AR Node Diagnostics for Faster Data Center Cluster Repair
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Solution Overview
Problem
Maintaining and diagnosing large-scale data center systems, particularly Hyper Converged Infrastructure (HCI) clusters, is challenging due to geographic dispersion and the complexity of identifying and repairing failed nodes in a timely and efficient manner.
Innovation Solution
An augmented reality (AR) diagnostic tool is developed as a software application on a portable device that employs AR infrastructure to enable users to locate and diagnose failed nodes within HCI clusters, providing recommendations for repair through wearable visualization technology, integrating with cloud-based analytics services for real-time data and guidance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If conventional diagnostic methods are used for large-scale data center systems, then the diagnostic process becomes complex and time-consuming, but the system size and geographic dispersion make fault location difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an augmented reality diagnostic tool as an intermediary between the technician and the complex HCI cluster system. The tool receives diagnostic data from the cluster, processes it, and presents simplified visual guidance through AR interfaces, mediating the complexity between the large-scale distributed system and the human operator.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a virtual copy or representation of the physical HCI cluster components within the augmented reality interface. The AR tool displays visual representations of nodes, switches, and connectivity paths that mirror the actual physical infrastructure, allowing technicians to diagnose issues in a simplified virtual model rather than physically navigating the complex real system.
2Measurement precision
If technicians manually locate and diagnose failed nodes in geographically dispersed data centers, then detailed analysis is possible, but time consumption and support engagement requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary diagnostic actions automatically by collecting and analyzing diagnostic data from all HCI cluster nodes before the technician arrives. The AR tool pre-processes failure information and prepares visual guidance, so that when the technician views the AR interface, the diagnostic work has already been partially completed, reducing on-site time and downtime.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a feedback loop where the AR diagnostic tool continuously receives diagnostic data from the HCI cluster, analyzes it, and provides real-time visual feedback to the technician. This feedback mechanism enables precise fault detection by presenting analyzed diagnostic information directly in the technician's field of view, improving accuracy while reducing the time needed for manual investigation.
3Reliability
If sophisticated diagnostic tools are deployed to handle geographically dispersed systems, then diagnostic capability improves, but the tools become complex and difficult to operate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions the diagnostic interface from traditional two-dimensional screens to three-dimensional augmented reality space. By projecting diagnostic information, node locations, and guidance cues directly into the technician's physical field of view, the tool maintains sophisticated diagnostic capabilities while dramatically improving ease of operation through intuitive spatial visualization.
Solution Approach 2:
The AR diagnostic tool is designed as a universal interface that can diagnose various types of failures across different HCI cluster configurations through a single unified interaction model. The tool handles multiple diagnostic scenarios (node failures, connectivity issues, performance problems) through consistent AR visualizations, making it both reliable and easy to operate regardless of the specific fault type.
Data Source
AI summary
An augmented reality (AR) diagnostic tool embodied as a software application on a portable device employs AR infrastructure to enable a user to locate a failed/malfunctioning node of a cluster and, with minimal interaction, diagnose causes and provide recommendations to repair the node. The portable device may be a computer embodied as visualization technology and configured to execute the software application. Once installed, the AR diagnostic (ARD) tool is ready for use by the user, e.g., a customer service technician, to locate and repair one or more failed cluster nodes. In response to a failure/malfunction, the cluster node sends diagnostic and configuration information (i.e., failure/malfunction information) of the failed node to an analytics service. The failure information informs the technician of the cluster failure. The technician may then activate the ARD tool and AR infrastructure to locate and repair the failed node.