An inter-data center indirect equipment state monitoring device

Abstract

The present application belongs to the technical field of data center monitoring, and provides an indirect equipment state monitoring device for data center. The indirect equipment state monitoring device for data center comprises: at least one indirect acquisition sensor, each of which is used for monitoring the equipment state indicator light of a target equipment; the equipment state indicator light of the target equipment reflects the working state of the target equipment through its light-off or color change; the indirect acquisition sensor comprises: a shell, a photosensitive window being arranged on the shell; an adsorption component, the adsorption component being arranged on the shell, a PCB board arranged in the shell, a photosensitive sensor and a sensor state indicator light arranged on the PCB board; a cable electrically connected with the PCB board; a host, the host being connected with the indirect acquisition sensor through the cable; the host comprises: a signal processing module, a master control module, a communication module and a man-machine interaction module, which are connected with the master control module, used for displaying the state information of each channel and receiving the configuration parameters input by a user.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of data center monitoring, and more specifically to a data center indirect equipment status monitoring device. Background Technology

[0002] Data centers are the core infrastructure of modern information technology construction, housing a large number of IT devices (such as servers and storage devices) and critical infrastructure equipment (such as power modules and precision power distribution cabinets). Ensuring the safe, stable, and efficient operation of these devices requires real-time and accurate monitoring of their operational status. However, in practical applications, a common technical challenge emerges: some older or specific models of equipment within data centers lack standard monitoring interfaces and publicly available communication protocols. This prevents upper-level management platforms, such as environmental monitoring systems, from directly obtaining crucial information about their operational status, such as power module operation and equipment malfunctions.

[0003] Currently, for devices without monitoring interfaces, manual inspection is commonly used, with maintenance personnel periodically visiting the site to observe the device status indicator lights (such as power and fault alarm lights) on the device panel. This method has significant drawbacks: first, it is inefficient, failing to achieve 24 / 7 real-time monitoring; second, the quality of inspections depends heavily on the personnel's sense of responsibility and experience, making consistency difficult to guarantee; and third, fault response is delayed, increasing the difficulty of locating and handling faults. Especially for devices with dual-power redundancy designs, if a fault in one power module is not detected in time, the system will lose redundancy protection, facing the risk of a single point of failure, seriously threatening the operational security of the data center.

[0004] Therefore, we propose an indirect equipment status monitoring device, which effectively solves the above-mentioned problems. Summary of the Invention

[0005] To address the shortcomings of existing technologies, this invention provides an indirect equipment status monitoring device for data centers, enabling timely handling of data center faults.

[0006] This invention provides a data center indirect device status monitoring device, comprising: at least one indirect acquisition sensor, wherein each indirect acquisition sensor is used to monitor a device status indicator light corresponding to a target device; the device status indicator light reflects the working status of the target device by its on / off state or color change; the indirect acquisition sensor includes: a housing with a photosensitive window; an adsorption component disposed on the housing and used to detachably fix the indirect acquisition sensor to the surface of the target device, and to align the photosensitive window on the housing with the device status indicator light; a PCB board disposed within the housing, and a photosensitive sensor and a sensor status indicator light disposed on the PCB board; the photosensitive surface of the photosensitive sensor faces the photosensitive window, used to sense the light signal emitted by the device status indicator light, and convert the light signal into a corresponding... The system includes: an electrical signal; a sensor status indicator light for displaying the working status of the indirect acquisition sensor according to external commands; a cable electrically connected to the PCB board; a host computer connected to at least one indirect acquisition sensor via the cable; the host computer comprising: a signal processing module for receiving and processing the electrical signal sent by the indirect acquisition sensor, determining the working status of the target device as normal or abnormal based on the electrical signal, and generating corresponding status information; a main control module connected to the signal processing module for summarizing the status information; a communication module connected to the main control module, the communication module supporting standard communication protocols for encapsulating the status information into data frames conforming to the standard communication protocols and uploading them to the host computer monitoring system; and a human-machine interaction module connected to the main control module for displaying the status information of each channel and receiving configuration parameters input by the user.

[0007] Furthermore, the adsorption component is a magnetic core material adhered to the housing, used to adsorb and fix the indirect acquisition sensor onto the surface of the target device made of ferrous material.

