	US 11,687,470 B2
	Expander I/O module discovery and management system
Eric Kuzmack, Georgetown, TX (US); Pawan Kumar Singal, Milpitas, CA (US); Balaji Rajagopalan, Sunnyvale, CA (US); Ning Zhuang, San Jose, CA (US); Joseph LaSalle White, San Jose, CA (US); Sudhir Vittal Shetty, Cedar Park, TX (US); Babu Krishna Chandrasekhar, Round Rock, TX (US); and Zoheb Khan, Austin, TX (US)
Assigned to Dell Products L.P., Round Rock, TX (US)
Filed by Dell Products L.P., Round Rock, TX (US)
Filed on Jul. 8, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/860,270.
Application 17/860,270 is a continuation of application No. 16/526,624, filed on Jul. 30, 2019, granted, now 11,416,424.
Prior Publication US 2022/0342832 A1, Oct. 27, 2022
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. G06F 13/10 (2006.01); G06F 13/12 (2006.01)

CPC G06F 13/107 (2013.01) [G06F 13/122 (2013.01); G06F 13/126 (2013.01)]

20 Claims

1. A device discovery and management system, comprising:

a secondary system that includes a secondary system chassis housing a first secondary device and a second secondary device that is coupled to the first secondary device, wherein the second secondary device is configured to:

identify the secondary system chassis that houses the first secondary device;

identify a first secondary device port on the first secondary device that is utilized by the second secondary device; and

generate and transmit a first secondary device reporting communication that identifies the secondary system chassis and the first secondary device port; and

a primary system that includes a primary system chassis housing a primary device that is coupled to the first secondary device in the secondary system, wherein the primary device is configured to:

receive, via the first secondary device from the second secondary device included in the secondary system, the first secondary device reporting communication and, in response:

determine that the secondary system chassis identified in the first secondary device reporting communication is different than the primary system chassis and, in response, assign a virtual slot to the first secondary device; and

assign a virtual port that is associated with the virtual slot to the first secondary device port identified in the first secondary device reporting communication.

8. An Information Handling System (IHS), comprising:

a processing system; and

a memory system that is coupled to the processing system and that includes instructions that, when executed by the processing system, cause the processing system to provide a device discovery and management engine that is configured to:

receive, via a first secondary device that is housed in a secondary system chassis provided for a secondary system from a second secondary device that is housed in the secondary system chassis provided for the secondary system and coupled to the first secondary device, a first secondary device reporting communication that identifies:

the secondary system chassis; and

a first secondary device port on the first secondary device that is utilized by the second secondary device;

determine, in response to receiving the first secondary device reporting communication, that the secondary system chassis identified in the first secondary device reporting communication is different than a primary system chassis that houses the processing system and, in response, assign a virtual slot to the first secondary device; and

assign a virtual port that is associated with the virtual slot to the first secondary device port identified in the first secondary device reporting communication.

14. A method for discovering and managing devices, comprising:

receiving, by a primary device that is housed in a primary system chassis provided for a primary system via a first secondary device that is housed in a secondary system chassis provided for a secondary system from a second secondary device that is housed in the secondary system chassis provided for the secondary system and coupled to the first secondary device, a first secondary device reporting communication that identifies:

the secondary system chassis; and

a first secondary device port on the first secondary device that is utilized by the second secondary device;

determining, by the primary device in response to receiving the first secondary device reporting communication, that the secondary system chassis identified in the first secondary device reporting communication is different than the primary system chassis and, in response, assign a virtual slot to the first secondary device; and

assigning, by the primary device, a virtual port that is associated with the virtual slot to the first secondary device port identified in the first secondary device reporting communication.