U.S. patent application number 13/426777 was filed with the patent office on 2012-09-27 for systems and methods for utilizing variable length data field storage schemes on physical communication media segments.
This patent application is currently assigned to ADC TELECOMMUNICATIONS, INC.. Invention is credited to Laxman R. Anne, Jeffrey J. Miller, Eric W. Sybesma.
Application Number | 20120246347 13/426777 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 46878275 |
Filed Date | 2012-09-27 |
United States Patent
Application |
20120246347 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Sybesma; Eric W. ; et
al. |
September 27, 2012 |
SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR UTILIZING VARIABLE LENGTH DATA FIELD
STORAGE SCHEMES ON PHYSICAL COMMUNICATION MEDIA SEGMENTS
Abstract
One exemplary embodiment is directed to a segment of physical
communication media. The segment comprises a physical communication
medium, a connector attached to the physical communication medium,
and a storage device configured to store information therein using
a self-defining variable length data field scheme (such as a
key-length-value triplet).
Inventors: |
Sybesma; Eric W.;
(Minneapolis, MN) ; Miller; Jeffrey J.; (Shakopee,
MN) ; Anne; Laxman R.; (Eden Prairie, MN) |
Assignee: |
ADC TELECOMMUNICATIONS,
INC.
Shakopee
MN
|
Family ID: |
46878275 |
Appl. No.: |
13/426777 |
Filed: |
March 22, 2012 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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61467736 |
Mar 25, 2011 |
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61467715 |
Mar 25, 2011 |
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61467725 |
Mar 25, 2011 |
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61467729 |
Mar 25, 2011 |
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61467743 |
Mar 25, 2011 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
710/15 ; 710/300;
711/103; 711/156; 711/E12.008 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H04L 41/12 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
710/15 ; 711/156;
711/103; 710/300; 711/E12.008 |
International
Class: |
G06F 3/00 20060101
G06F003/00; G06F 13/00 20060101 G06F013/00; G06F 12/00 20060101
G06F012/00 |
Claims
1. A segment of physical communication media, the segment
comprising: a physical communication medium; a connector attached
to the physical communication medium; and a storage device
configured to store information therein using a self-defining
variable length data field scheme.
2. The segment of claim 1, wherein the storage device is configured
to have a header stored thereon, the header having coded therein at
least one field size key that indicates a size of a field used to
store at least some of the information.
3. The segment of claim 2, wherein the storage device is configured
to have encoded thereon a first field size key that indicates a
size of a field used to store a first portion of the information in
a read-only section of the storage device; and a second field size
key that indicates a size of a field used to store at a second
portion of the information in a writable section of the storage
device.
4. The segment of claim 1, wherein the connector includes a first
interface for communicating data through the physical communication
medium, and a second interface separate from the first interface
for accessing the storage device.
5. The segment of claim 1, wherein the information comprises a
plurality of items of information, and wherein the plurality of
items of information are stored on the storage device using a
plurality of key-length-value triplets.
6. The segment of claim 5, wherein each item of information of the
plurality of items of information is stored in an associated
key-length-value triplet of the plurality of key-length-value
triplets.
7. The segment of claim 5, wherein each key-length-value triplet of
the plurality of key-length-value triplets comprises: a respective
key field; a respective length field; and a respective value field;
wherein each key field includes a respective key that identifies a
respective item of information encoded in the value field; and
wherein each length field specifies a respective data length for
the respective item of information encoded in the value field.
8. The segment of claim 7, wherein, for at least one of the
plurality of key-length-value triplets, the value field stores one
or more key-length-value triplets.
9. The segment of claim 7, wherein for at least one
key-length-value triplet, the respective key further identifies an
encoding method used to encode the respective item of information
encoded in the respective value field.
10. The segment of claim 7, wherein for at least one
key-length-value triplet, the respective key further identifies a
decoding method to use to decode the respective item of information
from the respective value field.
11. The segment of claim 1, wherein the storage device is integral
to the connector.
12. The segment of claim 1, wherein the information stored in the
storage device comprises information about at least one of the
connector, the physical communication medium, the storage device,
and the segment of physical communication media.
13. The segment of claim 12, wherein the information stored in the
storage device comprises information indicative of an identifier
associated with at least one of the connector, the physical
communication medium, the storage device, and the segment of
physical communication media.
14. The segment of claim 12, wherein the information stored in the
storage device comprises information indicative of an attribute
associated with at least one of the connector, the physical
communication medium, the storage device, and the segment of
physical communication media.
15. The segment of claim 1, wherein the physical communication
medium comprises physical communication media.
16. The segment of claim 15, wherein the physical communication
medium comprises at least one of a twisted-pair communication
medium and a fiber optical communication medium.
17. The segment of claim 15, wherein the physical communication
medium comprises at least one of a twisted-pair cable and an
optical fiber.
18. The segment of claim 1, wherein the connector comprises at
least one of a RJ-45 plug, an SC connector, an LC connector, an FC
connector, an LX.5 connector, an MTP connector, and an MPO
connector.
19. The segment of claim 1, wherein the storage device comprises an
Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory (EEPROM).
20. The segment of claim 1, wherein the storage device comprises a
non-volatile memory device.
21. A connector assembly comprising: a plurality of ports, each of
the plurality of ports configured to connect to a respective
segment of physical communication media; a processor configured to
read information stored on or in at least one segment physical
communication media that is connected to at least one of the ports
of the connector assembly; and wherein the information is stored in
or on the at least one segment of physical communication thereon
using a self-defining variable length data field scheme.
22. The connector assembly of claim 21, wherein the processor
comprises a slave processor and wherein the connector assembly
further comprises a master processor that is communicatively
coupled to the slave processor.
23. The connector assembly of claim 21, wherein the connector
assembly comprises a plurality of slave processors that are
communicatively coupled to the master processor.
24. The connector assembly of claim 21, wherein the connector
assembly comprises at least one of a rack-mounted connector
assembly, a wall-mounted connector assembly, an inter-networking
device, a fiber distribution hub (FDH), a fiber splice panel, and a
fiber termination point.
25. The connector assembly of claim 21, wherein the connector
assembly comprises at least one of a patch panel, a distribution
unit, a media converter, a wall-mounted connector box, wall-mounted
jack, wall-mounted outlet, a wall-mounted media converter, a
switch, a bridge, a router, a hub, a repeater, a gateway, and an
access points.
26. The connector assembly of claim 21, wherein each of the ports
in the connector assembly comprises: a rear connector, a front
connector, and an interface to read the information stored on or in
physical media inserted into the front connector.
27. The connector assembly of claim 26, wherein the front connector
comprises a modular jack into which a plug attached to a patch cord
is inserted.
28. The connector assembly of claim 21, wherein each of the
plurality of ports is configured to couple at least two optical
fibers to one another.
29. The connector assembly of claim 21, wherein the at least one
segment of physical communication media comprises a storage device
in which the information is stored.
30. The connector assembly of claim 29, wherein the storage device
has a header stored thereon, the header having coded therein at
least one field size key that indicates a size of a field used to
store at least some of the information.
31. The connector assembly of claim 29, wherein the information
comprises a plurality of items of information, and wherein the
plurality of items of information are stored in the storage device
using a plurality of key-length-value triplets.
32. A system comprising: a plurality of connector assemblies, each
of the connector assemblies comprising a plurality of ports,
wherein each of the connector assemblies is configured to read
information stored on or in segments of physical communication
media that are connected to the ports of the respective connector
assembly; and an aggregation point communicatively coupled to the
plurality of connector assemblies, wherein the aggregation point is
configured to cause each of the connector assemblies to send to the
aggregation point at least some of the information read from the
segments of physical communication media that are connected to the
ports of the respective connector assemblies; wherein the
aggregation point is configured to store at least some of the
information sent by the connector assemblies to the aggregation
point; and wherein the information stored on or in the segments of
physical communication media is stored in or on the segments of
physical communication using a self-defining variable length data
field scheme.
33. The system of claim 32, wherein each segment of physical
communication media comprises a respective storage device in which
the information is stored.
34. The system of claim 33, wherein each storage device has a
header stored thereon, the header having encoded therein at least
one field size key that indicates a size of a field used to store
at least some of the information in that storage device.
35. The system of claim 33, wherein the information comprises a
plurality of items of information, and wherein the plurality of
items of information are stored in each storage device using a
plurality of key-length-value triplets.
36. The system of claim 35, wherein each connector assembly is
configured to communicate to the aggregation point all of the
key-length-value triplets that the connector assembly reads from
the respective segments of physical communication media that are
connected to ports associated with that connector assembly
regardless of whether the key-length-value triplets are used
locally at that connector assembly.
37. The system of claim 32, wherein the aggregation point is
configured to provide at least some of the information stored by
the aggregation point to at least one other device.
38. The system of claim 37, wherein at least one other device
comprises application-layer functionality executing on a computer
communicatively coupled to the aggregation point.
39. The system of claim 32, wherein the aggregation point comprises
middleware that provides an application programming interface (API)
by which an external entity is able to access at least some of the
information stored by the aggregation point.
40. The system of claim 39, wherein the external entity comprises
at least one of a computer executing application-layer software, a
network management system, an enterprise management system, and an
inter-networking device.
41. The system of claim 32, wherein the aggregation point is at
least one of: implemented on a standalone network node; integrated
along with other network functionality; distributed across multiple
nodes in a network; and implemented in a hierarchy of aggregation
points.
42. The system of claim 32, wherein at least one connector assembly
is configured to read the information stored on or in physical
communication media that is connected to the ports of that
respective connector assembly from a storage device included in or
coupled to the physical communication media.