[0008] Furthermore, the device status indicator light is a power indicator light or a fault alarm indicator light.

[0009] Furthermore, the photosensitive sensor is a photodiode, a phototransistor, or an ambient light sensor.

[0010] Furthermore, the cable is a shielded cable.

[0011] Furthermore, the host also includes an alarm module connected to the main control module, which is used to issue a local audible and visual alarm signal when the main control module determines that the working state of any of the target devices is abnormal.

[0012] Furthermore, the human-computer interaction module includes a display panel and buttons. The display panel is used to display the real-time status and parameter information of each monitoring channel, and the buttons are used to set thresholds, configure channels, or set addresses.

[0013] As can be seen from the above technical solution, the beneficial effects of the data center indirect equipment status monitoring device provided by the present invention are as follows: 1. Automation and Real-time Performance: By automatically sensing changes in the status indicator lights of the equipment through photosensitive sensors, 24 / 7 uninterrupted automatic monitoring of equipment without monitoring interfaces is achieved, completely eliminating the reliance on manual inspections and enabling timely detection of equipment abnormalities.

[0014] 2. High integration and versatility: The collected status information is uploaded through standard communication protocols (such as Modbus RTU), which can be easily and quickly connected to existing environmental monitoring systems and other host computer platforms, significantly improving the monitoring coverage of old or "dumb" equipment. Moreover, it does not depend on the communication protocols of specific devices and has strong versatility.

[0015] 3. Rapid Fault Location: When a fault occurs, alarms can be issued not only through the monitoring system platform, but also through audible and visual alarms on the host, which facilitates maintenance personnel to quickly locate the faulty equipment on site, greatly shortening the troubleshooting time and improving the operational efficiency and reliability of the data center.

[0016] 4. Easy and non-invasive installation: The sensor is magnetically attached to the surface of the device, making the installation process simple and quick. It does not require disassembling the device or modifying the internal circuitry and has no impact on the normal operation of the device. Attached Figure Description

[0017] To more clearly illustrate the specific embodiments of the present invention, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the specific embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. In all the drawings, the elements or parts are not necessarily drawn to scale.

[0018] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the main structure of a data center indirect device status monitoring device provided in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 for Figure 1 The main view of the human-computer interaction module shown; Figure label: Indirect data acquisition sensor 100, housing 110, photosensitive window 111, adsorption component 120, PCB board 130, photosensitive sensor 140, sensor status indicator light 150, cable 160, host 200, signal processing module 210, main control module 220, communication module 230, human-machine interaction module 240, display panel 241, button 242, alarm module 250, device status indicator light 300, target device 400. Detailed Implementation

[0019] The embodiments of the technical solution of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. These embodiments are merely illustrative of the technical solution of the present invention and are therefore intended to limit the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0020] The basic implementation examples are as follows: Figures 1 to 2 As shown: like Figure 1 - Figure 2 As shown; This embodiment provides a data center indirect equipment status monitoring device, aiming to solve the problem in the existing technology that a large number of old or simple devices (such as some UPS, precision distribution cabinets, industrial power supplies, etc.) cannot be effectively monitored by a passive environmental monitoring system due to the lack of intelligent communication interfaces. Figure 1 As shown, the monitoring equipment mainly consists of two parts: at least one indirect acquisition sensor 100 and a host 200. Multiple indirect acquisition sensors 100 can be connected to a host 200 in parallel or series via cables to achieve centralized monitoring of multiple target devices 400.

[0021] Regarding the indirect data acquisition sensor 100: Please see Figure 1 - Figure 2 The indirect acquisition sensor 100 is used to monitor the device status indicator lights 300 corresponding to a target device 400 (such as a server power supply, switch, etc.). These device status indicator lights 300 typically reflect the working status of the target device 400 intuitively through their on / off status, flashing frequency, or color changes. For example, a solid green light indicates normal operation, while a solid red light or flashing light indicates a fault alarm.

[0022] Specifically, the indirect data acquisition sensor 100 includes: The housing 110, which serves as the mounting base for the sensor, has a photosensitive window 111. To achieve the best light sensing effect, a light-transmitting lens or filter can be embedded in the photosensitive window 111 to focus light or filter out ambient stray light.

