Tracking The Physical Location Of A Server In A Data Center

1 . A method of tracking the physical location of a server in a data center, the data center comprising a management module, the data center further comprising a plurality of cabinet slots, each cabinet slot having a connector, the data center further comprising a presence-detection network, the presence-detection network comprising one-wire links among the cabinet slots and the management module, the one-wire links coupled between the connectors in the cabinet slots and the management module and multiplexed into the management module according to multiplexer address codes, each one-wire link associated with a separate multiplexer address code, each multiplexer address code associated with a separate physical location in the data center, the method comprising:

detecting, by the management module through a one-wire link between a connector in a cabinet slot and the management module, insertion of the server into the cabinet slot, the server connected upon insertion to the one-wire link through the connector in the cabinet slot; and

determining, by the management module in dependence upon the one-wire link's multiplexer address code, a physical location of the server.

2 . The method of claim 1 wherein detecting insertion of the server into the cabinet slot further comprises:

periodically scanning each multiplexer address code to determine server presence in the physical location associated with the multiplexer address code;

maintaining for the physical location a record of server presence; and

if the scan indicates server presence in the physical location and the record indicates no server presence in the physical location:

determining that the server has been inserted into the physical location at a time after a previous scan; and

updating the record of server presence to indicate server presence in the physical location.

3 . The method of claim 1 further comprising retrieving, by the management module from the server, an identity of the server through direct out-of-band communications between the server and the management module.

4 . The method of claim 3 wherein retrieving an identity of the server further comprises retrieving from the server a Media Access Control (‘MAC’) address, a model number, and a serial number.

5 . The method of claim 1 further comprising detecting, by the management module through the one-wire link between the connector in the cabinet slot and the management module, removal of the server from the cabinet slot including:

periodically scanning each multiplexer address code to determine server presence in the physical location associated with the multiplexer address code;

maintaining, for the physical location, a record of server presence; and

if the record indicates server presence in the physical location and the scan indicates no server presence in the physical location:

determining that the server has been removed from the physical location at a time after a previous scan; and

updating the record of server presence to indicate no server presence in the physical location.

6 . The method of claim 1 further comprising transmitting, by the management module to the server, the physical location of the server.

7 . Apparatus for tracking the physical location of a server in a data center, the data center comprising a management module, the data center further comprising a plurality of cabinet slots, each cabinet slot having a connector, the data center further comprising a presence-detection network, the presence-detection network comprising one-wire links among the cabinet slots and the management module, the one-wire links coupled between the connectors in the cabinet slots and the management module and multiplexed into the management module according to multiplexer address codes, each one-wire link associated with a separate multiplexer address code, each multiplexer address code associated with a separate physical location in the data center, the apparatus comprising a computer processor, a computer memory operatively coupled to the computer processor, the computer memory having disposed within it computer program instructions capable of:

detecting, by the management module through a one-wire link between a connector in a cabinet slot and the management module, insertion of the server into the cabinet slot, the server connected upon insertion to the one-wire link through the connector in the cabinet slot; and

determining, by the management module in dependence upon the one-wire link's multiplexer address code, a physical location of the server.

8 . The apparatus of claim 7 wherein detecting insertion of the server into the cabinet slot further comprises:

periodically scanning each multiplexer address code to determine server presence in the physical location associated with the multiplexer address code;

maintaining for the physical location a record of server presence; and

if the scan indicates server presence in the physical location and the record

indicates no server presence in the physical location:

determining that the server has been inserted into the physical location at a time after a previous scan; and

updating the record of server presence to indicate server presence in the physical location.

9 . The apparatus of claim 7 further comprising computer program instructions capable of retrieving, by the management module from the server, an identity of the server through direct out-of-band communications between the server and the management module.

10 . The apparatus of claim 9 wherein retrieving an identity of the server further comprises retrieving from the server a Media Access Control (‘MAC’) address, a model number, and a serial number.

11 . The apparatus of claim 7 further comprising computer program instructions capable of detecting, by the management module through the one-wire link between the connector in the cabinet slot and the management module, removal of the server from the cabinet slot including:

periodically scanning each multiplexer address code to determine server presence in the physical location associated with the multiplexer address code;

maintaining, for the physical location, a record of server presence; and

if the record indicates server presence in the physical location and the scan indicates no server presence in the physical location:

determining that the server has been removed from the physical location at a time after a previous scan; and

updating the record of server presence to indicate no server presence in the physical location.

12 . The apparatus of claim 7 further comprising computer program instructions capable of transmitting, by the management module to the server, the physical location of the server.

13 . A computer program product for tracking the physical location of a server in a data center, the data center comprising a management module, the data center further comprising a plurality of cabinet slots, each cabinet slot having a connector, the data center further comprising a presence-detection network, the presence-detection network comprising one-wire links among the cabinet slots and the management module, the one-wire links coupled between the connectors in the cabinet slots and the management module and multiplexed into the management module according to multiplexer address codes, each one-wire link associated with a separate multiplexer address code, each multiplexer address code associated with a separate physical location in the data center, the computer program product disposed in a computer readable, signal bearing medium, the computer program product comprising computer program instructions capable of:

detecting, by the management module through a one-wire link between a connector in a cabinet slot and the management module, insertion of the server into the cabinet slot, the server connected upon insertion to the one-wire link through the connector in the cabinet slot; and

determining, by the management module in dependence upon the one-wire link's multiplexer address code, a physical location of the server.

14 . The computer program product of claim 13 wherein the signal bearing medium comprises a recordable medium.

15 . The computer program product of claim 13 wherein the signal bearing medium comprises a transmission medium.

16 . The computer program product of claim 13 wherein detecting insertion of the server into the cabinet slot further comprises:

periodically scanning each multiplexer address code to determine server presence in the physical location associated with the multiplexer address code;

maintaining for the physical location a record of server presence; and

if the scan indicates server presence in the physical location and the record indicates no server presence in the physical location:

determining that the server has been inserted into the physical location at a time after a previous scan; and

updating the record of server presence to indicate server presence in the physical location.

17 . The computer program product of claim 13 further comprising computer program instructions capable of retrieving, by the management module from the server, an identity of the server through direct out-of-band communications between the server and the management module.

18 . The computer program product of claim 17 wherein retrieving an identity of the server further comprises retrieving from the server a Media Access Control (‘MAC’) address, a model number, and a serial number.

19 . The computer program product of claim 13 further comprising computer program instructions capable of detecting, by the management module through the one-wire link between the connector in the cabinet slot and the management module, removal of the server from the cabinet slot including:

periodically scanning each multiplexer address code to determine server presence in the physical location associated with the multiplexer address code;

maintaining, for the physical location, a record of server presence; and

if the record indicates server presence in the physical location and the scan indicates no server presence in the physical location:

determining that the server has been removed from the physical location at a time after a previous scan; and

updating the record of server presence to indicate no server presence in the physical location.

20 . The computer program product of claim 13 further comprising computer program instructions capable of transmitting, by the management module to the server, the physical location of the server.