Entrusted Management for Rack Systems via IMM Redundancy
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional rack systems lack high reliability in centralized server management due to the absence of a robust backup mechanism for integrated management modules (IMMs), leading to potential failures and increased management costs.
Innovation Solution
An entrusted management method is implemented, where a primary IMM is selected to perform synchronous backup and management of other IMMs within a rack group through a network, with a secondary IMM acting as a redundant leader to ensure continuous operation and reduce hardware costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a single IMM is used to manage internal rack devices, then the device complexity is reduced, but the reliability of server management deteriorates due to lack of backup
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a backup mechanism where one IMM is selected as a primary IMM and another as a secondary IMM. The secondary IMM performs synchronous backup of configuration information from the primary IMM and other IMMs in the rack group. This copying approach ensures that management capability is preserved even if the primary IMM fails, resolving the contradiction between simple structure and reliable operation.
2Reliability
If additional backup hardware is added to improve reliability, then the reliability of server management is improved, but the hardware cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes existing IMMs serve dual functions: their primary function of managing their own rack systems, and a secondary function of providing backup management capability for the entire rack group. The secondary IMM can take over management of any rack system in the group if needed. This multi-functionality approach provides reliable backup without requiring additional dedicated backup hardware, thus resolving the contradiction between reliability and hardware cost.
3Ease of operation
If each IMM manages its own internal rack devices independently, then the ease of operation is improved, but the centralized management capability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the management capabilities of multiple IMMs into a unified entrusted management framework. While each IMM continues to manage its own internal rack devices autonomously, the primary and secondary IMMs also maintain synchronized configuration information and can perform centralized management operations on any rack system in the group. This merging approach preserves individual autonomy while enabling centralized control when needed, resolving the contradiction between ease of operation and centralized management capability.
Data Source
AI summary
An entrusted management method for a plurality of rack systems is provided, which includes the following steps. The rack systems are provided, in which each rack system respectively includes an integrated management module (IMM) and a plurality of internal rack devices. The rack systems are distributed into at least one rack group, and one of a plurality of IMMs in each rack group is selected to serve as a primary IMM. The primary IMM is connected to other IMMs through a network, and performs a synchronous configuration procedure to back up a plurality of pieces of configuration information of the other IMMs in the rack group. When an anomaly occurs in a specific IMM or the specific IMM submits an entrustment request, the primary IMM manages, through the network, internal rack devices originally managed by the specific IMM.