[0023] An adsorption component 120 is disposed on the housing 110, particularly on the side near the photosensitive window 111. In this embodiment, the adsorption component 120 is preferably a magnetic core material adhered to the surface of the housing 110. This design allows the indirect acquisition sensor 100 to be conveniently and detachably adsorbed and fixed to the surface of the target device 400 made of a magnetically conductive material such as iron via magnetic force. During installation, the operator only needs to bring the sensor close to the device, use magnetic force to automatically adsorb it, and fine-tune its position to ensure that the photosensitive window 111 on the housing 110 is accurately aligned with the device status indicator 300 of the target device 400. This non-invasive installation method requires no tools, does not require disassembly or rewiring, and has no impact on the normal operation of the device.

[0024] The PCB board 130 is fixedly disposed inside the housing 110.

[0025] A photosensor 140 is mounted on the PCB board 130. Its photosensitive surface faces the photosensitive window 111 and is used to sense the light signal emitted by the device status indicator 300. The photosensor 140 can be one of a photodiode, a phototransistor, or an ambient light sensor (ALS). When the device status indicator 300 turns on or off or changes color, the light intensity or spectrum received by the photosensor 140 changes, and it is accurately converted into a corresponding electrical signal (e.g., a change in voltage or current).

[0026] The sensor status indicator light 150 is also located on the PCB board 130. This indicator light is used to display the working status of the indirect data acquisition sensor 100 according to the host's instructions or the sensor's own status logic. For example, a slow flashing green light indicates normal communication, a fast flashing red light indicates a sensor malfunction, and a solid light indicates data acquisition is in progress. This design greatly facilitates on-site maintenance personnel in troubleshooting and status confirmation.

[0027] Cable 160 is electrically connected to the PCB board 130 and extends from inside the housing 110. To enhance signal transmission stability and resist interference from the complex electromagnetic environment of the data center, cable 160 is preferably shielded. The other end of cable 160 is used to connect to the host 200 for power supply and communication.

[0028] Regarding host 200: The host unit 200 is the central hub for the entire monitoring equipment, and it is connected to one or more indirect data acquisition sensors 100 via the cable 160. The host unit 200 integrates multiple functional modules, mainly including: The signal processing module 210 is connected to the cables 160 of each access channel. This module is responsible for receiving and processing the raw electrical signals sent by the indirect acquisition sensor 100. Specifically, the signal processing module 210 internally includes signal conditioning circuits (such as filtering and amplification) and analog-to-digital conversion circuits, used to convert the received analog electrical signals into digital signals, and determine whether the working status of the target device 400 is normal or abnormal according to a preset algorithm (such as threshold comparison method), and finally generate corresponding formatted status information for each monitoring channel.

[0029] The main control module 220, as the core of the host 200, is connected to the signal processing module 210. It is responsible for coordinating the work of each module, summarizing the status information of all channels from the signal processing module 210, and temporarily storing and logically processing the data.

[0030] The communication module 230 is connected to the main control module 220. The communication module 230 supports standard communication protocols, such as Modbus RTU, Modbus TCP / IP, or SNMP, which are widely used in data centers. Its function is to encapsulate the status information collected by the main control module 220 into standard data frames according to a set protocol format, and reliably upload them to a higher-level centralized monitoring system, i.e., a host computer monitoring system (such as an environmental monitoring system or a DCIM platform), via RS485, Ethernet, or wireless means, thereby achieving remote centralized supervision.

[0031] The human-machine interaction module 240 is connected to the main control module 220. In this embodiment, the human-machine interaction module 240 further includes a display panel 241 and buttons 242. The display panel 241 (such as an LCD screen) is used to intuitively display the real-time status information and parameter information (such as light intensity values) of the target device 400 corresponding to each monitoring channel in a polling or grouped manner, either in text or graphics. The buttons 242 are used for on-site operation by maintenance personnel to configure the system, such as setting alarm thresholds for different channels, configuring communication protocol parameters (such as baud rate and device address), modifying channel names, or adjusting display modes.

