User manual
US
8,510,424
B2
7
the
network
equipment
contemplated
here
is
Cisco
Systems
(San
Jose,
Calif).
The
Cisco
ONS15190
optical
network
IP-concentrator
that
operates
on
—48V
DC
power
is
typical
of
the
kind
of
equipment
represented
in
FIG.
1
by
a
number
of
network-equipment
units
208-212.
The
problem
to
be
solved
by
the
power
manager
system
200
is
the
maintenance
of
the
operating
health
of
the
network
equipment
units
208-212.
When
an
individual
one
of
the
network-equipment
units
208-212
experience
a
software
lock-up,
or
crash,
it
is
effectively
dead
and
will
not
be
respon
sive.
A
typical
rack
206
can
be
responsible
for
supporting
a
major
piece
of
the
public
Internet
or
a
corporate
extranet.
It
is
therefore
the
role
and
purpose
of
the
power
manager
200
to
monitor
the
power
and
environmental
operating
conditions,
and
to
afford
management
personnel
the
ability
to
turn the
computer-based
network-equipment
units
208-212
on
and
off
Such
allows
a
power-on
rebooting
of
software
to
be
forced
remotely
from
the
NMS
202.
The
operating
conditions
and
environment
are
preferably
reported
to
the
NMS
202
on
request
and
when
any
alarms
occur,
e.g.,
excess
temperature
or
load
current.
Vertical
space
in
the
rack
206
is
typically
at
a
premium,
so
all
the
possible
vertical
rack
space
is
reserved
to
the
network
equipment
units
208-212
and
not
to
any
power
supplies
or
controllers.
Therefore,
a
power-distribution
strip
214
is
implemented
as
one
or
two
long skinny
plug
strips
mounted
vertically in
the
back
inside
comer
spaces.
It
includes
a
soft
ware-controlled
relay-switch
for
each
corresponding
power
cord
set
from
the
network-equipment
units
208-212.
For
example,
sixteen
plug
outlets
and
relay-switches
each.
A
sensor
216
measures
the
total
power
entering
the
power
distribution
strip
214,
and
can
output
volts,
current,
or
power
readings
to
a
local
display
218.
The
sensor
also
provides
such
volts,
current,
or
power
readings,
as
well
as
ambient
tempera
ture
measurements
in
the top
and bottom
of
the
rack
206
to
a
remote
power
manager
220.
In
an
alternative
embodiment
of
the
present
invention,
the
power-distribution
strip
214
associates
a
“tickle”
signal
with
each
power
supply
connection
to
corresponding
ones of
the
network-equipment
units
208-212.
This
allows
a
channel
to
be
exercised
and
tested
so
a
systems
administrator
can
develop
con?dence
that
a
power
on-off
command
will
not
run
amok
and
turn
off
an
unintended
device.
The
equipment
rack
206
further
includes
a
network
inter
face
controller
(N
IC)
222
connected
to
a
security
?rewall
224.
If
the
network
204
is
the
Internet,
or
otherwise
insecure,
it
is
important
to
provide
protection
of
a
network
agent
226
from
accidental
and/or
malicious
attacks
that
could
disrupt
the
operation
or
control
of
the
network-equipment
units
208-212.
The
network
agent
226
converts
software
commands
com
municated
in
the
form
of
TCP/IP
datapackets
228
into
signals
the
remote
power
manager
can
use.
For
example,
messages
can
be
sent
from
the
NMS
202
that
will
cause
the
remote
power
manager
220
to
operate
the
power
relay-switches
in
the
power-distribution
strip
214.
In
reverse,
voltage,
current,
and
temperature
readings
collected
by
the
sensor
216
are
col
lected
by
the
remote
power
manager
220
and
encoded
by
the
network
agent
226
into
appropriate
datapackets
228.
The
NMS
202
typically
comprises
a
network
interface
controller
(NIC)
232
connected
to
a
computer
platform
and
its
operating
system
234.
Such
operating
system
can
include
Microsoft
WINDOWS-NT,
or
any
other
similar
commercial
product.
This
preferably
supports
or
includes
a
Telnet
appli
cation
236,
a
network
browser
238,
and/or
an
SNMP
appli
cation
240
with
an
appropriate
MIB
242.
A
terminal
emula
tion
program
or
user
terminal
244
is
provided
so a
user
can
manage
the
system
200
from
a
single
console.