43. The system of claim 42, wherein storage device comprises
non-volatile memory.
44. The system of claim 32, wherein the segments of physical
communication media comprises at least one of a copper patch cord
or an optical fiber patch cord.
45. The system of claim 32, wherein the aggregation point and the
connector assemblies are communicatively coupled to one another
over an Internet Protocol network.
46. A method comprising: determining a field length used to store a
first item of information on or in a segment of physical
communication media by reading data from the segment of physical
communication media; and parsing data read from the segment of
physical communication media based on the field length in order to
identify a data field that stores the first item of
information.
47. The method of claim 46, further comprising extracting the item
of information from the data field.
48. The method of claim 46, wherein the first item of information
is stored in a storage device associated with the segment of
physical communication media.
49. The method of claim 48, further comprising: reading a header
stored on the storage device, the header having encoded therein at
least one field size key that indicates a size of a field used to
store at least one item of information.
50. The method of claim 48, wherein a plurality of items of
information are stored in the storage device using a plurality of
key-length-value triplets.
51. The method of claim 50, further comprising: determining when a
first key-length-value triplet of the plurality of key-length-value
triplets stores the first item of information based on a key stored
in a key field of the first key-length-value triplet; and
determining the field length of a value field used to store the
first item of information in the first key-length-value triplet
based on a data length stored in a length field of the first
key-length-value triplet.
52. The method of claim 51, further comprising: decoding the first
item of information from the value field based on information
provided by the key stored in the key field.
53. A program product comprising a plurality of instructions
tangibly stored on a non-transitory processor readable storage
medium, wherein the program instructions, when executed by a
programmable processor, are operable to cause the programmable
processor to: determine a field length used to store a first item
of information on or in a segment of physical communication media
by reading data from the segment of physical communication media;
and parse data read from the segment of physical communication
media based on the field length in order to identify a data field
that stores the first item of information.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional
Patent Application Ser. No. 61/467,736, filed on Mar. 25, 2011,
which is hereby incorporated herein by reference.
[0002] This application is related to the following:
[0003] U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/467,715,
filed on Mar. 25, 2011, titled "DOUBLE-BUFFER INSERTION COUNT
STORED IN A DEVICE ATTACHED TO A PHYSICAL LAYER MEDIUM", which is
hereby incorporated herein by reference;
[0004] U.S. patent application Ser. No. ______, Attorney Docket No.
100.1176US01, filed on even date herewith, titled "DOUBLE-BUFFER
INSERTION COUNT STORED IN A DEVICE ATTACHED TO A PHYSICAL LAYER
MEDIUM", which is hereby incorporated herein by reference;
[0005] U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/467,725,
filed on Mar. 25, 2011, titled "DYNAMICALLY DETECTING A DEFECTIVE
CONNECTOR AT A PORT", which is hereby incorporated herein by
reference;
[0006] U.S. patent application Ser. No. ______, Attorney Docket No.
100.1177US01, filed on even date herewith, titled "DYNAMICALLY
DETECTING A DEFECTIVE CONNECTOR AT A PORT", which is hereby
incorporated herein by reference;
[0007] U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/467,729,
filed on Mar. 25, 2011, titled "IDENTIFIER ENCODING SCHEME FOR USE
WITH MULTI-PATH CONNECTORS", which is hereby incorporated herein by
reference;
[0008] U.S. patent application Ser. No. ______, Attorney Docket No.
100.1178US01, filed on even date herewith, titled "IDENTIFIER
ENCODING SCHEME FOR USE WITH MULTI-PATH CONNECTORS", which is
hereby incorporated herein by reference;
[0009] U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/467,743,
filed on Mar. 25, 2011, titled "EVENT-MONITORING IN A SYSTEM FOR
AUTOMATICALLY OBTAINING AND MANAGING PHYSICAL LAYER INFORMATION
USING A RELIABLE PACKET-BASED COMMUNICATION", which is hereby
incorporated herein by reference; and
[0010] U.S. patent application Ser. No. ______, Attorney Docket No.
100.1181US01, filed on even date herewith, titled "EVENT-MONITORING
IN A SYSTEM FOR AUTOMATICALLY OBTAINING AND MANAGING PHYSICAL LAYER
INFORMATION USING A RELIABLE PACKET-BASED COMMUNICATION", which is
hereby incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUND
[0011] Communication networks typically include numerous logical
communication links between various items of equipment. Often a
single logical communication link is implemented using several
pieces of physical communication media. For example, a logical
communication link between a computer and an inter-networking
device such as a hub or router can be implemented as follows. A
first cable connects the computer to a jack mounted in a wall. A
second cable connects the wall-mounted jack to a port of a patch
panel, and a third cable connects the inter-networking device to
another port of a patch panel. A "patch cord" cross connects the
two together. In other words, a single logical communication link
is often implemented using several segments of physical
communication media.
[0012] A network or enterprise management system (generally
referred to here as a "network management system" or "NMS") is
typically aware of the logical communication links that exist in a
network but typically does not have information about the specific
physical layer media that are used to implement the logical
communication links. Indeed, NMS systems typically do not have the
ability to display or otherwise provide information about how
logical communication links are implemented at the physical layer
level.
[0013] Physical layer management (PLM) systems do exist. However,
existing PLM systems are typically designed to facilitate the
adding, changing, and removing of cross connections at a particular
patch panel or a set of patch panels at a given location.
Generally, such PLM systems include functionality to track what is
connected to each port of a patch panel, trace connections that are
made using a patch panel, and provide visual indications to a user
at a patch panel. However, such PLM systems are typically
"patch-panel" centric in that they are focused on helping a
technician correctly add, change, or remove cross connections at a
patch panel. Any "intelligence" included in or coupled to the patch
panel is typically only designed to facilitate making accurate
cross connections at the patch panel and troubleshooting related
problems (for example, by detecting whether a patch cord is
inserted into a given port and/or by determining which ports are
coupled to one another using a patch cord).
[0014] Moreover, any information that such PLM systems collect is
typically only used within the PLM systems. In other words, the
collections of information that such PLM systems maintain are
logical "islands" that are not used at the application-layer level
by other systems. Though such PLM systems are sometimes connected
to other networks (for example, connected to local area networks or
the Internet), such network connections are typically only used to
enable a user to remotely access the PLM systems. That is, a user
remotely accesses the PLM-related application-layer functionality
that resides in the PLM system itself using the external network
connection but external systems or networks typically do not
themselves include any application-layer functionality that makes
use of any of the physical-layer-related information that resides
in the PLM system.
SUMMARY
[0015] One exemplary embodiment is directed to a segment of
physical communication media. The segment comprises a physical
communication medium, a connector attached to the physical
communication medium, and a storage device configured to store
information therein using a self-defining variable length data
field scheme (such as a key-length-value triplet).
DRAWINGS
[0016] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of one exemplary embodiment of a
system that includes physical layer information (PLI) functionality
as well as physical layer management (PLM) functionality.
[0017] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of one high-level embodiment of a
port and media interface that are suitable for use in the system of
FIG. 1.
[0018] FIGS. 3A-3B are diagrams illustrating exemplary embodiments
of patch cords.
[0019] FIG. 4 is a flow chart illustrating an exemplary embodiment
of a method of reading information stored on or in a segment of
physical communication media.
[0020] FIGS. 5A-5C illustrate one example implementation of a
key-length-value scheme suitable for use in the system of FIG.
2.
[0021] FIG. 6 illustrates one example of how data is stored on a
storage device using the key-length-value scheme described above in
connection with FIGS. 5A-5C.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0022] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of one embodiment of a system 100
that includes physical layer information (PLI) functionality as
well as physical layer management (PLM) functionality. The system
100 comprises a plurality of connector assemblies 102, where each
connector assembly 102 comprises one or more ports 104. In general,
the connector assemblies 102 are used to attach segments of
physical communication media to one another.
[0023] Each segment of physical communication media is attached to
a respective port 104. Each port 104 is used to connect two or more
segments of physical communication media to one another (for
example, to implement a portion of a logical communication link).
Examples of connector assemblies 102 include, for example,
rack-mounted connector assemblies (such as patch panels,
distribution units, and media converters for fiber and copper
physical communication media), wall-mounted connector assemblies
(such as boxes, jacks, outlets, and media converters for fiber and
copper physical communication media), and inter-networking devices
(such as switches, routers, hubs, repeaters, gateways, and access
points).
[0024] At least some of the connector assemblies 102 are designed
for use with segments of physical communication media that have
identifier and attribute information stored in or on them. The
identifier and attribute information is stored in or on the segment
of physical communication media in a manner that enables the stored
information, when the segment is attached to a port 104, to be read
by a programmable processor 106 associated with the connector
assembly 102. Examples of information that can be stored in or on a
segment of physical communication media include, without
limitation, an identifier that uniquely identifies that particular
segment of physical communication media (similar to an ETHERNET
Media Access Control (MAC) address but associated with the physical
communication media and/or connector attached to the physical
communication media), a part number, a plug or other connector
type, a cable or fiber type and length, a serial number, a cable
polarity, a date of manufacture, a manufacturing lot number,
information about one or more visual attributes of physical
communication media or a connector attached to the physical
communication media (such as information about the color or shape
of the physical communication media or connector or an image of the
physical communication media or connector), and other information
used by an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system or inventory
control system. In other embodiments, alternate or additional data
is stored in or on the media segments. For example, testing, media
quality, or performance information can be stored in or on the
segment of physical communication media. The testing, media
quality, or performance information, for example, can be the
results of testing that is performed when a particular segment of
media is manufactured.
