Unified Object Model for Data Center Infrastructure Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
Data center administrators face complexity in managing diverse equipment due to varied software interfaces, requiring substantial expertise and time to diagnose issues and perform updates, as each component must be accessed individually and multiple tools revised with manufacturer changes.
Innovation Solution
An object model instance is created to represent data center components as a unified entity, allowing administrators to access information and manage components through a single-point source, with logical categories and physical components represented as sub-object instances, enabling unified management and diagnostics.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If administrators access each component individually through multiple software interfaces, then they can obtain component-specific information, but the complexity of administration increases and time consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple component software interfaces into a single unified management interface. The management console aggregates information from storage components, compute components, network components, and other data center equipment into one consolidated view, allowing administrators to access all component information through a single interface rather than navigating multiple separate interfaces.
Solution Approach 2:
The management console is designed as a universal interface that can manage diverse component types (storage arrays, servers, switches, PDUs, sensors) through a common software platform. This multi-functional approach eliminates the need for component-specific management tools while maintaining the ability to handle heterogeneous equipment types.
2Reliability
If administrators examine components individually to diagnose faults, then they can identify problem sources, but diagnostic time increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The management console segments and organizes component information into logical categories (storage, compute, network, infrastructure) with hierarchical structures. This segmentation allows administrators to quickly navigate to relevant component groups and drill down to specific devices, rather than examining all components individually in a disorganized manner.
Solution Approach 2:
The management console acts as an intermediary between administrators and physical components. It collects, processes, and presents component status and diagnostic information in a unified format, eliminating the need for administrators to directly interact with multiple component-specific interfaces and reducing diagnostic time while maintaining accuracy.
3Reliability
If administrators update components one at a time using conventional methods, then they can maintain system operations, but maintenance efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The management console enables preliminary identification and grouping of components that require updates. Administrators can select multiple components across different categories for batch update operations, preparing maintenance tasks in advance and executing them collectively rather than sequentially, thereby improving maintenance efficiency while maintaining system operational reliability.
Data Source
AI summary
An improved technique for managing an electronic system suitable for providing users with information technology resources, such as compute, storage, and network resources, builds an object model instance of data center components to represent the data center components as a unified entity, which administrators can access as a single-point source for information about the components. In some examples, the object model instance also serves as a single-point for management control of the electronic system. The object model instance is populated with information obtained from a discovery process, where components are queried to report their actual configuration and state, as well as physical and logical relationships among them.