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
55
60
65
8
FIG.
3 represents a
third
power
manager
system
embodi
ment
of
the
present
invention,
and
is
referred
to
herein
by
the
general
reference
numeral
300.
A
network
management
sys
tem
(N
MS)
302
like
those
in
FIGS.
1
and
2
is
connected
by
a
network
304
to
an
equipment
rack
305.
For
example, such
rack
houses
a
number
of
network
routers,
switches,
access
servers,
bridges,
gateways,
VPN
devices,
etc.,
that
all
receive
their
operating
power
from
a
battery
bank
306
charged
by
a
recti?er
307.
The
problem
to
be
solved
by
the
power
manager
system
3
00
is
the
maintenance
of
the
operating
health
of
the
network
equipment
units
308-312.
When
an
individual
one
of
the
network-equipment
units
308-312
experience
a
software
lock-up,
or
crash,
it
is
effectively
dead
and
will
not
be
respon
sive.
A
typical
rack
305
can
be
responsible
for
supporting
a
major
piece
of
the
public
Internet
or
a
corporate
extranet.
It
is
therefore
the
role
and
purpose
of
the
power
manager
300
to
monitor
the
power
and
environmental
operating
conditions,
and
to
afford
management
personnel
the
ability
to
turn the
computer-based
network-equipment
units
308-312
on
and
off
Such
allows
a
power-on
rebooting
of
software
to
be
forced
remotely
from
the
NMS
302.
The
operating
conditions
and
environment
are
preferably
reported
to
the
NMS
302 on
request
and
when
any
alarms
occur,
e.g.,
excess
temperature
or
load
current.
Vertical
space
in
the
rack
305
is
typically
at
a
premium,
so
all
the
possible
vertical
rack
space
is
reserved
to
the
network
equipment
units
308-312
and
not
to
any
power
supplies
or
controllers.
Therefore,
a
power-distribution
strip
314
is
implemented
as
one
or
two
long
skinny
plug
strips
mounted
vertically
in
the
back
inside
comer
spaces.
It
includes
a
soft
ware-controlled
relay-switch
for
each
corresponding
power
cord
set
from
the
network-equipment
units
308-312.
For
example,
sixteen
plug
outlets
and
relay-switches
each.
A
sensor
316
measures
the
total
power
entering
the
power
distribution
strip
314,
and
can
output
volts,
current,
or
power
readings
to
a
local
display
318.
The
sensor
also
provides
such
volts,
current,
or
power
readings,
as
well
as
ambient
tempera
ture
measurements
in
the
top
and bottom
of
the
rack
305
to
a
remote
power
manager
320.
A
disk
321
represents a
database
of
user
con?guration
information.
Prior
art
systems
required
users
to
set
all
the
con?guration
options
one-by-one
through
Telnet,
SNMP,
or
http
commands.
In
large
systems
with
many
con?guration
choices
to
be
made,
errors
and
other
data
entry
problems
can
develop.
A
model
set
of
con?gurations
can
be
published
by
a
large
user
with
many
racks
305
to setup,
all
on
a
distribution
disk 321.
Alternatively,
once
a
rack
305
has
been
con?gured,
its
con?guration
can
be
copied
to
disk
321
for
downloading
at
the
other
locations.
The
disk
321
can
also
be
used
to
store
an
image
that
can
be
reloaded
in
the
event
agent
326
or
remote
power
manager
320
crash
or
have
to
be
replaced.
Keeping
such
con?guration
information
on
disk
321
generally
saves
on
installation
time
and
reduces
error.
In
an
alternative
embodiment
of
the
present
invention,
the
power-distribution
strip
314
associates
a
“tickle”
signal
with
each
power
supply
connection
to
corresponding
ones of
the
network-equipment
units
308-312.
This
allows
a
channel
to
be
exercised
and
tested
so
a
systems
administrator
can
develop
con?dence
that
a
power
on-offcommand
will
not
run
amok
and
turn
off
an
unintended
device.
The
equipment
rack
305
further
includes
a
network
inter
face
controller
(N
IC)
322
connected
to
a
security
?rewall
324.
If
the
network
304
is
the
Internet,
or
otherwise
insecure,
it
is
important
to
provide
protection
of
a
network
agent
326
from
accidental
and/or
malicious
attacks
that
could
disrupt
the