[0025] Also, as noted below, in some embodiments, the information
stored in or on the segment of physical communication media can be
updated. For example, the information stored in or on the segment
of physical communication media can be updated to include the
results of testing that is performed when a segment of physical
media is installed or otherwise checked. In another example, such
testing information is supplied to an aggregation point 120 and
stored in a data store maintained by the aggregation point 120
(both of which are described below). In another example, the
information stored in or on the segment of physical communication
media includes a count of the number of times that a connector (not
shown) attached to a segment of physical communication media has
been inserted into port 104. In such an example, the count stored
in or on the segment of physical communication media is updated
each time the connector is inserted into port 104. This insertion
count value can be used, for example, for warranty purposes (for
example, to determine if the connector has been inserted more than
the number of times specified in the warranty) or for security
purposes (for example, to detect unauthorized insertions of the
physical communication media).
[0026] In the particular embodiment shown in FIG. 1, each of the
ports 104 of the connector assemblies 102 comprises a respective
media interface 108 via which the respective programmable processor
106 is able to determine if a physical communication media segment
is attached to that port 104 and, if one is, to read the identifier
and attribute information stored in or on the attached segment (if
such information is stored therein or thereon). The programmable
processor 106 associated with each connector assembly 102 is
communicatively coupled to each of the media interfaces 108 using a
suitable bus or other interconnect (not shown).
[0027] In the particular embodiment shown in FIG. 1, four exemplary
types of connector assembly configurations are shown. In the first
connector assembly configuration 110 shown in FIG. 1, each
connector assembly 102 includes its own respective programmable
processor 106 and its own respective network interface 116 that is
used to communicatively couple that connector assembly 102 to an
Internet Protocol (IP) network 118.
[0028] In the second type of connector assembly configuration 112,
a group of connector assemblies 102 are physically located near
each other (for example, in a bay or equipment closet). Each of the
connector assemblies 102 in the group includes its own respective
programmable processor 106. However, in the second connector
assembly configuration 112, some of the connector assemblies 102
(referred to here as "interfaced connector assemblies") include
their own respective network interfaces 116 while some of the
connector assemblies 102 (referred to here as "non-interfaced
connector assemblies") do not. The non-interfaced connector
assemblies 102 are communicatively coupled to one or more of the
interfaced connector assemblies 102 in the group via local
connections. In this way, the non-interfaced connector assemblies
102 are communicatively coupled to the IP network 118 via the
network interface 116 included in one or more of the interfaced
connector assemblies 102 in the group. In the second type of
connector assembly configuration 112, the total number of network
interfaces 116 used to couple the connector assemblies 102 to the
IP network 118 can be reduced. Moreover, in the particular
embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the non-interfaced connector assemblies
102 are connected to the interfaced connector assembly 102 using a
daisy chain topology (though other topologies can be used in other
implementations and embodiments).
[0029] In the third type of connector assembly configuration 114, a
group of connector assemblies 102 are physically located near each
other (for example, within a bay or equipment closet). Some of the
connector assemblies 102 in the group (also referred to here as
"master" connector assemblies 102) include both their own
programmable processors 106 and network interfaces 116, while some
of the connector assemblies 102 (also referred to here as "slave"
connector assemblies 102) do not include their own programmable
processors 106 or network interfaces 116. Each of the slave
connector assemblies 102 is communicatively coupled to one or more
of the master connector assemblies 102 in the group via one or more
local connections. The programmable processor 106 in each of the
master connector assemblies 102 is able to carry out the processing
described below for both the master connector assembly 102 of which
it is a part and any slave connector assemblies 102 to which the
master connector assembly 102 is connected via the local
connections. As a result, the cost associated with the slave
connector assemblies 102 can be reduced. In the particular
embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the slave connector assemblies 102 are
connected to a master connector assembly 102 in a star topology
(though other topologies can be used in other implementations and
embodiments).
[0030] Each programmable processor 106 is configured to execute
software or firmware 190 (shown in FIG. 2) that causes the
programmable processor 106 to carry out various functions described
below. The software 190 comprises program instructions that are
stored (or otherwise embodied) on an appropriate non-transitory
storage medium or media 192 (such as flash or other non-volatile
memory, magnetic disc drives, and/or optical disc drives). At least
a portion of the program instructions are read from the storage
medium 192 by the programmable processor 106 for execution thereby.
The storage medium 192 on or in which the program instructions are
embodied is also referred to here as a "program product". Although
the storage medium 192 is shown in FIG. 2 as being included in, and
local to, the connector assembly 102, it is to be understood that
remote storage media (for example, storage media that is accessible
over a network or communication link) and/or removable media can
also be used. Each connector assembly 102 also includes suitable
memory (not shown) that is coupled to the programmable processor
106 for storing program instructions and data. In general, the
programmable processor 106 (and the software 190 executing thereon)
determines if a physical communication media segment is attached to
a port 104 with which that processor 106 is associated and, if one
is, to read the identifier and attribute information stored in or
on the attached physical communication media segment (if the
segment includes such information stored therein or thereon) using
the associated media interface 108.
[0031] As shown in FIG. 1, in the first, second, and third
configurations 110, 112, and 114, each programmable processor 106
is also configured to communicate physical layer information to
devices that are coupled to the IP network 118. The physical layer
information (PLI) includes information about the connector
assemblies 102 associated with that programmable processor 106
(also referred to here as "device information") as well as
information about any segments of physical media attached to the
ports 104 of those connector assemblies 102 (also referred to here
as "media information") The device information includes, for
example, an identifier for each connector assembly, a type
identifier that identifies the connector assembly's type, and port
priority information that associates a priority level with each
port. The media information includes identity and attribute
information that the programmable processor 106 has read from
attached physical media segments that have identifier and attribute
information stored in or on it. The media information may also
include information about physical communication media that does
not have identifier or attribute information stored in or on it.
This latter type of media information can be manually input at the
time the associated physical media segments are attached to the
connector assembly 102 (for example, using a management application
executing on the programmable processor 106 that enables a user to
configure and monitor the connector assembly 102).
[0032] In the fourth type of connector assembly configuration 115,
a group of connector assemblies 102 are housed within a common
chassis or other enclosure. Each of the connector assemblies 102 in
the configuration 115 includes their own programmable processors
106. In the context of this configuration 115, the programmable
processors 106 in each of the connector assemblies are "slave"
processors 106. Each of the slave programmable processor 106 is
also communicatively coupled to a common "master" programmable
processor 117 (for example, over a backplane included in the
chassis or enclosure). The master programmable processor 117 is
coupled to a network interface 116 that is used to communicatively
couple the master programmable processor 117 to the IP network 118.
In this configuration 115, each slave programmable processor 106 is
configured to determine if physical communication media segments
are attached to its port 104 and to read the identifier and
attribute information stored in or on the attached physical
communication media segments (if the attached segments have such
information stored therein or thereon) using the associated media
interfaces 108. This information is communicated from the slave
programmable processor 106 in each of the connector assemblies 102
in the chassis to the master processor 117. The master processor
117 is configured to handle the processing associated with
communicating the physical layer information read from by the slave
processors 106 to devices that are coupled to the IP network
118.
[0033] The system 100 includes functionality that enables the
physical layer information that the connector assemblies 102
capture to be used by application-layer functionality outside of
the traditional physical-layer management application domain. That
is, the physical layer information is not retained in a PLM
"island" used only for PLM purposes but is instead made available
to other applications. In the particular embodiment shown in FIG.
1, the system 100 includes an aggregation point 120 that is
communicatively coupled to the connector assemblies 102 via the IP
network 118.
[0034] The aggregation point 120 includes functionality that
obtains physical layer information from the connector assemblies
102 (and other devices) and stores the physical layer information
in a data store.
[0035] The aggregation point 120 can be used to receive physical
layer information from various types of connector assemblies 106
that have functionality for automatically reading information
stored in or on the segment of physical communication media.
Examples of such connector assemblies 106 are noted above. Also,
the aggregation point 120 and aggregation functionality 124 can
also be used to receive physical layer information from other types
of devices that have functionality for automatically reading
information stored in or on the segment of physical communication
media. Examples of such devices include end-user devices--such as
computers, peripherals (such as printers, copiers, storage devices,
and scanners), and IP telephones--that include functionality for
automatically reading information stored in or on the segment of
physical communication media.
[0036] The aggregation point 120 can also be used to obtain other
types of physical layer information. For example, in this
embodiment, the aggregation point 120 also obtains information
about physical communication media segments that is not otherwise
automatically communicated to an aggregation point 120. One example
of such information is information about non-connectorized physical
communication media segments that do not otherwise have information
stored in or on them that are attached to a connector assembly
(including, for example, information indicating which ports of the
devices are connected to which ports of other devices in the
network as well as media information about the segment). Another
example of such information is information about physical
communication media segments that are connected to devices that are
not able to read media information that is stored in or on the
media segments that are attached to their ports and/or that are not
able to communicate such information to the aggregation point 120
(for example, because such devices do not include such
functionality, because such devices are used with media segments
that do not have media information stored in or on them, and/or
because bandwidth is not available for communicating such
information to the aggregation point 120). In this example, the
information can include, for example, information about the devices
themselves (such as the devices' MAC addresses and IP addresses if
assigned to such devices), information indicating which ports of
the devices are connected to which ports of other devices in the
network (for example, other connector assemblies), and information
about the physical media attached to the ports of the devices. This
information can be provided to the aggregation point 120, for
example, by manually entering such information into a file (such as
a spreadsheet) and then uploading the file to the aggregation point
120 (for example, using a web browser) in connection with the
initial installation of each of the various items. Such information
can also, for example, be directly entered using a user interface
provided by the aggregation point 120 (for example, using a web
browser).
