System and method for displaying chassis component information

1. A system for displaying chassis component information, comprising:

a chassis;

a plurality of server blades each coupled to the chassis; and

each server blade comprising:

a respective liquid crystal display (LCD) positioned upon the server blade, the respective LCD operable to display chassis component information;

a main processor; and

a management processor that drives the respective LCD, the management processor being operationally distinct from the main processor such that the main processor is inactive during operation of the respective LCD.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the chassis component information comprises server blade information of the server blade upon which the respective LCD is positioned.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the server blade information comprises an IP address of the server blade.

4. The system of claim 2 , wherein the server blade information comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of slot assignment, chassis assignment, rack assignment and IP address information.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the respective LCD is operable to display chassis component information in color to indicate a message.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the chassis component information comprises chassis component activity information.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the chassis component information comprises at least one of temperature information and voltage information.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein each server blade further comprises at least one respective control key associated with the respective LCD, the at least one respective control key operable to provide operational control of at least one chassis component.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the at least one chassis component comprises the server blade of the at least one respective control key.

10. The system of claim 8 , wherein the operational control comprises setup control of the server blade of the at least one respective control key.

11. The system of claim 8 , wherein the operational control comprises power control of the server blade of the at least one respective control key.

12. The system of claim 1 , wherein each server blade further comprises: a respective video output operable to output the chassis component information to an external display, the management processor operable to drive the respective video output.

13. The system of claim 1 , wherein the respective LCD comprises a viewing area of approximately 14 mm×11 mm.

14. A system for displaying chassis component information, comprising:

a chassis;

a plurality of server blades stacked in and coupled to the chassis;

a housing enclosing the chassis and the plurality of server blades;

each of the plurality of server blades comprising a liquid crystal display (LCD) operable to display chassis component information; a main processor; and a management processor that drives the respective LCD, the management processor being operationally distinct from the main processor such that the main processor is inactive during operation of the respective LCD, wherein each of the plurality of server blades comprises a chassis management blade operable to manage switch fabric of the chassis and the chassis component information includes an IP address of the chassis management blade.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the chassis component information comprises chassis component activity information.

16. The system of claim 14 , wherein the chassis component information comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of slot assignment, chassis assignment, rack assignment and IP address information.

17. The system of claim 14 , wherein the chassis management blade further comprises at least one control key associated with the LCD, the at least one control key operable to provide operational control of at least one chassis component.

18. The system of claim 17 , wherein the operational control comprises setup control of at least one chassis component.

19. The system of claim 17 , wherein the operational control comprises power control of at least one chassis component.

20. The system of claim 17 , wherein the at least one chassis component comprises at least one chassis cooling fan.

21. The system of claim 14 , wherein each of the plurality of server blades comprises a network interface card.

22. A system for displaying chassis component information, comprising:

a chassis;

a plurality of server blades each coupled to the chassis;

a housing enclosing the plurality of server blades and the chassis;

each server blade comprising a respective display device positioned upon the server blade; the respective display device operable to display network configuration information with respect to the server blade; a main processor; and a management processor that drives the respective display device, the management processor being operationally distinct from the main processor such that the main processor is inactive during operation of the respective display device, wherein the network configuration information comprises an IP address of the server blade.

23. The system of claim 22 , wherein the respective display device comprises at least one light emitting diode (LED).

24. The system of claim 22 , wherein the respective display device comprises a liquid crystal display (LCD).

25. A method for displaying chassis component information, comprising:

providing a chassis;

coupling a plurality of server blades to the chassis;

displaying chassis component information that includes an IP address of the server blade on respective liquid crystal displays (LCDs) positioned upon each server blade; a main processor; and a management processor that drives the respective LCD, the management processor being operationally distinct from the main processor such that the main processor is inactive during operation of the respective LCD.

26. The method of claim 25 , wherein displaying chassis component information comprises displaying server blade information of the server blades upon which the respective LCDs are positioned.

27. The method of claim 26 , wherein displaying server blade information comprises displaying at least one selected from the group consisting of slot assignment, chassis assignment, and rack assignment.

28. The method of claim 25 , wherein displaying chassis component information comprises displaying chassis component information in color to indicate a message.

29. The method of claim 25 , wherein displaying chassis component information comprises displaying chassis component activity information.

30. The method of claim 25 , wherein displaying chassis component information comprises displaying at least one of temperature information and voltage information.

31. The method of claim 25 , further comprising providing operational control of at least one chassis component with at least one respective control key of each server blade, the at least one respective control key associated with the respective LCD of the server blade.

32. The method of claim 31 , wherein providing operational control of at least one chassis component comprises providing operational control of the server blade of the at least one respective control key.

33. The method of claim 31 , wherein providing operational control of at least one chassis component comprises providing setup control of the server blade of the at least one respective control key.

34. The method of claim 31 , wherein providing operational control of at least one chassis component comprises providing power control of the server blade of the at least one respective control key.

