Expander I/O module discovery and management system
An expander I/O module discovery/management system includes a secondary system chassis housing an expander I/O module coupled to a server device. The server device identifies the secondary system chassis and an expander I/O module port utilized by that server device, and then generates and transmits an expander I/O module reporting communication identifying the secondary system chassis and the expander I/O module port. A primary system chassis houses a switching I/O module coupled to the expander I/O module. The switching I/O module receives the expander I/O module reporting communication and determines that the secondary system chassis identified in the expander I/O module reporting communication is different than the primary system chassis. In response, the switching I/O module assigns a virtual slot to the expander I/O module, and assigns a virtual port associated with the virtual slot to the expander I/O module port identified in the expander I/O module reporting communication.
1. An expander Input/Output (I/O) module discovery and management system, comprising:
a secondary system that includes a secondary system chassis housing an expander Input/Output (I/O) module and a server device that is coupled to the expander I/O module, wherein the server device is configured to:
identify the secondary system chassis that houses the expander I/O module;
identify an expander I/O module port on the expander I/O module that is utilized by the server device; and
generate and transmit an expander I/O module reporting communication that identifies the secondary system chassis and the expander I/O module port; and
a primary system that includes a primary system chassis housing a switching I/O module that is coupled to the expander I/O module in the secondary system, wherein the switching I/O module is configured to:
receive, via the expander I/O module from the server device included in the secondary system, the expander I/O module reporting communication and, in response:
determine that the secondary system chassis identified in the expander I/O module reporting communication is different than the primary system chassis and, in response, assign a virtual slot to the expander I/O module; and
assign a virtual port that is associated with the virtual slot to the expander I/O module port identified in the expander I/O module reporting communication.
2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the server device is configured to:
identify an expander I/O module slot in the secondary system chassis that houses the expander I/O module;
generate and transmit the expander I/O module reporting communication that identifies the expander I/O module slot along with the secondary system chassis and the expander I/O module port, and wherein the switching I/O module is configured to:
determine that the expander I/O module slot is the same type of slot as a switching I/O module slot in the primary system chassis that houses the switching I/O module; and
assign, in response to determining that the expander I/O module slot is the same type of slot as a switching I/O module slot in the primary system chassis that houses the switching I/O module along with the determining that the secondary system chassis identified in the expander I/O module reporting communication is different than the primary system chassis, the virtual slot to the expander I/O module and assign the virtual port that is associated with the virtual slot to the expander I/O module port.
3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the expander I/O module reporting communication is a Link Layer Discovery Protocol (LLDP) communication that identifies the secondary system chassis and the expander I/O module port.
4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the switching I/O module is configured to:
automatically assign the virtual slot to the expander I/O module based on a port group on the switching I/O module that is coupled to the expander I/O module.
5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the switching I/O module is configured to:
identify, to a user in response to determining that the secondary system chassis identified in the expander I/O module reporting communication is different than the primary system chassis, the expander I/O module;
receive, from the user in response to identifying the expander I/O module, a virtual slot identification; and
assign, based on the virtual slot identification, the virtual slot to the expander I/O module.
6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the switching I/O module is configured to:
apply a configuration to the virtual port.
7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the assigning the virtual port that is associated with the virtual slot to the expander I/O module port identified in the expander I/O module reporting communication includes:
creating the virtual port; and
mapping the expander I/O module port to the virtual port.
8. An Information Handling System (IHS), comprising:
a processing system; and
a memory system that is coupled to the processing system and that includes instructions that, when executed by the processing system, cause the processing system to provide an expander Input/Output (I/O) module discovery and management engine that is configured to:
receive, via an expander I/O module that is housed in a secondary system chassis provided for a secondary system from a server device that is housed in the secondary system chassis provided for the secondary system and coupled to the expander I/O module, an expander I/O module reporting communication that identifies:
the secondary system chassis; and
an expander I/O module port on the expander I/O module that is utilized by the server device;
determine, in response to receiving the expander I/O module reporting communication, that the secondary system chassis identified in the expander I/O module reporting communication is different than a primary system chassis that houses the processing system and, in response, assign a virtual slot to the expander I/O module; and
assign a virtual port that is associated with the virtual slot to the expander I/O module port identified in the expander I/O module reporting communication.
9. The IHS of claim 8 , wherein the expander I/O module reporting communication is a Link Layer Discovery Protocol (LLDP) communication that identifies the secondary system chassis and the expander I/O module port.
10. The IHS of claim 8 , wherein the expander Input/Output (I/O) module discovery and management engine is configured to:
automatically assign the virtual slot to the expander I/O module based on a port group that is coupled to the expander I/O module.
11. The IHS of claim 8 , wherein the expander Input/Output (I/O) module discovery and management engine is configured to:
identify, to a user in response to determining that the secondary system chassis identified in the expander I/O module reporting communication is different than the primary system chassis, the expander I/O module;
receive, from the user in response to identifying the expander I/O module, a virtual slot identification; and
assign, based on the virtual slot identification, the virtual slot to the expander I/O module.
12. The IHS of claim 8 , wherein the expander Input/Output (I/O) module discovery and management engine is configured to:
apply a configuration to the virtual port.
13. The IHS of claim 8 , wherein the assigning the virtual port that is associated with the virtual slot to the expander I/O module port identified in the expander I/O module reporting communication includes:
creating the virtual port; and
mapping the expander I/O module port to the virtual port.
14. A method for discovering and managing expander Input/Output (I/O) modules, comprising:
receiving, by a switching Input/Output (I/O) module that is housed in a primary system chassis provided for a primary system via an expander I/O module that is housed in a secondary system chassis provided for a secondary system from a server device that is housed in the secondary system chassis provided for the secondary system and coupled to the expander I/O module, an expander I/O module reporting communication that identifies:
the secondary system chassis; and
an expander I/O module port on the expander I/O module that is utilized by the server device;
determining, by the switching I/O module in response to receiving the expander I/O module reporting communication, that the secondary system chassis identified in the expander I/O module reporting communication is different than the primary system chassis and, in response, assign a virtual slot to the expander I/O module; and
assigning, by the switching I/O module, a virtual port that is associated with the virtual slot to the expander I/O module port identified in the expander I/O module reporting communication.
15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:
identifying, by the server device, the secondary system chassis that houses the expander I/O module;
identifying, by the server device, the expander I/O module port on the expander I/O module that is utilized by the server device; and
generating and transmitting, by the server device, the expander I/O module reporting communication that identifies the secondary system chassis and the expander I/O module port.
16. The method of claim 14 , wherein the expander I/O module reporting communication is a Link Layer Discovery Protocol (LLDP) communication that identifies the secondary system chassis and the expander I/O module port.
17. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:
automatically assigning, by the switching I/O module, the virtual slot to the expander I/O module based on a port group on the switching I/O module that is coupled to the expander I/O module.
18. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:
identifying, by the switching I/O module to a user in response to determining that the secondary system chassis identified in the expander I/O module reporting communication is different than the primary system chassis, the expander I/O module;
receiving, by the switching I/O module from the user in response to identifying the expander I/O module, a virtual slot identification; and
assigning, by the switching I/O module based on the virtual slot identification, the virtual slot to the expander I/O module.
19. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:
applying, by the switching I/O module, a configuration to the virtual port.
20. The method of claim 14 , wherein the assigning the virtual port that is associated with the virtual slot to the expander I/O module port identified in the expander I/O module reporting communication includes:
creating, by the switching I/O module, the virtual port; and
mapping, by the switching I/O module, the expander I/O module port to the virtual port.