Determining a physical position of an electronic device
Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a method and device for determining a physical position of an electronic device. The method comprises obtaining, at a power distribution unit (PDU) that provides power supply for the electronic device, a position identifier of a physical position of the PDU from a radio frequency (RF) tag reader. The method further comprises providing to a computing device the position identifier, a network address of the PDU and a network address of the electronic device associated with the network address of the PDU so that the computing device determines the physical position of the electronic device.
1. A method of determining a physical position of an electronic device, comprising:
configuring a power distribution unit (PDU) to provide a power supply for the electronic device and a power supply for a radio frequency (RF) tag reader, the PDU storing a first position identifier of a physical position of the PDU in a memory thereof;
storing a second position identifier of the physical position of the PDU on an RF tag associated with the PDU;
obtaining, by the RF tag reader, the second position identifier from the RF tag;
obtaining, by the PDU, the second position identifier from the RF tag reader;
comparing the second position identifier to the first position identifier;
determining that the second position identifier is different from the first position identifier; and
providing to a computing device the second position identifier, a network address of the PDU, and a network address of the electronic device associated with the network address of the PDU for determining the physical position of the electronic device by the computing device;
wherein one or more of the network address of the PDU and the network address of the electronic device are dynamically allocated;
wherein the PDU associates the network address of the PDU with the network address of the electronic device;
wherein, in determining the physical position of the electronic device, the computing device establishes a mapping indicating relationships among the second position identifier, the network address of the PDU, and the network address of the electronic device; and
wherein the mapping comprises at least one address mapping table, the address mapping table comprising a first entry for the electronic device and a plurality of additional entries for respective ones of a plurality of additional electronic devices, the entry for a given one of the electronic devices comprising at least one position identifier of a physical position of a PDU associated with the given electronic device, a network address of the PDU associated with the given electronic device, and a network address of the given electronic device.
2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein obtaining the second position identifier from the RF tag reader comprises:
in response to the PDU being enabled to provide the power supply for the RF tag reader, obtaining the second position identifier from the RF tag reader.
3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein obtaining the second position identifier from the RF tag reader comprises:
obtaining the second position identifier from at least one of:
a near field communication (NFC) tag reader, and
a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag reader.
4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the PDU determines the network address of the electronic device in response to detecting a power loading change of the electronic device.
5. The method according to claim 4 , wherein:
the computing device transmits a control command to the electronic device to instruct the electronic device to change the power loading of the electronic device; and
the control command includes a binary coding sequence generated by encoding the network address of the electronic device.
6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the network address of the given electronic device comprises a network address of a management controller for the given electronic device.
7. A method of determining a physical position of an electronic device, comprising:
configuring a power distribution unit (PDU) to provide a power supply for the electronic device and a power supply for a radio frequency (RF) tag reader, the PDU storing a first position identifier of a physical position of the PDU in a memory thereof;
storing a second position identifier of the physical position of the PDU on an RF tag associated with the PDU;
obtaining, by the RF tag reader, the second position identifier from the RF tag;
obtaining, by the PDU, the second position identifier from the RF tag reader;
comparing the second position identifier to the first position identifier;
determining that the second position identifier is different from the first position identifier;
obtaining a network address of the electronic device; and
determining the physical position of the electronic device based on an address mapping;
wherein the determining comprises:
establishing the address mapping indicating relationships among the second position identifier, a network address of the PDU, and the network address of the electronic device associated with the network address of the PDU;
wherein one or more of the network address of the PDU and the network address of the electronic device are dynamically allocated;
wherein the PDU associates the network address of the PDU with the network address of the electronic device; and
wherein the mapping comprises at least one address mapping table, the address mapping table comprising a first entry for the electronic device and a plurality of additional entries for respective ones of a plurality of additional electronic devices, the entry for a given one of the electronic devices comprising at least one position identifier of a physical position of a PDU associated with the given electronic device, a network address of the PDU associated with the given electronic device, and a network address of the given electronic device.
8. The method according to claim 7 , wherein the PDU determines the network address of the electronic device in response to detecting a power loading change of the electronic device.
9. The method according to claim 8 , further comprising transmitting a control command to the electronic device to instruct the electronic device to change the power loading of the electronic device, wherein the control command includes a binary coding sequence generated by encoding the network address of the electronic device.
10. The method according to claim 7 , wherein the PDU obtains the second position identifier from the RF tag reader in response to the PDU being enabled to provide the power supply for the RF tag reader.
11. The method according to claim 10 , wherein the RF tag reader comprises at least one of a near field communication (NFC) tag reader, and a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag reader.
12. The method according to claim 7 , wherein the electronic device comprises one of a server, a storage device, a router, a switch, and a monitor.
13. The method according to claim 7 , wherein the network address of the given electronic device comprises a network address of a management controller for the given electronic device.
14. A power distribution unit (PDU) for providing a power supply for an electronic device, comprising:
a controller; and
a memory coupled to the controller and storing a first position identifier of a physical position of the PDU;
wherein a radio frequency (RF) tag associated with the PDU stores a second position identifier of the physical position of the PDU;
wherein the memory cooperates with the controller to cause the PDU:
to provide the power supply for the electronic device;
to provide a power supply for a radio frequency (RF) tag reader, wherein the RF tag reader obtains the second position identifier from the RF tag;
to obtain the second position identifier from the RF tag reader;
to compare the second position identifier to the first position identifier;
to determine that the second position identifier is different from the first position identifier; and
to provide to a computing device the second position identifier, a network address of the PDU, and a network address of the electronic device associated with the network address of the PDU for determining the physical position of the electronic device by the computing device;
wherein one or more of the network address of the PDU and the network address of the electronic device are dynamically allocated;
wherein the PDU associates the network address of the PDU with the network address of the electronic device; and
wherein, in determining the physical position of the electronic device, the computing device establishes a mapping indicating relationships among the second position identifier, the network address of the PDU, and the network address of the electronic device; and
wherein the mapping comprises at least one address mapping table, the address mapping table comprising a first entry for the electronic device and a plurality of additional entries for respective ones of a plurality of additional electronic devices, the entry for a given one of the electronic devices comprising at least one position identifier of a physical position of a PDU associated with the given electronic device, a network address of the PDU associated with the given electronic device, and a network address of the given electronic device.
15. The PDU according to claim 14 , wherein obtaining the second position identifier from the RF tag reader comprises:
in response to the PDU being enabled to provide the power supply for the RF tag reader, obtaining the second position identifier from the RF tag reader.
16. The PDU according to claim 14 , wherein obtaining the second position identifier from the RF tag reader comprises:
obtaining the second position identifier from at least one of:
a near field communication (NFC) tag reader, and
a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag reader.
17. The PDU according to claim 14 , wherein the memory coupled to the controller and cooperating with the controller further causes the PDU to determine the network address of the electronic device in response to detecting a power loading change of the electronic device.
18. The PDU according to claim 17 , wherein:
the computing device transmits a control command to the electronic device to instruct the electronic device to change the power loading of the electronic device; and
the control command includes a binary coding sequence generated by encoding the network address of the electronic device.
19. The PDU according to claim 14 , wherein the network address of the given electronic device comprises a network address of a management controller for the given electronic device.
20. The PDU according to claim 14 , wherein the electronic device comprises one of a server, a storage device, a router, a switch, and a monitor.