[0032] Alarm module 250 is connected to the main control module 220. This module is a local audible and visual alarm unit on the host computer and may include a buzzer and multi-color device status indicator lights. When the main control module 220 determines that the working status of any of the target devices 400 is "abnormal" (such as the indicator light being off or turning red) based on the status information, it will immediately trigger the alarm module 250 to issue a local audible and visual alarm signal so that the inspection personnel in the computer room can detect and locate the fault as soon as possible.

[0033] Workflow summary: During installation, the indirect acquisition sensor 100 is fixed to the device status indicator 300 of the target device 400 via its adsorption component 120. After the device is powered on, the photosensitive sensor 140 acquires light signals in real time and converts them into electrical signals, which are then transmitted to the host 200 via cable 160. The signal processing module 210 of the host 200 analyzes the signals, determines the device status, and displays it locally through the human-machine interaction module 240. Simultaneously, the main control module 220 uploads the summarized status information to the upper computer monitoring system periodically or in real time via the communication module 230. Once an anomaly is detected, the host 200 immediately activates an audible and visual alarm, and the upper computer system also receives the alarm information.

[0034] In summary, the monitoring equipment provided in this embodiment indirectly collects equipment status through the principle of photosensitive sensing, and combined with a convenient magnetic installation method and standardized data upload interface, it realizes efficient, low-cost, and non-intrusive transformation and monitoring of old or "dumb" equipment, significantly improving the level of automated operation and maintenance of data center infrastructure.

[0035] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0036] Numerous specific details are set forth in this specification. However, it will be understood that embodiments of the invention may be practiced without these specific details. In some instances, well-known methods, structures, and techniques have not been shown in detail so as not to obscure the understanding of this specification. The above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention, and are not intended to limit it. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some or all of the technical features therein. Such modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention, and they should all be covered within the scope of the claims and specification of the present invention.

Claims

1. A data center indirect equipment status monitoring device, characterized in that, include: At least one indirect acquisition sensor, wherein each of the indirect acquisition sensors is used to monitor a device status indicator light corresponding to a target device; The device status indicator light reflects the working status of the target device by turning on or off or changing color. The indirect data acquisition sensor includes: A housing, wherein a photosensitive window is provided on the housing; An adsorption component is disposed on the housing and is used to detachably fix the indirect acquisition sensor to the surface of the target device, and to align the photosensitive window on the housing with the device status indicator light; A PCB board is disposed within the housing, and a photosensitive sensor and a sensor status indicator are disposed on the PCB board; the photosensitive surface of the photosensitive sensor faces the photosensitive window, and is used to sense the light signal emitted by the device status indicator and convert the light signal into a corresponding electrical signal; the sensor status indicator is used to display the working status of the indirect acquisition sensor itself according to external instructions; Cables electrically connected to the PCB board; A host computer, connected to the at least one indirect data acquisition sensor via the cable; the host computer includes: The signal processing module is used to receive and process the electrical signal sent by the indirect acquisition sensor, determine whether the working status of the target device is normal or abnormal based on the electrical signal, and generate corresponding status information. The main control module, connected to the signal processing module, is used to summarize the status information; A communication module, connected to the main control module, supports standard communication protocols and is used to encapsulate the status information into data frames conforming to the standard communication protocols and upload them to the host computer monitoring system. The human-computer interaction module, connected to the main control module, is used to display the status information of each channel and receive configuration parameters input by the user.

2. The data center indirect equipment status monitoring device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The adsorption component is a magnetic core material adhered to the housing, used to adsorb and fix the indirect acquisition sensor to the surface of the target device made of ferrous material.

3. The data center indirect equipment status monitoring device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The device status indicator light is either a power indicator light or a fault alarm indicator light.

4. The data center indirect equipment status monitoring device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The photosensitive sensor is a photodiode, a phototransistor, or an ambient light sensor.

5. The data center indirect equipment status monitoring device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The cable is a shielded cable.

6. The data center indirect equipment status monitoring device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The host also includes an alarm module connected to the main control module. The alarm module is used to issue a local audible and visual alarm signal when the main control module determines that the working state of any of the target devices is abnormal.

7. The data center indirect equipment status monitoring device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The human-computer interaction module includes a display panel and buttons. The display panel is used to display the real-time status and parameter information of each monitoring channel, and the buttons are used to set thresholds, configure channels, or set addresses.

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