Techniques for bridging BIOS commands between client and host via BMC

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10108436-B2
Application number	US-201615247529-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 25, 2016
Priority date	Aug 25, 2016
Publication date	Oct 23, 2018
Grant date	Oct 23, 2018

Abstract

In an aspect of the disclosure, a method, a computer-readable medium, and an apparatus are provided. The apparatus may be an embedded-system device. The embedded-system device receives a first message including first command or data from a client. The embedded-system device triggers a BIOS of a host of the embedded-system device to communicate with the embedded-system device. The embedded-system device receives a request from the BIOS. The embedded-system device sends the first command or data to the BIOS in response to the request.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of operating a computer system, comprising:
receiving, at an embedded-system device in the computer system, a first message including first command or data from a client;
triggering a Basic Input/Output System (BIOS) of a host of the embedded-system device to communicate with the embedded-system device;
receiving, at the embedded-system device, a request from the BIOS;
sending the first command or data to the BIOS in response to the request;
receiving, at the BIOS, the first command or data;
executing the first command or data;
generating, at the BIOS, second command or data in response to the execution of the first command or data; and
sending the second command or data to the embedded-system device.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving, at the embedded-system device, second command or data from the BIOS; and
sending, at the embedded-system device and to the client, a second message including the second command or data.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the first message requests a response, wherein the second message is sent to the client as the response to the first message.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
associating the first message with an identifier; and
receiving, from the client, a third message including the identifier and requesting a response, wherein the second message is sent to the client as the response to the third message.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving, at the BIOS, an interrupt triggered by the embedded-system device; and
sending, to the embedded-system device, a request to retrieve the first command or data.

6. A computer system comprising:
an embedded-system device, including:
a first memory; and
first at least one processor coupled to the first memory and configured to:
receive, at the embedded-system, a first message including first command or data from a client;
trigger a Basic Input/Output System (BIOS) of a host of the embedded-system device to communicate with the embedded-system device;
receive, at the embedded-system device, a request from the BIOS; and
send the first command or data to the BIOS in response to the request; and

the host, wherein the host includes:
a second memory; and
second at least one processor coupled to the second memory and configured to:
receive, at the BIOS, the first command or data;
execute the first command or data;
generate, at the BIOS, second command or data in response to the execution of the first command or data; and
send the second command or data to the embedded-system device.

7. The computer system of claim 6 , wherein the first at least one processor is further configured to:
receive, at the embedded-system device, second command or data from the BIOS; and
send, at the embedded-system device and to the client, a second message including the second command or data.

8. The computer system of claim 7 , wherein the first message requests a response, wherein the second message is sent to the client as the response to the first message.

9. The computer system of claim 6 , wherein the first at least one processor is further configured to:
associate the first message with an identifier; and
receive, from the client, a third message including the identifier and requesting a response, wherein the second message is sent to the client as the response to the third message.

10. The computer system of claim 6 , wherein the second at least one processor is further configured to:
receive, at the BIOS, an interrupt triggered by the embedded-system device; and
send, to the embedded-system device, a request to retrieve the first command or data.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer executable code for operating a computer system, comprising code to:
receive, at an embedded-system device in the computer system, a first message including first command or data from a client;
trigger a Basic Input/Output System (BIOS) of a host of the embedded-system device to communicate with the embedded-system device;
receive, at the embedded-system device, a request from the BIOS;
send the first command or data to the BIOS in response to the request;
receive, at the BIOS, the first command or data;
execute the first command or data;
generate, at the BIOS, second command or data in response to the execution of the first command or data; and
send the second command or data to the embedded-system device.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11 , wherein the code is further configured to:
receive, at the embedded-system device, second command or data from the BIOS; and
send, at the embedded-system device and to the client, a second message including the second command or data.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12 , wherein the first message requests a response, wherein the second message is sent to the client as the response to the first message.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11 , wherein the code is further configured to:
associate the first message with an identifier; and
receive, from the client, a third message including the identifier and requesting a response, wherein the second message is sent to the client as the response to the third message.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11 , wherein the code is further configured to:
receive, at the BIOS, an interrupt triggered by the embedded-system device; and
send, to the embedded-system device, a request to retrieve the first command or data.

Assignees

• American Megatrends Inc

Inventors

• Thomas Satheesh
• Bhatia Anurag
• Maity Sanjoy
• Nallagatla Purandhar
• Parthiban Baskar
• Bhimanadhuni Ramakoti Reddy
• Doppalapudi Harikrishna

Classifications

• G06F9/4406

  Loading of operating system · CPC title

• G06F9/4416 Primary

  Network booting; Remote initial program loading [RIPL] · CPC title

• G06F9/4812 Primary

  by interrupt, e.g. masked · CPC title

• G06F13/10

  Program control for peripheral devices (G06F13/14 - G06F13/42 take precedence) · CPC title