159 results about "Field replaceable unit" patented technology

A method of managing conditions in a data center comprises storing information relating to field replaceable unit thermal properties in at least one field replaceable unit non-volatile memory and generating information for real-time dynamic temperature mapping of the data center based on the field replaceable unit thermal property information.

A detachable display unit for portable devices is field replaceable and can be interchanged rapidly for service, upgrade or more flexible use. The display is a simple field replaceable unit that can be replaced in a matter of a few seconds in a routine way, allowing more cost effective service both for the repair organization and the consumer. This is made possible by a set of electrical interfaces and connectors for portable devices such that high cost and fragile displays can be quickly changed in the field by the consumer. The specific sets of interfaces and connectors for different classes of portable devices utilize as much as possible common electrical and physical components, thereby standardizing the electrical interfaces and connectors.

A technique is provided for designing and evaluating service models for components, functions, subsystems and field replaceable units in a complex machine system. At a component or item level, each model identifies various items, failure modes, and so forth which may be the root cause of anticipated serviceable events or faults. The design tools permit numerous interfaces to be used in the design of service models, and in the evaluation of the degree to which the models address detectability and isolation capabilities for the root causes of serviceable events and faults.

A computer system includes a plurality of field replaceable units, each having volatile memory and at least one CPU. The FRUs communicate with each other via centralized logic. A RAID data fault tolerance technique is applied to the system so that an FRU can be lost or removed without loss of its data. An exclusive OR engine is included in the centralized logic or distributed among the FRUs. The RAID logic can restripe itself upon removal or addition of a FRU.

A fan device includes a connector, a fan, and an attachment assembly. The fan is configured to provide cooling to circuitry when the fan receives a power signal through the connector. The attachment assembly is configured to control attachment of the fan device to a chassis within an air duct defined by the chassis. The fan defines (i) a near side which faces the circuitry, (ii) a far side which faces away from the circuitry, (iii) an airflow axis which extends from the near side to the far side along an airflow direction, and (iv) a fan profile which is substantially perpendicular to the airflow axis. The fan is disposed substantially between the electronic circuitry and the attachment assembly when the fan device attaches to the chassis within the air duct. The attachment assembly has a width which closely mirrors that of the fan profile.

A storage controller configured to adopt orphaned I/O ports is disclosed. The controller includes multiple field-replaceable units (FRUs) that plug into a backplane having local buses. At least two of the FRUs have microprocessors and memory for processing I/O requests received from host computers for accessing storage devices controlled by the controller. Other of the FRUs include I/O ports for receiving the requests from the hosts and bus bridges for bridging the I/O ports to the backplane local buses in such a manner that if one of the processing FRUs fails, the surviving processing FRU detects the failure and responsively adopts the I/O ports previously serviced by the failed FRU to service the subsequently received I/O requests on the adopted I/O ports. The I/O port FRUs also include I/O ports for transferring data with the storage devices that are also adopted by the surviving processing FRU.

A computer system comprises a processor (2), memory (4) and a plurality of devices (6, 8, 10, 12), the processor (2) and the memory (4) being operable to effect the operation of a fault response processor (AFR), and a device driver (GRAPHICS, NETWORK, H2IO, IO2L, SERIAL) for each of the devices. The fault response processor (AFR) is operable to generate a model (81) which represents the processor (2), the memory (4) and the devices (6, 8, 10, 12) of the computer system and the inter-connection of the processor (2), memory (4) and the devices (GRAPHICS, NETWORK, H2IO, IO2L, SERIAL). The device driver (GRAPHICS, NETWORK, H2IO, IO2L, SERIAL) for each of the devices (6, 8, 10, 12) is arranged, consequent upon a change of operational status of the device, to generate fault report data indicating whether the change of status was caused internally within the device or externally by another connected device. The devices of the computer system may be formed as a plurality of Field Replaceable Units (FRU). The fault response processor (AFR) is operable, consequent upon receipt of the fault reports from the device drivers (GRAPHICS, NETWORK, H2IO, IO2L, SERIAL) to estimate the location of a FRU containing a faulty device by applying the fault indication to the model (81). In other embodiments the fault report data includes direction information indicating a connection between the device and the other connected device which caused the external fault. Having identified the faulty device the FRU may be replaced, thereby minimizing down time of the computer system.

