Enabling interactive cable routing and planning optimization for customized hardware configurations

{
  "publication_number": "US11165662B2",
  "country": "US",
  "kind": "B2",
  "title": "Enabling interactive cable routing and planning optimization for customized hardware configurations",
  "abstract": "Provided are systems, methods, and computer products for interactive cable routing and planning optimization for customized hardware configurations. An example method includes receiving a set of cable characteristics and a set of user selections, in which the set of user selections are received via a graphical user interface (GUI). Identifying possible cabling routes for a hardware configuration based, at least in part, on available plug start and termination locations. Ranking each of the possible cabling routes based, at least in part, on a prioritized list of optimization criteria and the set of cable characteristics. Generating a suggested cabling configuration for one or more applications based, at least in part, on the set of cable characteristics, the set of user selections, and the ranking. Outputting the suggested cabling configuration to the user by at least providing a three-dimensional view of the suggested cabling configuration via the GUI.",
  "claims": [
    "1. A computer-implemented method for interactive cable configuration routing, the computer-implemented method comprising: receiving, by a system comprising one or more processors, a set of cable characteristics and a set of user selections, wherein the set of user selections are received via a graphical user interface (GUI), and wherein the set of user selections includes a prioritized list of optimization criteria; identifying, by the system, possible cabling routes for a hardware configuration based, at least in part, on available three-dimensional (3D) routing space in a structural frame, and available plug start and termination locations; ranking, by the system, each of the possible cabling routes based, at least in part, on the prioritized list of optimization criteria and the set of cable characteristics; generating, by the system, a suggested cabling configuration for one or more applications based, at least in part, on the set of cable characteristics, the set of user selections, and the ranking, wherein the one or more applications includes one or more of a design application, a manufacturing application, or a service application; and outputting, by the system, the suggested cabling configuration to the user by at least providing a three-dimensional view of the suggested cabling configuration via the GUI, wherein: the one or more applications includes the service application, and the set of cable characteristics includes cabling/un-cabling times, each cabling/un-cabling time comprising an estimate of how long a hardware component would take to be cabled and/or un-cabled.",
    "2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the one or more applications further includes the design application, wherein the set of cable characteristics further includes one or more of a configuration density, a thermal performance, a cable length, or distance between longest and shortest signal cable, wherein the generating of the suggested cabling configuration includes generating a set of suggested design alterations, wherein the set of suggested design alterations includes a change in a connector location of the hardware configuration.",
    "3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein the set of suggested design alterations further includes a set of suggested assembly configuration alterations, wherein the set of suggested assembly configuration alterations includes a location of a drawer and locations of card plugs within the drawer.",
    "4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the one or more applications further includes the manufacturing application, wherein the set of cable characteristics further includes one or more of unique part numbers, cabling/un-cabling times, ergonomic metrics, risk of assembly induced damage, cabling configurations that are available based on limited part availability, wherein the risk of assembly induced damages includes metrics relating to an amount of fragility of previously installed cables.",
    "5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the set of cable characteristics further includes one or both of complexity of likely field upgrades, and ease of service related to servicing or updating hardware components when substituting or adding hardware of a multi-frame system.",
    "6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the generating of the suggested cabling configuration includes generating a set of suggested assembly alterations, wherein the set of suggested assembly alterations are based, at least in part, on maximizing at least one metric of the set of cabling characteristics or maximizing a combination of metrics of the set of cabling characteristics.",
    "7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the set of user selections are received by the system in response to receiving a dragging and dropping input from the user, wherein the dragging and dropping input includes arranging hardware components or cables within the GUI, wherein the outputting of the cabling configuration includes displaying a holographic visual aide.",
    "8. A system for interactive cable configuration routing, the system comprising one or more processors configured to perform a method comprising: receiving, by the system, a set of cable characteristics and a set of user selections, wherein the set of user selections are received via a graphical user interface (GUI), wherein the set of user selections includes a prioritized list of optimization criteria; identifying, by the system, possible cabling routes for a hardware configuration based, at least in part, on available three-dimensional (3D) routing space in a structural frame, and available plug start and termination locations; ranking, by the system, each of the possible cabling routes based, at least in part, on the prioritized list of optimization criteria and the set of cable characteristics; generating, by the system, a suggested cabling configuration for one or more applications based, at least in part, on the set of cable characteristics, the set of user selections, and the ranking, wherein the one or more applications includes one or more of a design application, a manufacturing application, or a service application; and outputting, by the system, the suggested cabling configuration to the user by at least providing a three-dimensional view of the suggested cabling configuration via the GUI, wherein: the one or more applications includes the service application, and the set of cable characteristics includes cabling/un-cabling times, each cabling/un-cabling time comprising an estimate of how long a hardware component would take to be cabled and/or un-cabled.",
    "9. The system of claim 8, wherein the one or more applications further includes the design application, wherein the set of cable characteristics further includes one or more of a configuration density, a thermal performance, a cable length, or distance between longest and shortest signal cable, wherein the generating of the suggested cabling configuration includes generating a set of suggested design alterations, wherein the set of suggested design alterations includes a change in a connector location of the hardware configuration.",
    "10. The system of claim 9, wherein the set of suggested design alterations further includes a set of suggested assembly configuration alterations, wherein the set of suggested assembly configuration alterations includes a location of a drawer and locations of card plugs within the drawer.",