[0037] The aggregation point 120 can also obtain information about
the layout of the building or buildings in which the network is
deployed, as well as information indicating where each connector
assembly 102, physical media segment, and inter-networking device
is located within the building. This information can be, for
example, manually entered and verified (for example, using a web
browser) in connection with the initial installation of each of the
various items. In one implementation, such location information
includes an X, Y, and Z location for each port or other termination
point for each physical communication media segment (for example,
X, Y, and Z location information of the type specified in the
ANSI/TIA/EIA 606-A Standard (Administration Standard For The
Commercial Telecommunications Infrastructure)).
[0038] The aggregation point 120 can obtain and maintain testing,
media quality, or performance information relating to the various
segments of physical communication media that exist in the network.
The testing, media quality, or performance information, for
example, can be results of testing that is performed when a
particular segment of media is manufactured and/or when testing is
performed when a particular segment of media is installed or
otherwise checked.
[0039] The aggregation point 120 also includes functionality that
provides an interface for external devices or entities to access
the physical layer information maintained by the aggregation point
120. This access can include retrieving information from the
aggregation point 120 as well as supplying information to the
aggregation point 120. In this embodiment, the aggregation point
120 is implemented as "middleware" that is able to provide such
external devices and entities with transparent and convenient
access to the PLI maintained by the access point 120. Because the
aggregation point 120 aggregates PLI from the relevant devices on
the IP network 118 and provides external devices and entities with
access to such PLI, the external devices and entities do not need
to individually interact with all of the devices in the IP network
118 that provide PLI, nor do such devices need to have the capacity
to respond to requests from such external devices and entities.
[0040] The aggregation point 120, in the embodiment shown in FIG.
1, implements an application programming interface (API) by which
application-layer functionality can gain access to the physical
layer information maintained by the aggregation point 120 using a
software development kit (SDK) that describes and documents the
API. Also, in those embodiments where the connector assemblies 102
include one or more light emitting diodes (LEDs) (for example,
where each port 104 has an associated LED), the API and aggregation
point 120 can include functionality that enables application-layer
functionality to change the state of such LEDs using the API.
[0041] For example, as shown in FIG. 1, a network management system
(NMS) 130 includes physical layer information (PLI) functionality
132 that is configured to retrieve physical layer information from
the aggregation point 120 and provide it to the other parts of the
NMS 130 for use thereby. The NMS 130 uses the retrieved physical
layer information to perform one or more network management
functions (for example, as described below). In one implementation
of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the PLI functionality 132 of the
NMS 130 retrieves physical layer information from the aggregation
point 120 using the API implemented by the aggregation point 120.
The NMS 130 communicates with the aggregation point 120 over the IP
network 118.
[0042] As shown in FIG. 1, an application 134 executing on a
computer 136 can also use the API implemented by the aggregation
point 120 to access the PLI information maintained by the
aggregation point 120 (for example, to retrieve such information
from the aggregation point 120 and/or to supply such information to
the aggregation point 120). The computer 136 is coupled to the IP
network 118 and accesses the aggregation point 120 over the IP
network 118.
[0043] In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, one or more
inter-networking devices 138 used to implement the IP network 118
include physical layer information (PLI) functionality 140. The PLI
functionality 140 of the inter-networking device 138 is configured
to retrieve physical layer information from the aggregation point
120 and use the retrieved physical layer information to perform one
or more inter-networking functions. Examples of inter-networking
functions include Layer 1, Layer 2, and Layer 3 (of the OSI model)
inter-networking functions such as the routing, switching,
repeating, bridging, and grooming of communication traffic that is
received at the inter-networking device. In one implementation of
such an embodiment, the PLI functionality 140 uses the API
implemented by the aggregation point 120 to communicate with the
aggregation point 120.
[0044] The PLI functionality 140 included in the inter-networking
device 138 can also be used to capture physical layer information
associated with the inter-network device 138 and the physical
communication media attached to it and communicate the captured
physical layer information to the aggregation point 120. Such
information can be provided to the aggregation point 120 using the
API or by using the protocols that are used to communicate with the
connector assemblies 102.
[0045] The aggregation point 120 can be implemented on a standalone
network node (for example, a standalone computer running
appropriate software) or can be integrated along with other network
functionality (for example, integrated with an element management
system or network management system or other network server or
network element). Moreover, the functionality of the aggregation
point 120 can be distributed across many nodes and devices in the
network and/or implemented, for example, in a hierarchical manner
(for example, with many levels of aggregation points).
[0046] Moreover, the aggregation point 120 and the connector
assemblies 102 are configured so that the aggregation point 120 can
automatically discover and connect with devices that provide PLI to
an aggregation point 120 (such as the connector assemblies 102 and
inter-network device 138) that are on the network 118. In this way,
when devices that are able to provide PLI to an aggregation point
120 (such as a connector assembly 102 or an inter-networking device
138) are coupled to the IP network 118, an aggregation point 120 is
able to automatically discover the connector assembly 102 and start
aggregating physical layer information for that connector assembly
102 without requiring the person installing the connector assembly
102 to have knowledge of the aggregation points 120 that are on the
IP network 118. Similarly, when an aggregation point 120 is coupled
to the IP network 118, the aggregation point 120 is able to
automatically discover and interact with devices that are capable
of providing PLI to an aggregation point without requiring the
person installing the aggregation point 120 to have knowledge of
the devices that are on the IP network 118. Thus, the
physical-layer information resources described here can be easily
integrated into the IP network 118.
[0047] The IP network 118 can include one or more local area
networks and/or wide area networks (including for example the
Internet). As a result, the aggregation point 120, NMS 130, and
computer 136 need not be located at the same site as each other or
at the same site as the connector assemblies 102 or the
inter-networking devices 138.
[0048] Various conventional IP networking techniques can be used in
deploying the system 100 of FIG. 1. For example, conventional
security protocols can be used to secure communications if they are
communicated over a public or otherwise unsecure communication
channel (such as the Internet or over a wireless communication
link).
[0049] In one implementation of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1,
each connector assembly 102, each port 104 of each connector
assembly 102, and each media segment is individually addressable.
Where IP addresses are used to individually address each connector
assembly 102, a virtual private network (VPN) dedicated for use
with the various connector assemblies 102 can be used to segregate
the IP addresses used for the connector assemblies 102 from the
main IP address space that is used in the IP network 118.
[0050] Also, power can be supplied to the connector assemblies 102
using conventional "Power over Ethernet" techniques specified in
the IEEE 802.3af standard, which is hereby incorporated herein by
reference. In such an implementation, a power hub 142 or other
power supplying device (located near or incorporated into an
inter-networking device that is coupled to each connector assembly
102) injects DC power onto one or more of the wires (also referred
to here as the "power wires") included in the copper twisted-pair
cable used to connect each connector assembly 102 to the associated
inter-networking device. The interface 116 in the connector
assembly 102 picks the injected DC power off of the power wires and
uses the picked-off power to power the active components of that
connector assembly 102. In the second and third connector assembly
configurations 112 and 114, some of the connector assemblies 102
are not directly connected to the IP network 118 and, therefore,
are unable to receive power directly from the power wires. These
connector assemblies 102 receive power from the connector
assemblies 102 that are directly connected to the IP network 118
via the local connections that communicatively couple such
connector assemblies 102 to one another. In the fourth
configuration 115, the interface 116 picks the injected DC power
off of the power wires and supplies power to the master processor
117 and each of the slave processors 106 over the backplane.
[0051] In the particular embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the system 100
also supports conventional physical layer management (PLM)
operations such as the tracking of moves, adds, and changes of the
segments of physical media that are attached to the ports 104 of
the connector assemblies 102 and providing assistance with carrying
out moves, adds, and changes. PLI provided by the aggregation point
120 can be used to improve upon conventional "guided MAC"
processes. For example, information about the location of the port
104 and the visual appearance (for example, the color or shape) of
the relevant physical media segment (or connector attached thereto)
can be communicated to a technician to assist the technician in
carrying out a move, add, or change. This information can be
communicated to a computer or smartphone used by the technician.
Moreover, the PLI functionality that resides in the system 100 can
also be used to verify that a particular MAC was properly carried
out by checking that the expected physical media segment is located
in the expected port 104. If that is not the case, an alert can be
sent to the technician so that the technician can correct the
issue.
[0052] The PLM functionality included in the system 100 can also
support conventional techniques for guiding the technician in
carrying out a MAC (for example, by illuminating one or more light
emitting diodes (LEDs) to direct a technician to a particular
connector assembly 102 and/or to a particular port 104 or by
displaying messages on a liquid crystal display (LCD) included on
or near the connector assemblies 102.
[0053] Other PLM functions include keeping historical logs about
the media connected to the connector assembly. In the embodiment
shown in FIG. 1, the aggregation point 120 includes PLM
functionality 144 that implements such PLM functions. The PLM
functionality 144 does this using the physical layer information
that is maintained at the aggregation point 120.
[0054] The IP network 118 is typically implemented using one or
more inter-networking devices. As noted above, an inter-networking
device is a type of connector assembly (and a particular
implementation of an inter-networking device 138 is referenced
separately in FIG. 1 for ease of explanation only). Generally, an
inter-networking device can be configured to read media information
that is stored in or on the segments of physical media that are
attached to its ports and to communicate the media information it
reads from the attached segments of media (as well as information
about the inter-networking device itself) to an aggregation point
120 like any other connector assembly described here.
