Virtual PDU for Network Node Power Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
The high cost and logistical challenges of testing infrastructure software with Power Distribution Units (PDUs) from various vendors, due to their different internal logic and access modes, make it impractical to simulate or test with multiple PDUs for validating software robustness and reliability.
Innovation Solution
A virtual Power Distribution Unit (PDU) is created using a computing device, which can simulate physical PDUs and control network nodes of both virtual and physical types, allowing for the use of different control interfaces to manage power supply and resource utilization efficiently.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If multiple physical PDUs from different vendors are purchased for software testing, then software robustness and reliability validation is improved, but testing cost increases enormously
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a virtual PDU that replicates the functionality and control interfaces of physical PDUs from multiple vendors. This virtual copy allows software developers to test infrastructure software against different PDU types and access modes without purchasing actual hardware from each vendor, thereby validating software robustness while avoiding enormous testing costs.
Solution Approach 2:
The virtual PDU is designed to provide multiple control interfaces (first type for virtual nodes, second type for physical nodes) and simulate different vendor-specific access modes within a single system. This multi-functional capability allows a single virtual PDU to replace multiple physical PDUs from different vendors, enabling comprehensive software testing without acquiring numerous physical devices.
2Adaptability or versatility
If PDUs from different vendors are used to validate software compatibility, then software adaptability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The virtual PDU consolidates multiple vendor-specific control interfaces and access modes into a single unified system. It provides a first type of control interface for virtual network nodes and a second type of control interface for physical network nodes, allowing software developers to test compatibility across different PDU types without managing multiple physical devices from different vendors, thereby reducing testing environment complexity while maintaining software adaptability validation.
3Reliability
If a large number of physical PDUs are purchased for scale-out testing, then software scalability validation is improved, but testing cost increases enormously
Solution Approach 1:
The virtual PDU serves as a software-based replica that can be instantiated and scaled virtually without the need to purchase additional physical hardware. This allows software developers to perform scale-out testing by deploying multiple virtual PDU instances across available computing resources, validating software scalability capabilities while avoiding the enormous costs associated with purchasing hundreds or thousands of physical PDUs.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from physical hardware scaling to virtual software scaling by implementing the PDU functionality in software running on computing devices. This dimensional shift from physical to virtual space enables unlimited scaling of testing capacity constrained only by available computing resources rather than physical hardware availability, dramatically reducing the cost of scale-out testing.
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a method and apparatus of controlling a network node. The method comprises: providing a virtual PDU by using a computing device; and causing the virtual PDU to control power supply of the network node coupled to the virtual PDU according to a type of the network node. By means of the embodiments of the present disclosure, not only physical nodes can be controlled, but also virtual nodes can be controlled.