    "11. The system of claim 8, wherein the one or more applications further includes the manufacturing application, wherein the set of cable characteristics further includes one or more of unique part numbers, cabling/un-cabling times, ergonomic metrics, risk of assembly induced damage, cabling configurations that are available based on limited part availability, wherein the risk of assembly induced damages includes metrics relating to an amount of fragility of previously installed cables.",
    "12. The system of claim 8, wherein the set of cable characteristics further includes one or both of complexity of likely field upgrades, and ease of service related to servicing or updating hardware components when substituting or adding hardware of a multi-frame system.",
    "13. The system of claim 8, wherein the generating of the suggested cabling configuration includes generating a set of suggested assembly alterations, wherein the set of suggested assembly alterations are based, at least in part, on maximizing at least one metric of the set of cabling characteristics or maximizing a combination of metrics of the set of cabling characteristics.",
    "14. The system of claim 8, wherein the set of user selections are received by the system in response to receiving a dragging and dropping input from the user, wherein the dragging and dropping input includes arranging hardware components or cables within the GUI, wherein the outputting of the cabling configuration includes displaying a holographic visual aide.",
    "15. A computer program product for interactive cable configuration routing, the computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith, the program instructions executable by a system comprising one or more processors to cause the system to perform a method comprising: receiving, by the system, a set of cable characteristics and a set of user selections, wherein the set of user selections are received via a graphical user interface (GUI), wherein the set of user selections includes a prioritized list of optimization criteria; identifying, by the system, possible cabling routes for a hardware configuration based, at least in part, on available three-dimensional (3D) routing space in a structural frame, and available plug start and termination locations; ranking, by the system, each of the possible cabling routes based, at least in part, on the prioritized list of optimization criteria and the set of cable characteristics; generating, by the system, a suggested cabling configuration for one or more applications based, at least in part, on the set of cable characteristics, the set of user selections, and the ranking, wherein the one or more applications includes one or more of a design application, a manufacturing application, or a service application; and outputting, by the system, the suggested cabling configuration to the user by at least providing a three-dimensional view of the suggested cabling configuration via the GUI, wherein: the one or more applications includes the service application, and the set of cable characteristics includes cabling/un-cabling times, each cabling/un-cabling time comprising an estimate of how long a hardware component would take to be cabled and/or un-cabled.",
    "16. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the one or more applications further includes the design application, wherein the set of cable characteristics further includes one or more of a configuration density, a thermal performance, a cable length, or distance between longest and shortest signal cable, wherein the generating of the suggested cabling configuration includes generating a set of suggested design alterations, wherein the set of suggested design alterations includes a change in a connector location of the hardware configuration.",
    "17. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the set of suggested design alterations further includes a set of suggested assembly configuration alterations, wherein the set of suggested assembly configuration alterations includes a location of a drawer and locations of card plugs within the drawer.",
    "18. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the one or more applications further includes the manufacturing application, wherein the set of cable characteristics further includes one or more of unique part numbers, cabling/un-cabling times, ergonomic metrics, risk of assembly induced damage, cabling configurations that are available based on limited part availability, wherein the risk of assembly induced damages includes metrics relating to an amount of fragility of previously installed cables.",
    "19. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the set of cable characteristics further includes one or both of complexity of likely field upgrades, and ease of service related to servicing or updating of hardware components when substituting or adding hardware of a multi-frame system.",
    "20. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the generating of the suggested cabling configuration includes generating a set of suggested assembly alterations, wherein the set of suggested assembly alterations are based, at least in part, on maximizing at least one metric of the set of cabling characteristics or maximizing a combination of metrics of the set of cabling characteristics."
  ],
  "description_excerpt": "The present invention generally relates to cable routing, and more specifically, to interactive cable routing and planning optimization for customized hardware configurations.\n\nCabling configurations are becoming increasingly complex as a result of continuous expansion of technology, spacial limits of present datacenter footprints, and growing desire to accommodate new technology within the same physical space. The increase in the number of highly customizable configurations and quantity of equipment that are needed to fit into the limited spacial footprint causes an ever growing number of possible cabling configurations, component placement options, and numerous potential upgrade paths.\n\nEmbodiments of the present invention provide a computer-implemented method for interactive cable configuration routing and/or optimization. A non-limiting example of the computer-implemented method includes receiving, by a system comprising one or more processors, a set of cable characteristics and a set of user selections, in which the set of user selections are received via a graphical user interface (GUI), and in which the set of user selections includes a prioritized list of optimization criteria. The method includes identifying, by the system, possible cabling routes for a hardware configuration based, at least in part, on available plug start and termination locations. The method includes ranking, by the system, each of the possible cabling routes based, at least in part, on the prioritized list of optimization criteria and the set of cable characteristics.",
  "cpc": [
    "H04L 41/22",
    "G06F 3/0482",
    "G06F 3/0484",
    "G06F 3/0486",
    "H04L 41/0806",
    "H04L 41/0883",
    "H04L 41/145"
  ],
  "ipc": [
    "G06F 3/0482",
    "G06F 3/0484",
    "H04L 12/24",
    "H04L 12/04"
  ],
  "assignees": [
    "International Business Machines Corp"
  ],
  "inventors": [
    "Adam Benjamin Childers",
    "Ryan Elsasser",
    "Karl Owen Casserly",
    "Richard Burton Finch",
    "Paul Samaniego",
    "Michael J Doscher",
    "Mateusz Koziol"
  ],
  "filing_date": "2019-03-26",
  "publication_date": "2021-11-02",
  "grant_date": "2021-11-02",
  "priority_date": "2019-03-26",
  "application_number": "US-201916364329-A",
  "family_id": "72605239",
  "cited_by_count": 1,
  "citations": [
    "US6245599B1",
    "US20040130878A1",
    "US7206723B2",
    "WO2005120084A2",
    "US20060100934A1",
    "US20070219764A1",
    "WO2009109785A2",
    "US20110252163A1",
    "US8793351B2",
    "US20140304336A1",
    "US9219644B2",
    "US20150227668A1",
    "US20160267214A1",
    "US20180136815A1",
    "CN107657841A"
  ]
}