[0055] In addition to connector assemblies 102, the techniques
described here for reading media information stored in or on a
segment of physical communication media can be used in one or more
end nodes of the IP network 118. For example, computers (such as,
laptops, servers, desktop computers, or special-purpose computing
devices such as IP telephones, IP multi-media appliances, and
storage devices) can be configured to read media information that
is stored in or on the segments of physical communication media
that are attached to their ports and to communicate the media
information they read from the attached segments of media (as well
as information about the devices themselves) to an aggregation
point 120 as described here.
[0056] In one implementation of the system 100 shown in FIG. 1, the
ports 104 of each connector assembly 102 are used to implement the
IP network 118 over which each connector assembly 102 communicates
physical layer information associated with that connector assembly
102. In such an implementation, such physical layer information is
communicated over the IP network 118 just like any other data that
is communicated over the IP network 118. As noted below, the media
interface 108 determines if a physical communication media segment
is attached to the corresponding port 104 and, if one is, reads the
identifier and attribute information stored in or on the attached
segment (if such information is stored therein or thereon) without
affecting the normal data signals that pass through that port 104.
Indeed, such physical layer information may actually pass through
one or more of the ports 104 of connector assemblies 102 in the
course of being communicated to and/or from a connector assembly
102, aggregation point 150, network management system 130, and/or
computer 136. By using the IP network 118 to communicate physical
layer information pertaining to it, a separate network need not be
provided and maintained in order to communicate such physical-layer
information. However, in other implementations and embodiments, the
physical layer information described above is communicated using a
network that is separate from the network to which such physical
layer information pertains.
[0057] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of one high-level embodiment of a
port 104 and media interface 108 that are suitable for use in the
system 100 of FIG. 1.
[0058] Each port 104 comprises a first attachment point 206 and a
second attachment point 208. The first attachment point 206 is used
to attach a first segment of physical communication media 210 to
the port 104, and the second attachment point 208 is used to attach
a second segment of physical communication media 212 to the port
104.
[0059] In the particular embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the first
attachment point 206 is located near the rear of the connector
assembly. As a consequence, the first attachment point 206 and the
first segment of physical media 210 attached thereto are also
referred to here as the "rear attachment point" 206 and the "rear
media segment" 210, respectively. Also, in this embodiment, the
rear attachment point 206 is configured to attach the rear media
segment 210 to the port 104 in a semi-permanent manner. As used
herein, a semi-permanent attachment is one that is designed to be
changed relatively infrequently, if ever. This is also referred to
sometimes as a "one-time" connection. Examples of suitable rear
connectors 206 include punch-down blocks (in the case of copper
physical media) and fiber adapters, fiber splice points, and fiber
termination points (in the case of optical physical media).
[0060] In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the second attachment
point 208 is located near the front of the connector assembly 102.
As a consequence, the second attachment point 208 and the second
segment of physical media 212 are also referred to here as the
"front attachment point" 208 and the "front media segment" 212,
respectively. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the front
attachment point 208 for each port 104 is designed for use with
"connectorized" front media segments 212 that have identifier and
attribute information stored in or on them. As used herein, a
"connectorized" media segment is a segment of physical
communication media that includes a connector 214 at at least one
end of the segment. The front attachment point 208 is implemented
using a suitable connector or adapter that mates with the
corresponding connector 214 on the end of the front media segment
212. The connector 214 is used to facilitate the easy and repeated
attachment and unattachment of the front media segment 212 to the
port 104. Examples of connectorized media segments include CAT-5,
6, and 7 twisted-pair cables having modular connectors or plugs
attached to both ends (in which case, the front connectors are
implemented using compatible modular jacks) or optical cables
having SC, LC, FC, LX.5, MTP, or MPO connectors (in which case, the
front connectors are implemented using compatible SC, LC, FC, LX.5,
MTP, or MPO connectors or adapters). The techniques described here
can be used with other types of connectors including, for example,
BNC connectors, F connectors, DSX jacks and plugs, bantam jacks and
plugs, and MPO and MTP multi-fiber connectors and adapters.
[0061] Each port 104 communicatively couples the respective rear
attachment point 206 to the respective front attachment point 208.
As a result, a rear media segment 210 attached to the respective
rear attachment point 206 is communicatively coupled to any front
media segment 212 attached to the respective front attachment point
208. In one implementation, each port 104 is designed for use with
a rear media segment 210 and a front media segment 212 that
comprise the same type of physical communication media, in which
case each port 104 communicatively couples any rear media segment
210 attached to the respective rear attachment point 206 to any
front media segment 212 attached to the respective front attachment
point 208 at the physical layer level without any media conversion.
In other implementations, each port 104 communicatively couples any
rear media segment 210 attached to the respective rear attachment
point 206 to any front media segment 212 attached to the respective
front attachment point 208 in other ways (for example, using a
media converter if the rear media segment 210 and the front media
segment 212 comprise different types of physical communication
media).
[0062] In the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the port 104 is
configured for use with front media segments 212 that include a
storage device 216 in which the media information for that media
segment 212 is stored. The storage device 216 includes a storage
device interface 218 that, when the corresponding connector 214 is
inserted into (or otherwise attached to) a front attachment point
208 of the port 104, communicatively couples the storage device 216
to a corresponding media interface 108 so that the associated
programmable processor 106 can read the information stored in the
storage device 216. In one implementation of the embodiment shown
in FIG. 2, each connector 214 itself houses the storage device 216.
In another implementation of such an embodiment, the storage device
216 is housed within a housing that is separate from the connector
214. In such an implementation, the housing is configured so that
it can be snapped onto the media segment 212 or the connector 214,
with the storage device interface 218 positioned relative to the
connector 214 so that the storage device interface 218 will
properly mate with the media interface 108 when the connector 214
is inserted into (or otherwise attached to) the front attachment
point 208. Although in the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 2
only the front media segments 212 include storage devices 216, it
is to be understood that in other embodiments connector assemblies
and/or other devices are configured to read storage devices that
are attached to (or otherwise included with) rear media segments
210 and/or any "auxiliary" media segments (for example, media
segments coupled to the network interface 116).
[0063] In some implementations, at least some of the information
stored in the storage device 216 can be updated in the field (for
example, by having an associated programmable processor 106 cause
additional information to be written to the storage device 216 or
changing or deleting information that was previously stored in the
storage device 216). For example, in some implementations, some of
the information stored in the storage device 216 cannot be changed
in the field (for example, identifier information or manufacturing
information) while some of the other information stored in the
storage device 216 can be changed in the field (for example,
testing, media quality, or performance information). In other
implementations, none of the information stored in the storage
device 216 can be updated in the field.
[0064] Also, the storage device 216 may also include a processor or
micro-controller, in addition to storage for the media information.
In which case, the micro-controller included in the storage device
216 can be used to execute software or firmware that, for example,
controls one or more LEDs attached to the storage device 216. In
another example, the micro-controller executes software or firmware
that performs an integrity test on the front media segment 212 (for
example, by performing a capacitance or impedance test on the
sheathing or insulator that surrounds the front physical
communication media segment 212 (which may include a metallic foil
or metallic filler for such purposes)). In the event that a problem
with the integrity of the front media segment 212 is detected, the
micro-controller can communicate that fact to the programmable
processor 106 associated with the port 104 using the storage device
interface 218. The micro-controller can also be used for other
functions.
[0065] The port 104, connector 214, storage device 216, and media
interface 108 are configured so that the information stored in the
storage device 216 can be read without affecting the communication
signals that pass through the media segments 210 and 212.
[0066] Further details regarding system 100 and the port 104 can be
found in the following United States patent applications, all of
which are hereby incorporated herein by reference: U.S. Provisional
Patent Application Ser. No. 61/152,624, filed on Feb. 13, 2009,
titled "MANAGED CONNECTIVITY SYSTEMS AND METHODS" (also referred to
here as the "'624 Application"); U.S. patent application Ser. No.
12/705,497, filed on Feb. 12, 2010, titled "AGGREGATION OF PHYSICAL
LAYER INFORMATION RELATED TO A NETWORK" (is also referred to here
as the '497 Application); U.S. patent application Ser. No.
12/705,501, filed on Feb. 12, 2010, titled "INTER-NETWORKING
DEVICES FOR USE WITH PHYSICAL LAYER INFORMATION" (also referred to
here as the '501 Application); U.S. patent application Ser. No.
12/705,506, filed on Feb. 12, 2010, titled "NETWORK MANAGEMENT
SYSTEMS FOR USE WITH PHYSICAL LAYER INFORMATION" (also referred to
here as the '506 Application); U.S. patent application Ser. No.
12/705,514, filed on Feb. 12, 2010, titled "MANAGED CONNECTIVITY
DEVICES, SYSTEMS, AND METHODS" (also referred to here as the '514
Application); U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No.
61/252,395, filed on Oct. 16, 2009, titled "MANAGED CONNECTIVITY IN
ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS AND METHODS THEREOF" (also referred to here as
the "'395 Application"); U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser.
No. 61/253,208, filed on Oct. 20, 2009, titled "ELECTRICAL PLUG FOR
MANAGED CONNECTIVITY SYSTEMS" (also referred to here as the "'208
Application"); U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No.
61/252,964, filed on Oct. 19, 2009, titled "ELECTRICAL PLUG FOR
MANAGED CONNECTIVITY SYSTEMS" (also referred to here as the "'964
Application"); U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No.
61/252,386, filed on Oct. 16, 2009, titled "MANAGED CONNECTIVITY IN
FIBER OPTIC SYSTEMS AND METHODS THEREOF" (also referred to here as
the "'386 Application"); U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser.
No. 61/303,961, filed on Feb. 12, 2010, titled "FIBER PLUGS AND
ADAPTERS FOR MANAGED CONNECTIVITY" (the "'961 Application"); and
U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/303,948, filed on
Feb. 12, 2010, titled "BLADED COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEM" (the "'948
Application").
