Platform simulation for management controller development on virtual machines

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10042666-B2
Application number	US-201615233073-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 10, 2016
Priority date	Aug 10, 2016
Publication date	Aug 7, 2018
Grant date	Aug 7, 2018

Abstract

Certain aspects direct to systems and methods for platform simulation on virtual machine for development projects of a management controller on virtual machines. At least one virtual machine (VM) is provided to simulate a management controller and a host computing device for the management controller. The at least one VM includes: a firmware module for the management controller, configured to receive at least one output signal from the host computing device or from at least one device connected to the host computing device; and a simulator module configured to simulate the host computing device or the at least one device connected to the host computing device. In operation, the simulator module generates the at least one output signal based on configuration data of the host computing device or the device connected to the host computing device, and sends the at least one output signal to the firmware module.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system, comprising:
a computing device, comprising a processor that executes computer executable code and a storage device storing the computer executable code, wherein the computer executable code comprises:
a hypervisor configured to be executed at the processor of the computing device to provide a first domain;
a first virtual machine (VM) comprising a firmware module for a simulated management controller and a controller simulator module; and
a second VM comprising a host simulator module for a simulated host computing device;

wherein the hypervisor, when executed at the processor, is configured to provide the first domain, allowing the first VM and the second VM to be executed simultaneously in the first domain as a first VM instance and a second VM instance, such that the first VM instance and the second VM instance share the computing device as a single hardware host;
wherein the first VM, when executed at the processor as the first VM instance, is configured to:
execute the firmware module to provide the simulated management controller, such that the simulated management controller is configured to receive at least one output signal from the simulated host computing device or from at least one simulated device connected to the simulated host computing device; and
execute the controller simulator module to simulate features and devices communicating to and monitored by the simulated management controller;

wherein the second VM, when executed at the processor as the second VM instance, is configured to:
execute the host simulator module to provide the simulated host computing device or the at least one simulated device connected to the simulated host computing device;
control the host simulator module to generate the at least one output signal based on configuration data of the simulated host computing device or the at least one simulated device connected to the simulated host computing device; and
sending the at least one output signal to the firmware module executed at the first VM instance;

wherein the controller simulator module comprises:
a data store storing configuration data of the simulated host computing device and the at least one simulated device simulated by the controller simulator module; and
at least one simulator library sub-module, wherein each of the at least one simulator library sub-module is configured to simulate one of the simulated devices simulated by the controller simulator module by:

generating at least one additional output signal for the simulated management controller for the simulated one of the at least one simulated device simulated by the controller simulator module based on the configuration data stored in the data store.

2. The system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the host simulator module comprises:
a basic input/output system (BIOS) simulation module, configured to simulate a BIOS of the simulated host computing device; and
an interface simulation module, configured to simulate a plurality of interfaces of the simulated host computing device.

3. The system as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the interfaces simulated by the interface simulation module comprise an Enhanced Host Controller Interface (EHCI) interface and a Low Pin Count (LPC) interface.

4. The system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the firmware module comprises a library module storing a plurality of library programs for the simulated host computing device and the at least one simulated device connected to the simulated host computing device.

5. The system as claimed in claim 4 , wherein each of the at least one simulator library sub-module is further configured to:
receive a command from one of the library programs of the library module, wherein the at least one additional output signal is generated as a response to the command for the at least one simulated device based on the configuration data stored in the data store; and
send the response to the library module.

6. The system as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the controller simulator module further comprises:
at least one simulator driver sub-module, each configured to simulate one of the at least one simulated device controlled by a driver by:
receiving a command from the driver;
generating the at least one output signal as a response to the command for the at least one simulated device based on the configuration data stored in the data library; and
sending the response to the driver.

7. A method for platform simulation for development projects of a management controller, the method comprising:
providing, at a computing device, a hypervisor, a first virtual machine (VM) and a second VM, wherein the hypervisor is configured to be executed at the computing device to provide a first domain, the first VM comprises a firmware module for a simulated management controller and a controller simulator module, and the second VM comprises a host simulator module for a simulated host computing device;
executing the hypervisor at the computing device to provide the first domain;
executing the first VM and the second VM simultaneously in the first domain as a first VM instance and a second VM instance, such that the first VM instance and the second VM instance share the computing device as a single hardware host;
executing, by the first VM instance in the first domain, the firmware module to provide a simulated management controller;
executing, by the first VM instance in the first domain, the controller simulator module to simulate features and devices communicating to and monitored by the simulated management controller;
executing, by the second VM instance in the first domain, the host simulator module to provide the simulated host computing device or the at least one simulated device connected to the simulated host computing device;
controlling, by the second VM instance in the first domain, the host simulator module to generate at least one output signal based on configuration data of the simulated host computing device or the simulated device connected to the simulated host computing device; and
sending, by the second VM instance in the first domain, the at least one output signal to the firmware module executed at the first VM instance, such that the simulated management controller provided by the firmware module executed at the first VM instance is configured to receive the at least one output signal from the simulated host computing device or from the at least one simulated device connected to the simulated host computing device;
wherein the controller simulator module comprises:
a data store storing configuration data of the simulated host computing device and the at least one simulated device simulated by the controller simulator module; and
at least one simulator library sub-module, wherein each of the at least one simulator library sub-module is configured to simulate one of the simulated devices simulated by the controller simulator module by:

generating at least one additional output signal for the simulated management controller for the simulated one of the at least one simulated device simulated by the controller simulator module based on the configuration data stored in the data store.

8. The method as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the host simulator module comprises:
a basic input/output system (BIOS) simulation module, configured to simulate a BIOS of the simulated host computing device; and
an interface simulation module, configured to simulate a plurality of interfaces of the simulated host computing device,
wherein the interfaces simulated by the interface simulation module comprise an Enhanced Host Controller Interface (EHCI) interface and a Low Pin Count (LPC) interface.

9. The method as cl

Assignees

• American Megatrends Inc

Inventors

• Maity Sanjoy
• Christopher Samvinesh
• Thomas Satheesh

Classifications

• G06F9/4401

  Bootstrapping (security arrangements therefor G06F21/57) · CPC title

• G06F30/20

  Design optimisation, verification or simulation (optimisation, verification or simulation of circuit designs G06F30/30) · CPC title

• G06F2009/45579

  I/O management, e.g. providing access to device drivers or storage · CPC title

• G06F9/45558 Primary

  Hypervisor-specific management and integration aspects · CPC title

• G06F17/5009

  Physics · mapped topic