise in a data center

One or more computer-readable storage mediums, which are not a transitory, propagating signals, storing computer-executable instructions for controlling a computer to determine a device identifier assigned to a device within an installation after a change to a device, the installation having collections of devices, each collection having a collection identifier and multiple housings for housing devices, each housing having a housing identifier, the computer-executable instructions comprising instructions that:

• send by the computer to a target collection a request for a device identifier of the target device installed in the target housing, the target collection having a target device, currently installed in a target housing of the target collection identified by a target housing identifier, that was installed as a result of a change relating to a device previously installed in the target housing;
• in response to the request, receive from the target collection a possible device identifier of the target device;
• receive by the computer a broadcast of a broadcast device identifier, the broadcast being sent as a result of taking an action that results in the target device broadcasting its device identifier;
• and
• when the broadcast device identifier and the possible device identifier are the same, designate by the computer the broadcast device identifier as the device identifier of the target device.

A computing system for determining a device identifier assigned to a server blade within a server farm, the server farm having server racks, each server rack having a server rack identifier and multiple blade slots, each blade slot for housing a server blade, the computing system comprising:

• one or more computer-readable mediums storing computer-executable instructions comprising instructions that:
• receive a received device identifier of a target server blade that has been installed in a target blade slot of a target server rack identified by a target server rack identifier;
• receive a broadcast device identifier broadcast by the target server blade as a result of taking an action that causes the target server blade to broadcast its device identifier;
• and
• when the broadcast device identifier and the possible device identifier are the same, designate the broadcast device identifier as the device identifier of the target server blade;
• and
• one or more processors for executing the computer-executable instructions stored in the one or more computer-readable storage mediums.