[0067] FIG. 3A is a diagram illustrating one exemplary embodiment
of a front media segment. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3A, the
front media segment comprises a "patch cord" 312 that is used to
selectively cross-connect two ports of the same or different patch
panels. The patch cord 312 shown in FIG. 3A is suitable for use
with an implementation of a patch panel where the front connectors
of the ports are implemented using modular RJ-45 jacks. The patch
cord 312 shown in FIG. 3A comprises a copper unshielded
twisted-pair (UTP) cable 386. The UTP cable 386 includes eight
conductors arranged in four conductor pairs. The patch cord 312
also comprises two RJ-45 plugs 314, one at each end of the cable
386 (only one of which is shown in FIG. 3A). The RJ-45 plugs 314
are designed to be inserted into the RJ-45 modular jacks used as
the front connectors. Each RJ-45 plug 314 comprises a contact
portion 388 in which eight, generally parallel electrical contacts
390 are positioned. Each of the eight electrical contacts 390 are
electrically connected to one of the eight conductors in the UTP
cable 386.
[0068] Each plug 314 also comprises (or is attached to) a storage
device 392 (for example, an Electrically Erasable Programmable
Read-Only Memory (EEPROM) or other non-volatile memory device). The
media information described above for the patch cord 312 is stored
in the storage device 392. The storage device 392 includes
sufficient storage capacity to store such information. Each storage
device 392 also includes a storage device interface 394 that, when
the corresponding plug 314 is inserted into a front connector of a
port 304, communicatively couples the storage device 392 to the
corresponding media interface so that the programmable processor
320 in the corresponding patch panel 302 can read the information
stored in the storage device 392.
[0069] Examples of such a patch cord 312 and plug 314 are described
in the '395 Application, the '208 Application, and the '964
Application.
[0070] FIG. 3B is a diagram illustrating another exemplary
embodiment of a patch cord 312'. The patch cord 312' shown in FIG.
3B is suitable for use with a fiber patch panel where the front
connectors of the ports are implemented using fiber LC adapters or
connectors. The patch cord 312' shown in FIG. 3B comprises an
optical cable 386'. The optical cable 386' includes an optical
fiber enclosed within a suitable sheathing. The patch cord 312'
also comprises two LC connectors 314', one at each of the cable
386'. Each LC connector 314' is designed to be inserted into an LC
adapter used as the front connector of a port of a fiber patch
panel. Each LC connector 314' comprises an end portion 388' at
which an optical connection with the optical fiber in the cable
386' can be established when the LC connector 314' is inserted in
an LC adapter of a port.
[0071] Each LC connector 314' also comprises (or is attached to) a
storage device 392' (for example, an Electrically Erasable
Programmable Read-Only Memory (EEPROM) or other non-volatile memory
device). The media information described above for the patch cord
312 is stored in the storage device 392'. The storage device 392'
includes sufficient storage capacity to store such information.
Each storage device 392' also includes a storage device interface
394' that, when the corresponding LC connector 314' is inserted
into a front connector of a port, communicatively couples the
storage device 392' to the corresponding media interface so that
the programmable processor in the corresponding fiber patch panel
can read the information stored in the storage device 392'.
[0072] In some implementations of the patch cords 312 and 312', the
storage devices 392 and 392' are implemented using a surface-mount
EEPROM or other non-volatile memory device. In such
implementations, the storage device interfaces and media interfaces
each comprise four leads--a power lead, a ground lead, a data lead,
and an extra lead that is reserved for future use. In one such
implementation, an EEPROM that supports a serial protocol is used,
where the serial protocol is used for communicating over the signal
data lead. The four leads of the storage device interfaces come
into electrical contact with four corresponding leads of the media
interface when the corresponding plug or connector is inserted in
the corresponding front connector of a port 304. Each storage
device interface and media interface are arranged and configured so
that they do not interfere with data communicated over the patch
cord. In other embodiments, other types of interfaces are used. For
example, in one such alternative embodiment, a two-line interface
is used with a simple charge pump. In other embodiments, additional
lines are provided (for example, for potential future
applications).
[0073] Examples of such fiber patch cords 312' and connectors 314'
are described in U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No.
61/252,386, filed on Oct. 16, 2009, titled "MANAGED CONNECTIVITY IN
FIBER OPTIC SYSTEMS AND METHODS THEREOF" (also referred to here as
the "'386 Application"), U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser.
No. 61/303,961, filed on Feb. 12, 2010, titled "FIBER PLUGS AND
ADAPTERS FOR MANAGED CONNECTIVITY" (the "'961 Application"), and
U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/303,948, filed on
Feb. 12, 2010, titled "BLADED COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEM" (the "'948
Application"). The '386 Application, the '961 Application, and the
'948 Application are hereby incorporated herein by reference.
[0074] In some implementations of the patch cords 312 and 312',
each plug 314 or connector 314' itself houses the respective
storage device and storage device interface. In implementations,
each storage device and corresponding storage device interface are
housed within a housing that is separate from the corresponding
plug or connector. In such implementations, the housing is
configured so that it can be snapped onto (or otherwise attached
to) the cable or the plug or connector, with the storage device
interface positioned relative to the plug or connector so that the
storage device interface will properly mate with the relevant media
interface when the plug or connector is inserted into the front
connector of the corresponding port.
[0075] For ease of explanation, certain processing relating to one
or more connector assemblies 102 is described here as being
performed by the programmable processor 106 and the software 190
executing on programmable processor 106. However, it is to be
understood that all or part of the processing described here as
being performed by processor 106 and the software 190 could also be
performed by other processors and software associated with each
connector assembly 102. For example, all or some of such processing
can (but need not) be performed by a "master" processor 117 (and
the software executing thereon) where a master-slave configuration
115 is used. Also, a particular connector assembly 102 can also
include more than one processor 106 (for example, where required by
the port density of the connector assembly 102).
[0076] Moreover, functionality described here as being implemented
in software executing on a programmable processor can be
implemented in other ways. For example, such functionality can be
implemented in hardware using discrete hardware,
application-specific integrated circuits (ASICS)), programmable
devices (such as field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) or complex
programmable logic devices (CPLDs)), and/or combinations of one or
more of the foregoing, and/or combinations of one or more of the
foregoing along with software executing on one or more programmable
processors. For example, the detection of the insertion of a
connector 214 into a port 104 of a connector assembly 102 and/or
the reading of information from any storage device 216 attached to
the connector 214 can be implemented in hardware (for example,
using one or more programmable devices and/or an ASIC) in addition
to or instead of being implemented as software.
[0077] Referring back to the embodiment shown in FIG. 2,
information stored on storage device 216 is encoded using a
self-defining variable length data field scheme. That is, none of
the media interfaces 108 nor processor 106 (nor the software 190
executing thereon), nor any other component of system 100 need have
a priori knowledge of the content, length, or the format of the
data fields (or other units of data) used to store information in
or on the segment of communication physical media 212 (for example,
in the storage device 216). Instead, information about the content,
length, and/or format of each data field (or other unit of data) is
determined from data stored in or on segment of physical
communication media 212 itself.
[0078] For example, in one implementation of the embodiment of FIG.
2, information is stored using key-length-value triplets. In the
particular embodiment described herein, the information is stored
in a storage device 216 that is included or otherwise attached or
associated with the connector 214. That is, each item of
information stored in or on the segment of physical media 212
utilizes a key-length-value triplet scheme wherein each
key-length-value triplet includes a "key" field that identifies the
item of information encoded within the triplet, a "length" field
that specifies the length of the item of information, and a "value"
field that contains the item of information itself (that is, the
payload). Using key-length-value triplets eliminates the need for
each item of information stored in the storage device 216 to be the
same length, which allows for more efficient use of the capacity
available of storage device 216 and other benefits discussed
below.
[0079] FIG. 4 is a flow chart illustrating generally at 400 one
exemplary embodiment of a method of reading data stored in or on a
segment of physical communication media. The exemplary embodiment
of method 400 shown in FIG. 4 can be implemented in the system 100
described above in connection with FIG. 2. In particular, the
processing described here in connection with method 400 can be
implemented by software associated with each connector assembly 102
(for example, the software 190). The method begins at 402 with
determining a field length used to store a first item of
information in a storage device 216 in or on a segment of physical
communication media by reading data from the storage device 216. As
described below, the field length information can be encoded with
the item of information as a key-length value triplet or can be
encoded in header information stored on the storage device 216.
Properties of a key-length value triplet are discussed below. In
one implementation of the method 400, the segment of physical
communication media comprises a physical communication medium or
media (for example, one or more twisted-pair cables or optical
fibers), at least one connector attached to the segment of physical
communication media, and at least one storage device 216 attached
to the physical communication media or medium and/or the connector,
as illustrated in FIGS. 2, 3A and 3B. The method proceeds to 404
parsing data read from the storage device 216 based on the field
length to identify a data field that stores the first item of
information. In this way, the information stored on the storage
device 216 itself can be used to figure out how to parse the
information stored on the storage device 216.
[0080] FIGS. 5A-5C illustrate one example implementation of a
key-length-value scheme suitable for use in the system 100
described above in connection with FIG. 2. Each key-length-value
triplet 500 includes a respective key field 502, length field 504,
and value field 506.
[0081] Each item of information to be stored on storage device 216
is assigned a key that identifies that item of information. This
key is stored in the key field 502 of the key-length-value triplet
500 that is used to store that item of information. In one example,
for a given segment of physical media 212, a key-length-value
triplet with a key of "001" indicates that the triplet stores a
serial number (or other unique identifier), a key of "002"
indicates a triplet that stores a date of manufacture, a key of
"022" indicates a triplet that stores an insertion count value, and
so on for each item of information stored on the storage device
216. The length of the key field 502 itself (for example, 8 or 16
bits) is fixed and would be established a priori and known by the
various entities in the system 100 that make use of the
key-length-value triplets.
