DCIM Agent Protocol Translation for Legacy Asset Data Access

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Solution Overview

Problem

Legacy customer assets in data centers, communicating using non-conforming protocols, are unable to access global DCIM or messaging services, leading to inaccessible infrastructure asset data, which is crucial for managing network, server, and storage gear.

Innovation Solution

Deployment of a localized data center-based agent that translates infrastructure asset data into formats usable by customer assets, using pre-defined mappings, to facilitate access via network management or control protocols, ensuring low-latency access to global DCIM data.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Extent of automation

If a global DCIM platform is deployed to monitor infrastructure assets, then centralized data collection and management capability is improved, but accessibility to legacy customer assets using non-conforming protocols deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecentralized data collection capabilityVSAvoidprotocol compatibility

Core Design Contradiction:

Extent of automationVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

A protocol translation agent is deployed as an intermediary component between legacy customer assets and the global DCIM platform. This agent translates non-conforming protocols used by legacy assets into standard protocols that the DCIM platform can process, enabling centralized monitoring while maintaining compatibility with legacy systems without requiring modification to either the legacy assets or the global platform

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The system is segmented into distinct functional components: legacy customer assets, localized protocol translation agents deployed at customer premises, and the global DCIM platform. This segmentation allows each component to operate independently with its own protocol requirements, bridging the gap between legacy and modern systems through the intermediary translation layer

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Loss of information

If cloud-based messaging services are used for real-time data access, then data accessibility is improved, but latency for legacy assets communicating via traditional protocols increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedata accessibilityVSAvoiddata access latency

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of informationVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The protocol translation agent performs preliminary translation of data formats and protocols before data is transmitted to the cloud-based DCIM platform. By pre-processing and standardizing data at the source, the system eliminates translation delays that would otherwise occur during real-time operations, reducing overall latency while maintaining data accessibility

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The translation agent acts as a real-time intermediary that continuously translates protocols without requiring batch processing or periodic updates. This continuous translation capability ensures that data accessibility is maintained with minimal latency, as the intermediary operates asynchronously with the cloud platform

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Adaptability or versatility

If legacy customer assets are extended to communicate using modern cloud protocols, then protocol compatibility is improved, but device complexity and resource requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprotocol compatibilityVSAvoidasset extension complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of extending legacy assets to support multiple protocols, a separate translation agent is deployed as an intermediary. This approach maintains the simplicity of legacy assets while providing protocol translation capabilities through an external component, avoiding the complexity and resource overhead of modifying legacy devices

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The translation agent creates a virtual representation or copy of the legacy asset's communication interface, translating its non-conforming protocols into standard protocols. This copying approach allows legacy assets to maintain their original simplicity while still enabling communication with the DCIM platform through the translated interface

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

Data Source

PatentUS10819556B1Data center agent for data center infrastructure monitoring data access and translation

Publication Date: 2020.10.27 EQUINIX INC

AI summary

In some examples, a method includes obtaining, by a data center infrastructure monitoring (DCIM) agent executing on a computing device deployed by a data center provider within a first data center of a plurality of geographically-distributed data centers, an infrastructure asset data object comprising infrastructure asset data for a physical infrastructure asset of a second data center of the plurality of geographically-distributed data centers; translating, by the DCIM agent using an asset mapping table, the infrastructure asset data object to formatted infrastructure asset data, wherein the asset mapping table maps one or more properties of infrastructure asset data objects to management protocol objects or control protocol objects for one of a management protocol or control protocol; and sending, by the DCIM agent to customer equipment co-located within the first data center, the formatted infrastructure asset data in a communication that conforms to one of the management protocol or control protocol.