BACKGROUND

The present disclosure relates generally to information handling systems, and more particularly to coupling information handling systems to a switch in an information handling system rack.

As the value and use of information continues to increase, individuals and businesses seek additional ways to process and store information. One option available to users is information handling systems. An information handling system generally processes, compiles, stores, and/or communicates information or data for business, personal, or other purposes thereby allowing users to take advantage of the value of the information. Because technology and information handling needs and requirements vary between different users or applications, information handling systems may also vary regarding what information is handled, how the information is handled, how much information is processed, stored, or communicated, and how quickly and efficiently the information may be processed, stored, or communicated. The variations in information handling systems allow for information handling systems to be general or configured for a specific user or specific use such as financial transaction processing, airline reservations, enterprise data storage, or global communications. In addition, information handling systems may include a variety of hardware and software components that may be configured to process, store, and communicate information and may include one or more computer systems, data storage systems, and networking systems.

Information handling systems such as, for example, server devices, storage systems, and/or other computing devices, are often provided in a rack and coupled to each other and a network using one or more switch devices that are also provided in that rack. The coupling of computing devices to switch devices in a rack is accomplished via respective cables coupled between respective ports on the switch device(s) and respective ports on the computing devices, and one of skill in the art in possession of the present disclosure will recognize that as racks hold more and more computing devices, more and more cables may be utilized with that rack to provide those couplings. For example, in conventional racks that hold4switch devices positioned adjacent the top of the rack (i.e., Top of Rack (ToR) switch devices) and more than40computing devices positioned below those switch devices, upward of160separate cables may be utilized to couple the switch devices with those computing devices. In order to ensure efficient access to the computing devices and switch devices, cable management techniques are utilized that typically route the cables between the switch devices and the computing devices along one or more sides of the rack in a group or “bunch”.

Such cable management techniques typically include the utilization of cable management/routing hardware, as well as the design and planning of cable routing strategies involving different length cables that allow the routing of any particular cable between a switch device and any particular computing device without providing that cable with a length that exceeds the cable routing distance (i.e., cable “slack” that must then be managed in some manner.) As such, cables utilized in the rack can be up to 2-3 feet longer than the shortest distance between the switch device and computing device they couple together in order to provide the desired cable routing path, which can result in relatively long cables being required for at least some of the computing devices provided in the rack. As will be appreciated by one of skill in the art in possession of the present disclosure, the conventional coupling and cable management techniques discussed above provide cabling that can obstruct airflow, activity indicator LEDs, and text on the computing devices, while making it cumbersome to add and remove cables to and from the rack due to the need to plan for and provide the cable routing discussed above. Furthermore, tracing any particular cable between a switch device and a computing device is difficult due to that cable being “bunched” or otherwise routed in a group of cables that run along a side of the rack, with the cabling between a switch device and computing devices that are positioned near the bottom of the rack (i.e., opposite the rack from that switch device) presenting particular cable tracing difficulties.

Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide a rack switch coupling system that addresses the issues discussed above.

SUMMARY

According to one embodiment, an Information Handling System (IHS) includes at least one chassis is configured to be positioned in a rack including a switch device and a plurality of computing devices in a stacked orientation; and a communication system that is located in the at least one chassis and that includes: respective first ports that are each configured to be cabled to the plurality of computing devices when the at least one chassis is positioned in the rack, with each of the respective first ports located adjacent the computing device to which it is cabled and between a first plane corresponding to a top surface of that computing device and a second plane corresponding to a bottom surface of that computing device that is opposite the top surface; and a plurality of second ports that are each configured to each located adjacent to the switch device and cabled to the switch device when the at least one chassis is positioned in the rack, wherein each respective first port is connected to one of the plurality of second ports.