[0082] Following the triplet's key field 502 is the length field
504. The length field 504 indicates the number of bits, bytes, or
other units of data that make up the value field 506 portion of the
key-length-value triplet 500. The value field 506 follows the
length field 504.
[0083] In the exemplary embodiment shown in FIGS. 5A-5C, the length
field 504 comprises a fixed portion 508 having a predetermined
length (eight bits in this example) that would be established a
priori and would be known by the various entities in the system 100
that make use of the key-length-value triplets. The
most-significant bit 510 of the fixed portion 508 of the length
field 504 is used to determine how the rest of the length field 504
is encoded. In the exemplary embodiment shown in FIGS. 5A-5C, if
the most-significant bit 510 of the fixed portion 508 of the length
field 504 is set to a first predetermined value (for example, a
logical value of "1"), then the length field 504 comprises only the
fixed portion 508 and the remaining bits 512 of the fixed portion
508 of the length field 504 include the length of the value field
506. In this example where the fixed portion 508 of the length
field 504 comprises 8 bits, the remaining bits 512 of the fixed
portion 508 of the length field 504 can store values of up to 127,
which in this example corresponds to up to 127 bytes.
[0084] In the exemplary embodiment shown in FIGS. 5A-5C, if the
most-significant bit 510 of the fixed portion 508 of the length
field 504 is set to a second predetermined value (for example, a
logical value of "0"), then the length field 504 comprises a
variable portion 514 that follows the fixed portion 508. In this
case, the length of the value field 506 of the corresponding
triplet 500 is stored in the variable portion 514 of the length
field 504. Also, in this case, the remaining bits 512 of the fixed
portion 508 of the length field 504 are used to store the length of
the variable portion 514 of the length field 504. As noted above,
in this example where the fixed portion 508 of the length field 504
comprises 8 bits, the remaining bits 512 of the fixed portion 508
of the length field 504 can store values of up to 127, which in
this example corresponds to a variable portion 514 that is up to
127 bytes long.
[0085] FIGS. 5B and 5C illustrate two examples of how the length
field 504 of FIG. 5A can be encoded. In the example shown in FIG.
5B, the most-significant bit 510 of the fixed portion 508 of the
length field 504 is set to the first predetermined value (that is,
a logical "1" value) and the remaining bits 512 of the fixed
portion 508 of the length field 504 store a value of "10"
(decimal), which indicates that the value field 506 of that triplet
500 is 10 bytes long. In this example, the length field 504 does
not include a variable portion 514. In the example shown in FIG.
5C, the most-significant bit 510 of the fixed portion 508 of the
length field 504 is set to the second predetermined value (that is,
a logical "0" value) and the remaining bits 512 of the fixed
portion 508 of the length field 504 store a value of "2", which
indicates that the variable portion 514 of the length field 504 is
2 bytes long. In the example shown in FIG. 5C, a value of "1024" is
stored in the variable portion 514 of the length field 504, which
indicates that the value field 506 of that triplet 500 is 1024
bytes long.
[0086] Various bit-level encoding formats can be used to encode the
lengths in the remaining portion 512 of the fixed portion 508 of
the length field and in the variable portion 514 of the length
field (for example, a form of n-bit encoding or another format such
as the Basic Encoding Rules (BER) format).
[0087] As shown in FIGS. 5A-5C, the value field 506 follows the
length field 504 and contains the bits that actually contain the
item of information stored in that particular key-length-value
triplet 500 (which is also referred to here as the "payload"). The
encoding format used to encode such payload information in the
value field 506 is not limited to any particular format. For
example, in one implementation it can be encoded using any encoding
format recognized by the software 190 executing on processor 106.
Thus, in addition to identifying what information is stored in a
particular key-length-value triplet 500, the key field 502 can
further indicate how the payload information is encoded in the
value field 506. Consequently, the encoding format used to encode
payload information in one triplet's value field 506 can be
different from the encoding format used to encode payload
information in other triplets. Further, when an item of information
comprises multiple values, the bytes that make up the content of a
triplet's value field 506 can themselves further include sets of
key-length-value triplets. The length of the value field 506 can
thus be adjusted to the size of the data used to encode the payload
for each particular item of information, which enables the
available memory on storage device 216 to be more efficiently
utilized.
[0088] Another benefit of using key-length-value triplets to store
information is that the information no longer needs to be stored in
a particular sequence. That is, a triplet's key field does not
necessarily indicate the sequence in which the associated item of
information needs to be stored on storage device 216, just what
type of item of information a particular triplet holds. Triplets
can be stored in any order. As such, it is not necessary for
storage device 216 to store a triplet for every potentially
predefined key in order to keep the software 190 in sync when
parsing the data read from the storage device 216. For example, if
the key value of "abc" has been defined to identify a triplet that
stores the results of a particular factory quality test, and that
test is not applicable for a given segment of physical media 212,
then no key-length-value triplet with a key of "abc" needs to be
stored on the corresponding storage device 216 just to maintain a
certain sequence. Conversely, the software 190 does not need to be
programmed with knowledge of every potentially predefined key in
order parse the information it needs from the values stored on each
storage device 216. For example, a newly manufactured segment of
physical media 212 can store one or more items of information
having key values not recognized (and not needed or used by) by a
connector assembly 102 to which it will be attached. In some
implementations, all triplets that are read from a storage device
216 are forwarded onto the aggregation point 120, even if the
software 190 executing in connector 102 is not able to recognize
some of the keys in the triplets.
[0089] FIG. 6 illustrates one example of how data 600 is stored on
a storage device using the key-length-value scheme described above
in connection with FIGS. 5A-5C. In this example, the data 600
stored on the storage device 216 comprises one copy of read-only
data 602 and two copies of read-write data 604. In the absence of
any errors, the two copies of the read-write data 604 should be the
same. The read-only data 602 includes a checksum 606, and each of
the two copies of the read-write data 604 includes a respective
checksum 608. Therefore, after reading all the data from the
storage device 216, the software 190 will have one copy of the
read-only data 602 (and the checksum 606) and two copies of the
read-write data 604 (and the respective checksums 608). More
details regarding this scheme are described in U.S. patent
application Ser. No. ______, Attorney Docket No. 100.1176US01,
filed on even date herewith and titled "DOUBLE-BUFFER INSERTION
COUNT STORED IN A DEVICE ATTACHED TO A PHYSICAL LAYER MEDIUM".
[0090] The read-only data 602 contains multiple key-length-value
triplets 610 and 612. In this example, the first key-length-value
triplet 610 in the read-only data 602 contains a predetermined
value in its key field. The first key-length-value triplet 610
indicates that this triplet is indeed the first triplet 610 and
indicates that this data is the read-only data 602. The length
field of the first key-length triplet 610 encodes the length of the
value field of the first key-length-value triplet 610 in the manner
described above in connection with FIGS. 5A-5C. The value field of
the first key-length-value triplet 610 of the read-only data 602
contains the length of the read-only data 602. For example, where
the read-only data 602 is 8192 bytes long, the value field of the
first key-length value triplet 610 would contain the value
"8192".
[0091] Likewise, each of the copies of the read-write data 604
contains multiple key-length-value triplets 620 and 622. In this
example, the first key-length-value triplet 620 in each of the
copies of the read-write data 604 contains a predetermined value in
its key field. The first key-length-value triplet 620 indicates
that this triplet is indeed the first triplet 620 and indicates
that this copy of data is a copy of the read-write data 604. The
length field of the first key-length triplet 620 encodes the length
of the value field of the first key-length-value triplet 620 in the
manner described above in connection with FIGS. 5A-5C. The value
field of the first key-length-value triplet 620 of each copy of the
read-write data 604 contains the length of that copy of the
read-write data 604. For example, where each copy of the read-write
data 604 is 3072 bytes long, the value field of the first
key-length value triplet 620 would contain the value "3072".
[0092] In the exemplary embodiment described here in connection
with FIG. 6, the read-only data 602 is stored on the storage device
216 starting at a fixed location 630, and each copy of the
read-write data 604 is stored on the storage device 216 starting at
a respective fixed location 632. The fixed locations 630 and 632
can be assigned in various ways. In one example, all three fixed
locations 630 and 632 are known a priori by the various entities in
the system 100 that make use of the key-length-value triplets. In
another example, the fixed location 630 where the read-only data
602 is stored is known a priori by the various entities in the
system 100 that make use of the key-length-value triplets, and the
fixed location 632 where each copy of the read-write data 604 is
stored is encoded in a respective key-length-value triplet included
within the read-only data 602. Other schemes can be used.
[0093] When the connector 214 on which the storage device 216 is
mounted is inserted into a port 104 of a connector assembly 102,
the software 190 executing on the programmable processor 106 learns
of that fact and reads all of the data 600 stored on the storage
device 216. Then, in this exemplary embodiment, the fixed locations
630 and 632 are used to locate the beginning of the read-only data
602 and each copy of the read-write data 604, respectively. Then,
the length of the read-only data 602 stored in the value field of
the first key-length-value triplet 610 of the read-only data 602
can be used to access the checksum 606, and the length of the
read-write data 604 stored in the value field of the first
key-length-value triplet 620 in each copy of the read-write data
604 can be used to access the checksums 608. For example, the
checksum 606 for the read-only data 602 can be accessed by using
the length stored in the value field of the first triplet 610
included in the read-only data 602 as an offset from the fixed
location 630 where the read-only data 602 starts.
