Auto-configuration of a port

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9875201-B2
Application number	US-201414307352-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 17, 2014
Priority date	Jun 17, 2014
Publication date	Jan 23, 2018
Grant date	Jan 23, 2018

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention provide automatic provisioning of a port in an information handling system, such as a router, switch, bridge, etc., according to the cable type that is inserted into the port. In embodiments, if a user has inserted a break-out cable into a port that is not configured for break-out mode, the information handling system quickly and transparently changes the port configuration to a break-out mode. Conversely, when a user inserts a non-break-out cable that cannot be fanned out into a quad-mode port, the information handling system configures that port to native mode (i.e., non-break-out mode). In embodiments, the user may override auto-configuration. In embodiments, one or more port configurations may be stored and applied to a port by a user.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An information handling system (IHS) comprising:
a plurality of input/output (I/O) ports, at least one or more of the plurality of I/O ports being configured to receive a connector of a cable to facilitate connection with one or more network devices;
one or more processors that are communicatively coupled to the plurality of ports; and
a memory that is communicatively coupled to the one or more processors and stores one or more sequences of instructions, in which execution of the one or more sequences of instructions by one or more processors causes steps to be performed comprising:
detecting a type of a cable that is plugged into a port from the plurality of I/O ports;
responsive to the type of cable being a break-out cable and the port being configured for non-break-out operation, changing a configuration of the port to break-out operation; and
implementing the configuration of the port.

2. The information handling system of claim 1 wherein the one or more processors read the cable type from a memory on the cable.

3. The information handling system of claim 2 wherein the one or more processors read the cable type from an Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory (EEPROM).

4. The information handling system of claim 1 wherein the one or more processors perform the step of implementing the configuration of the port without rebooting the IHS.

5. The information handling system of claim 4 wherein the step of implementing the configuration of the port without rebooting the IHS comprises using an update feature of at least one processor from the one or more processors.

6. The information handling system of claim 1 wherein one or more prior port configurations are stored in a memory in the IHS.

7. The information handling system of claim 6 wherein a user can apply a port configuration from the one or more prior port configurations to the port.

8. A processor-implemented method for automatically configuring a mode of a port in a networking device, the method comprising:
detecting a type of cable that is plugged into a port of the networking device;
responsive to the type of cable and a break-out mode or non-breakout mode configuration of the port being mismatched relative to the detected type of cable, changing the configuration of the port to conform with the detected type of cable; and
updating at least a portion of the networking device to implement the changed configuration.

9. The processor-implemented method of claim 8 wherein the step of updating at least a portion of the networking device to implement the changed configuration is performed without rebooting the networking device.

10. The processor-implemented method of claim 8 further comprising:
responsive to the detected type of cable and the configuration of the port not being mismatched, not changing the configuration of the port.

11. The processor-implemented method of claim 8 further comprising:
storing in a memory at least one prior configuration of the port; and
enabling a user to apply to the port a prior configuration from the at least one prior configuration.

12. The processor-implemented method of claim 11 wherein the step of storing in a memory at least one prior configuration of the port comprising:
storing in a memory a plurality of prior port configurations of the port.

13. An information handling system (IHS) comprising:
a plurality of input/output (I/O) ports, at least one or more of the plurality of I/O ports being configured to receive a connector of a cable to facilitate connection with one or more network devices;
one or more processors that are communicatively coupled to the plurality of ports; and
a memory that is communicatively coupled to the one or more processors and stores one or more sequences of instructions, in which execution of the one or more sequences of instructions by one or more processors causes steps to be performed comprising:
detecting a type of cable that is plugged into a port from the plurality of I/O ports;
responsive to the cable type and a port configuration being mismatched relative to a break-out or a non-break operation of the port, changing the configuration of the port to conform with break-out or non-break-out cable type; and
updating the IHS with the changed configuration of the port.

14. The information handling system of claim 13 wherein the one or more processors read the cable type from a memory on the cable.

15. The information handling system of claim 13 wherein the one or more processors perform the step of implementing the configuration of the port without rebooting the IHS.

16. The information handling system of claim 15 wherein the step of implementing the configuration of the port without rebooting the IHS comprises using an update feature of at least one processor from the one or more processors.

17. The information handling system of claim 13 wherein the memory further comprises one or more sequences of instructions that, when executed by one or more processors causes steps to be performed comprising:
responsive to the cable type and a port configuration not being mismatched relative to a break-out or a non-break operation of the port, not changing the configuration of the port.

18. The information handling system of claim 13 wherein the memory further comprises one or more sequences of instructions that, when executed by one or more processors causes steps to be performed comprising:
responsive to the cable type not being detected, not automatically changing the configuration of the port.

19. The information handling system of claim 13 wherein one or more prior port configurations are stored in a memory in the IHS and a user can apply a prior port configuration from the one or more prior port configurations to the port.

20. The information handling system of claim 13 wherein an alert is provided to user after detecting a mismatch but before changing the configuration of the port.

Assignees

• Dell Products Lp
• Dell Products Lp

Inventors

• Adhikesavalu Kapil
• Venkatesan Shathish Muthu

Classifications

• G06F13/4004 Primary

  Coupling between buses · CPC title

• G01R31/00

  Arrangements for testing electric properties; Arrangements for locating electric faults; Arrangements for electrical testing characterised by what is being tested not provided for elsewhere ({measuring superconductive properties G01R33/1238;} testing line transmission systems H04B3/46; testing or measuring semiconductors or solid state devices during manufacture {H10P74/00}) · CPC title