A spread spectrum clock generator (SSCG) control and inspection circuit provides a system and method for inspecting and controlling an external SSCG, and for verifying the modulation profile waveform of an external SSCG. An electronic circuit is included that can check for the presence of an optimal SSCG modulation profile in product subsystems, and in attached modular systems, including electronic plug-in features such as internal network adapters and cartridges. In one mode of the invention, an electronic circuit ensures continued radiated emissions compliance for field replaceable units or consumable parts within a product, such as a printer, a scanner, or a combination (or all-in-one) printer/scanner. In another mode of the invention, an electronic circuit may also act as a secondary security device for consumable products, such as toner cartridges or ink jet cartridges. In yet another mode of the invention, an electronic circuit may also adjust the attached SSCG clock.

A computer system comprises a plurality of field replaceable units (FRUs) for supplying processing resources and a system controller. Each of the plurality of FRUs has a field replaceable unit identification (FRUID) memory adapted store a capacity-on-demand (COD) indication associated with the FRU, wherein the COD indication is indicative of whether the FRU is a base level resource or a COD resource. The system controller is configured to access the FRUID memory of each of the plurality of FRUs to detect the COD indication. Additionally, the system controller is configured to enable at least those of the plurality of FRUs for which the corresponding COD indication indicates that the FRU is a base level resource. The system controller is further configured to identify a need for additional processing resources, and is configured to enable additional ones of the plurality of FRUs responsive to identifying the need for additional processing resources.

A method includes providing at least one field replaceable unit in a computer system. The field replaceable unit has a memory device configured to store field replaceable unit data. An authentication check is performed on the field replaceable unit data. The field replaceable unit is identified as being unqualified responsive to a failure of the authentication check. A computer system includes at least one field replaceable unit and a system controller. The field replaceable unit has a memory device configured to store field replaceable unit data. The system controller is configured to perform an authentication check on the field replaceable unit data, and identify the field replaceable unit as being unqualified responsive to a failure of the authentication check.

One embodiment of the present invention provides a system that facilitates wirelessly identifying and testing field-replaceable units within a computer system. The system includes a field-replaceable unit (FRU) within the computer system and a storage device located on the FRU. Data on the storage device contains an identifier for the FRU. A wireless transceiver coupled to the storage device is configured to receive a request directed to the FRU and, in response to the request, to transmit the identifier for the FRU.

A method is disclosed for use in a computer system including a first revision compatibility descriptor identifying a first plurality of compatible combinations of field-programmable unit codes. The method includes steps of: (A) determining whether the first revision compatibility descriptor identifies first field-programmable unit code for use in a first field-programmable unit as being compatible with the computer system; and (B) if the first revision compatibility descriptor does not identify the first field-programmable unit code as being compatible with the computer system, performing a step of updating the first revision compatibility descriptor to identify the first field-programmable unit code as being compatible with the computer system.

A computer network may include one or more systems coupled to many components. The computer network may be a storage network that includes one or more systems connected to one or more storage systems. One or more components coupled to the computer network may be modular components such as field replaceable units (FRUs). A component may include a non-volatile memory that stores a value for an operational parameter of the component. The value for the operational parameter may specify an operating condition for the component. A monitor may be coupled to the component and may be configured to access the operational parameter value on the nonvolatile memory to determine if the component is operating outside of the specified operating condition.

This method includes these steps: The single board (SB) reports state shift message of the field replaceable unit to the chassis management board (CMB); CMB obtains the hardware address of SB from the state shift message; CMB obtains the related physical slot number and slot type from the hardware address; CMB sends the slot number and slot type to SB. The system consists of CMB and SB. The invention utilizes the obtained SB hardware address to find the related physical slot number and slot type from the chassis FRU info storage to locate the physical position of SB. The method possesses compatibility. It can be used in any type chassis to obtain correct SB physical slot number and slot type.

A single field replaceable storage or computer system may include a processor coupled to a peripheral bus by a bridge device. The field replaceable unit (FRU) may also include system memory coupled to the processor and a network interface coupled to the peripheral bus. One or more drive controllers may also be included coupled to the peripheral bus. Additionally, the single field replaceable unit includes an array of disk drives coupled to the one or more drive controllers. The array of disk drives may be configured as one or more RAID logical volumes and exported or presented to client machines as one or more file systems through the network interface. The processor, system memory, network interface, drive controllers, and array of disk drives are all packaged together as a single field replaceable unit. The processor, system memory, network interface, drive controllers, and array of disk drives may be configured not to be individually field serviceable or replaceable. If the unit fails and needs servicing or replacement, the unit may be replaced as a whole.