[0094] The start of the first copy of the read-write data 604 is
located at the respective fixed location 632. The checksum 608 for
the first copy of the read-write data 604 can be accessed by using
the length stored in the value field of the first triplet 620
included in the first copy of the read-write data 604 as an offset
from start of the first copy of the read-write data 604 (that is,
from the respective fixed location 632).
[0095] Likewise, the start of the second copy of the read-write
data 604 is located at the respective fixed location 632. The
checksum 608 for the second copy of the read-write data 604 can be
accessed by using the length stored in the value field of the first
triplet 620 included in the second copy of the read-write data 604
as an offset from start of the second copy of the read-write data
604 (that is, from the respective fixed location 632).
[0096] As just described, the respective fixed locations 630 and
632 can be used to access the start of the read-only data 602 and
each copy of the read-write data 604. Each of the key-length-value
triplets 610, 612, 620, and 622 in the read-only data 602 and each
copy of read-write data 604 can be accessed using the length values
stored in each of the length fields of the triplets 610, 612, 620,
and 622. Each first key-length-value triplet 610 and 620 is the
first item in, and is located at the start of, the read-only data
602 and each copy of the read-write data 604, respectively. The
start of the second key-length-value triplet 612 and 622 in the
read-only data 602 and each copy of the read-write data 604,
respectively, can be accessed by using the length stored in the
length field of the respective first key-length-value triplet 612
or 622 as an offset from the beginning of the read-only data 602 or
the copy of read-write data 604, respectively. The start of each
successive key-length-value triplet 612 or 622 can be accessed by
using the length stored in the length field of the respective
preceding key-length-value triplet 612 or 622 as offset from the
beginning of the start of that preceding key-length-value triplet
612 or 622.
[0097] In this way, if the software 190 needs access to a
particular item of information for local processing at the
connector assembly 102, the software 190 finds the triplet having
the corresponding key and decodes the payload information from the
value field of that triplet. Triplets having key field values
unknown to or unused by the software 190 executing at the connector
assembly 102 are ignored by the software 190 in connection with its
local processing and are forwarded to the aggregation point 120
along with all of the triplets read from the storage device 216.
Such an implementation would have the advantage of only needing to
update the software executing on the aggregation point 120 when use
of newly defined types of items of information is desired, rather
than needing to update the software 190 associated with all of the
connector assemblies 102 in the system 100.
[0098] As another benefit of using key-length-value triplets as
described herein, it is not necessary for the length of the value
field used for a particular item of information to remain static
once established. For example, if key "0xx" is currently stored in
storage device 216 in a key-length-value triplet using a 48-bit
long value field, when an update to that item of information is
written back to storage device 216, a different length value field
(36-bit, or 64-bit, for example) can be used as long as the length
field in the key-length-value triplet is modified accordingly to
reflect the new value field length.
[0099] In other embodiments, other flexible and variable length
storage schemes are used instead of using key-length-value
triplets. In some other implementations of the embodiment shown in
FIG. 2, information about the format, length, and/or content of the
data stored on each storage device 216 is included within a header
or other predetermined portion of each storage device 216. In one
such example, each item of information stored on each storage
device 216 is stored using one or more fixed-sized data fields or
elements. When a connector 214 is inserted into a port 104 of a
connector assembly 102, the software 190 executing on the processor
106 associated with that connector assembly 102 reads a field size
key encoded in a header stored in the storage device 216 attached
to that connector 214. The field size key informs the software 190
of the structure used to store information in that storage device
216 by providing the number of bits used for each such fixed data
field stored on the storage device 216. As an example of this
implementation in operation, when the field size key indicates a
field size of "b" bits, as the software 190 read the data from the
storage device 216, the software 190 will know that every sequence
of "b" bits received after the header represent a different field
of data. Knowing the sequence in which information is stored, the
software 190 can parse the data read from the storage device 216 to
obtain the values for whatever item of information it needs and/or
to send the information to the aggregation point 120. To update a
particular item of information stored on a storage device 216, in
one implementation the software 190 encodes the updated information
for that item back into a "b" bit sequence and overwrites the
appropriate "b" bits on the storage device 216 corresponding to
that item of information. In another implementation, storage device
216 is updated by re-writing back to storage device 216 all of
items of information read from the storage device 216, including
any updated items.
[0100] For implementations where storage device 216 is divided into
a protected "read-only" area and a "writable" area, only
information stored in the "writable" area is updated by the
software 190. In one implementation, the "read-only" area and
"writable" area each have their own respective field size keys.
Accordingly, having a field size key for the "writable" area that
is encoded in a header stored in the "writable" area provides for a
scheme where the connector assembly 102 can store information back
to storage device 216 using a data field length of "c" bits that is
different from the "b" bits format initially used when the
connector 214 was plugged into a port 104.
[0101] Further details, embodiments, and implementations can be
found in the following United States patent applications, all of
which are hereby incorporated herein by reference: U.S. Provisional
Patent Application Ser. No. 61/252,964, filed on Oct. 19, 2009,
titled "ELECTRICAL PLUG FOR MANAGED CONNECTIVITY", Attorney Docket
No. 02316.3045USP1; U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No.
61/253,208, filed on Oct. 20, 2009, titled "ELECTRICAL PLUG FOR
MANAGED CONNECTIVITY", Attorney Docket No. 02316.3045USP2; U.S.
patent application Ser. No. 12/907,724, filed on Oct. 19, 2010,
titled "MANAGED ELECTRICAL CONNECTIVITY SYSTEMS", Attorney Docket
No. 02316.3045USU1; U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No.
61/303,948, filed on Feb. 12, 2010, titled "PANEL INCLUDING BLADE
FEATURE FOR MANAGED CONNECTIVITY", Attorney Docket No.
02316.3069USP1; U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No.
61/413,844, filed on Nov. 15, 2010, titled "COMMUNICATIONS BLADED
PANEL SYSTEMS", Attorney Docket No. 02316.3069USP2; U.S.
Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/439,693, filed on Feb.
4, 2011, titled "COMMUNICATIONS BLADED PANEL SYSTEMS", Attorney
Docket No. 02316.3069USP3; U.S. patent application Ser. No.
13/025,730, filed on Feb. 11, 2011, titled "COMMUNICATIONS BLADED
PANEL SYSTEMS", Attorney Docket No. 02316.3069USU1; U.S. patent
application Ser. No. 13/025,737, filed on Feb. 11, 2011, titled
"COMMUNICATIONS BLADED PANEL SYSTEMS", Attorney Docket No.
02316.3069USU2; U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/025,743, filed
on Feb. 11, 2011, titled "COMMUNICATIONS BLADED PANEL SYSTEMS",
Attorney Docket No. 02316.3069USU3; U.S. patent application Ser.
No. 13/025,750, filed on Feb. 11, 2011, titled "COMMUNICATIONS
BLADED PANEL SYSTEMS", Attorney Docket No. 02316.3069USU4; U.S.
Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/303,961; filed on Feb.
12, 2010, titled "Fiber Plug And Adapter For Managed Connectivity",
Attorney Docket No. 02316.3071USP1; U.S. Provisional Patent
Application Ser. No. 61/413,828, filed on Nov. 15, 2010, titled
"Fiber Plugs And Adapters For Managed Connectivity", Attorney
Docket No. 02316.3071USP2; U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser.
No. 61/437,504, filed on Jan. 28, 2011, titled "Fiber Plugs And
Adapters For Managed Connectivity", Attorney Docket No.
02316.3071USP3; U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/025,784, filed
on Feb. 11, 2011, titled "Managed Fiber Connectivity Systems",
Attorney Docket No. 02316.3071USU1; U.S. patent application Ser.
No. 13/025,788, filed on Feb. 11, 2011, titled "Managed Fiber
Connectivity Systems", Attorney Docket No 02316.3071USU2; U.S.
patent application Ser. No. 13/025,797, filed on Feb. 11, 2011,
titled "Managed Fiber Connectivity Systems", Attorney Docket No.
02316.3071USU3; U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/025,841, filed
on Feb. 11, 2011, titled "Managed Fiber Connectivity Systems",
Attorney Docket No. 02316.3071USU4; U.S. Provisional Patent
Application Ser. No. 61/413,856, filed on Nov. 15, 2010, titled
"CABLE MANAGEMENT IN RACK SYSTEMS", Attorney Docket No.
02316.3090USP1; U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No.
61/466,696, filed on Mar. 23, 2011, titled "CABLE MANAGEMENT IN
RACK SYSTEMS", Attorney Docket No. 02316.3090USP2; U.S. Provisional
Patent Application Ser. No. 61/252,395, filed on Oct. 16, 2009,
titled "MANAGED CONNECTIVITY IN ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS", Attorney
Docket No. 02316.3021USP1; U.S. patent application Ser. No.
12/905,689, filed on Oct. 15, 2010, titled "MANAGED CONNECTIVITY IN
ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS", Attorney Docket No. 02316.3021USU1; U.S.
Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/252,386, filed on Oct.
16, 2009, titled "MANAGED CONNECTIVITY IN FIBER OPTIC SYSTEMS",
Attorney Docket No. 02316.3020USP1; and U.S. patent application
Ser. No. 12/905,658, filed on Oct. 15, 2010, titled "MANAGED
CONNECTIVITY IN FIBER OPTIC SYSTEMS", Attorney Docket No.
02316.3020USU1.
[0102] A number of embodiments of the invention defined by the
following claims have been described. Nevertheless, it will be
understood that various modifications to the described embodiments
may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the
claimed invention. Accordingly, other embodiments are within the
scope of the following claims.
* * * * *