NFC Device Interaction for Data Center Configuration Management

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Solution Overview

Problem

Managing physical processing resources in large data centers is challenging due to the difficulty in identifying and replacing failed devices, leading to confusion and potential suboptimal performance from incompatible or incorrectly configured replacements.

Innovation Solution

The implementation of Near Field Communication (NFC) technology allows for direct interaction between a portable device and information handling systems to confirm operational management decisions, retrieve configuration settings, and maintain an inventory of components, ensuring correct replacements and network connections are validated.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If traditional manual methods are used for identifying and replacing failed devices in data centers, then device replacement can be performed, but identification errors and configuration mistakes occur leading to suboptimal performance

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedevice replacement accuracyVSAvoiddevice identification difficulty

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces NFC tags as intermediary elements attached to physical devices and their corresponding virtual representations. These tags enable automatic identification and association between physical and virtual entities through near-field communication, eliminating manual identification errors and ensuring accurate device replacement without requiring operators to manually track or identify devices

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements feedback mechanisms where NFC tags on physical devices provide immediate confirmation to the management system when devices are replaced or moved. The system automatically updates the virtual representation to reflect the new physical device identity, providing real-time feedback that ensures configuration accuracy and prevents mismatches between virtual and physical states

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

2Productivity

If virtualization is used to distribute functions across multiple information handling systems, then resource utilization improves, but tracking and managing physical resources becomes more difficult

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveresource utilization efficiencyVSAvoidphysical resource management complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent creates accurate digital copies (virtual representations) of physical devices that mirror their identity and state. NFC tags enable the system to automatically copy device identification information from physical to virtual representations, maintaining synchronization without manual intervention and simplifying the management of virtualized resources across multiple information handling systems

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

Solution Approach 2:

The NFC tag system serves multiple functions simultaneously: it identifies physical devices, tracks their location, enables replacement verification, and maintains virtual-physical associations. This multi-functional approach consolidates several management tasks into a single mechanism, reducing overall management complexity while supporting virtualized resource distribution

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Ease of repair

If manual configuration methods are used for device replacements, then device replacement can be performed, but configuration errors occur leading to incompatible or incorrectly configured replacements

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedevice replacement speedVSAvoidconfiguration accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of repairVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary actions by pre-configuring virtual representations with the correct device identity and configuration data before physical replacement occurs. When a device is replaced, the system automatically applies the pre-prepared configuration from the virtual representation to the new physical device, ensuring configuration accuracy without requiring manual configuration steps during the replacement process

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces manual mechanical configuration processes with automated electronic configuration transfer through NFC communication. The system automatically transfers configuration data between devices and updates virtual representations electronically, eliminating manual configuration errors and ensuring precise, consistent device setup during replacement operations

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Data Source

PatentUS9686138B2Information handling system operational management through near field communication device interaction

Publication Date: 2017.06.20 DELL SOFTWARE INC

AI summary

Configuration information to configure an information handling system is obtained by sending an identifier for the information handling system to a portable information handling system, such as a mobile telephone, with a first NFC communication. The mobile telephone retrieves the configuration information, such as through a network interface, and sends the configuration information to the information handling system with a second NFC communication. Configuration information includes a variety of information, such as IP and MAC address, BIOS settings, software applications, firmware versions and end user specific settings.