35. The method of claim 25 , further comprising:

outputting to an external display the chassis component information with a respective video output of each server blade; and

driving the respective video output with a respective management processor of each server blade, the respective management processor operationally distinct from a respective main processor of the server blade such that the respective main processor may be inactive during output of the chassis component information to the external display.

36. The method of claim 25 , wherein the respective LCD comprises a viewing area of approximately 14 mm×11 mm.

37. A method for displaying chassis component information, comprising:

providing a chassis;

coupling a plurality of stacked server blades to the chassis;

displaying chassis component information on a liquid crystal display (LCD) positioned upon each of the plurality of server blades; and

driving the LCD with a management processor of the chassis management blade, the management processor being operationally distinct from a main processor of the chassis management blade such that the main processor may be inactive during operation of the LCD.

38. The method of claim 37 , wherein displaying chassis component information on an LCD positioned upon each of the plurality of server blades comprises displaying chassis component information on an LCD positioned upon a chassis management blade operable to manage switch fabric of the chassis.

39. The method of claim 38 , wherein displaying chassis component information comprises displaying chassis component activity information.

40. The method of claim 38 , wherein displaying chassis component information comprises displaying an IP address of the chassis management blade.

41. The method of claim 38 , wherein displaying chassis component information comprises displaying at least one selected from the group consisting of slot assignment, chassis assignment, rack assignment and IP address information.

42. The method of claim 38 , further comprising providing operational control of at least one chassis component with at least one control key of the chassis management blade, the at least one control key associated with the LCD.

43. The method of claim 42 , wherein providing operational control of at least one chassis component comprises providing setup control of at least one chassis component.

44. The method of claim 42 , wherein providing operational control of at least one chassis component comprises providing power control of at least one chassis component.

45. The method of claim 42 , wherein providing operational control of at least one chassis component comprises providing operational control of at least one chassis cooling fan.

46. The method of claim 37 , wherein each of the plurality of server blades comprises a network interface card.

47. A method for displaying chassis component information, comprising:

providing a chassis;

coupling a plurality of server blades to the chassis;

enclosing the plurality of server blades and the chassis in a housing;

displaying network configuration information on a respective display device positioned upon each server blade, wherein displaying network configuration information comprises displaying an IP address of the server blade; a main processor; and a management processor that drives the respective display device, the management processor being operationally distinct from the main processor such that the main processor is inactive during operation of the respective display device upon which the respective display device is positioned.

48. The method of claim 47 , wherein displaying network configuration information on a respective display device comprises displaying network configuration information on at least one respective light emitting diode (LED).

49. The method of claim 47 , wherein displaying network configuration information on a respective display device comprises displaying network configuration information on at least one respective liquid crystal display (LCD).

50. A system for displaying server blade information, comprising:

a plurality of server blades at least partially enclosed in box build with each server blade including:

a liquid crystal display (LCD) positioned upon the server blade, the LCD operable to display server blade information; and

a management processor operable to drive the LCD, the management processor being operationally distinct from a main processor of the server blade such that the main processor may be inactive during operation of the LCD.

51. The system of claim 50 , wherein the server blade information comprises an IP address of the server blade.

52. The system of claim 50 , wherein the server blade information comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of slot assignment, chassis assignment, rack assignment and IP address information.

53. The system of claim 50 , wherein the server blade information comprises at least one of temperature information and voltage information.

54. The system of claim 50 , wherein the server blade comprises at least one respective control key associated with the LCD, the at least one respective control key operable to provide operational control of the server blade.

55. The system of claim 54 , wherein the operational control comprises setup control of the server blade.

56. The system of claim 54 , wherein the operational control comprises power control of the server blade.

57. The system of claim 50 , wherein the LCD comprises a viewing area of approximately 14 mm×11 mm.

58. A system for displaying chassis component information, comprising:

a chassis;

a plurality of server blades each coupled to a midplane of the chassis; and

each server blade comprising:

a respective liquid crystal display (LCD) positioned upon the server blade, the respective LCD operable to display:

an IP address of the server blade upon which the respective LCD is positioned;

chassis component activity information in color to indicate a message;

temperature information of at least one chassis component;

voltage information of at least one chassis component; and

at least one respective control key associated with the respective LCD, the at least one respective control key; a main processor; and a management processor that drives the respective display device, the management processor being operationally distinct from the main processor such that the main processor is inactive during operation of the respective display device operable to provide setup control and power control of the server blade of the at least one respective control key.

59. The system of claim 58 , wherein the respective LCD comprises a viewing area of approximately 14 mm×11 mm.

60. The system of claim 58 , further comprising:

a chassis management blade coupled to the midplane of the chassis;

the chassis management blade operable to manage switch fabric of the chassis; and

the chassis management blade comprising:

an LCD positioned upon the chassis management blade, the LCD operable to display at least one selected from the group consisting of slot assignment, rack assignment, chassis assignment and IP address information; and

at least one control key associated with the LCD, the at least one control key operable to provide setup control and power control of at least one chassis component.