Systems and methods for virtual service processor data bridging

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10430351-B2
Application number	US-201615072927-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 17, 2016
Priority date	Mar 17, 2016
Publication date	Oct 1, 2019
Grant date	Oct 1, 2019

Abstract

In accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure, an information handling system may include a processor, a peripheral device, and a service processor communicatively coupled to the processor and the peripheral device and configured to perform out-of-band management of the information handling system. The service processor may further configured to communicatively couple to a management controller having executing thereon a virtual service processor, receive a command associated with the peripheral device from the management controller, deliver the command to the peripheral device, receive data from the peripheral device, and communicate the data to the management controller.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An information handling system comprising:
a processor;
a peripheral device; and
a service processor communicatively coupled to the processor and the peripheral device and configured to perform out-of-band management of the information handling system, wherein the service processor is further configured to:
communicatively couple to a management controller configured to perform out-of-band management of the information handling system and at least one second information handling system, wherein the management controller is configured to execute thereon a virtual service processor configured to implement a graphical user interface that is displayable on a management console for management and control of the service processor via the virtual service processor by a user of the management console;
receive a command associated with the peripheral device from the management controller, wherein the command was communicated to the management controller from the management console and relates to functionality that is not implemented on the service processor itself;
deliver the command to the peripheral device;
receive data from the peripheral device; and
communicate the data to the management controller.

2. The information handling system of claim 1 , wherein the management controller is integral to the second information handling system, the second information handling system being communicatively coupled to the information handling system.

3. The information handling system of claim 1 , wherein the management controller is a chassis management controller integral to a chassis housing the information handling system.

4. The information handling system of claim 1 , wherein the command is encapsulated in a datagram, and the service processor is configured to extract the command from the datagram.

5. The information handling system of claim 1 , wherein the service processor is configured to encapsulate the data in a datagram prior to communicating the data to the management controller.

6. A method comprising:
receiving, at a service processor configured to provide out-of-band management of an information handling system and at least one second information handling system, a command associated with a peripheral device of the information handling system from a management controller communicatively coupled to the service processor, wherein the management controller has executing thereon a virtual service processor that is configured to implement a graphical user interface that is displayable on a management console for management and control of the service processor via the virtual service processor by a user of the management console, wherein the command was communicated to the management controller from the management console and relates to functionality that is not implemented on the service processor itself;
delivering the command to the peripheral device;
receiving data from the peripheral device; and
communicating the data to the management controller.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the management controller is integral to the second information handling system, the second information handling system being communicatively coupled to the information handling system.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the management controller is a chassis management controller integral to a chassis housing the information handling system.

9. The method of claim 6 , wherein the command is encapsulated in a datagram, and the method further comprises extracting the command from the datagram.

10. The method of claim 6 , further comprising encapsulating the data in a datagram prior to communicating the data to the management controller.

11. A management controller configured to perform out-of-band management of a plurality of information handling systems via a respective plurality of service processors, comprising:
a processor; and
a virtual service processor comprising a program of executable instructions embodied in non-transitory computer readable media, the virtual service processor configured to, when executed by the processor:
implement a graphical user interface that is displayable on a management console;
receive, from the management console and via the graphical user interface, a user indication of a particular service processor that the virtual service processor is to manage, wherein the particular service processor is one of the plurality of service processors;
provide, via the graphical user interface, implement a user interface for management and control of the particular service processor;
receive, from the management console, user instructions for controlling a peripheral device communicatively coupled to the particular service processor; and
communicate a command to the particular service processor responsive to receiving the user instructions, the command for causing the particular service processor to communicate the command to the peripheral device, wherein the command relates to functionality implemented on the virtual service processor but not implemented on the particular service processor itself.

12. The management controller of claim 11 , wherein the management controller is integral to a first information handling system communicatively coupled to a second information handling system comprising the particular service processor and the peripheral device.

13. The management controller of claim 11 , wherein the management controller is a chassis management controller integral to a chassis housing an information handling system comprising the particular service processor and the peripheral device.

14. The management controller of claim 11 , wherein the virtual service processor is further configured to encapsulate the command in a datagram prior to communication of the command to the particular service processor.

15. The management controller of claim 11 , wherein the virtual service processor is further configured to:
receive data from the particular service processor;
process the data; and
communicate a command to the particular service processor responsive to processing the data.

16. A method comprising:
implementing a user interface for management and control of a plurality of service processors communicatively coupled to a management controller configured to perform out-of-band management of at least first and second information handling systems, wherein the user interface is implemented via a virtual service processor executable on the management controller, and wherein the user interface is displayable on a management console to allow a user of the management console to interact with the plurality of service processors via the management controller;
receiving, from the management console, a user indication of a particular service processor that the virtual service processor is to manage, wherein the particular service processor is one of the plurality of service processors;
receiving, from the management console, user instructions for controlling a peripheral device communicatively coupled to the particular service processor; and
communicating a command to the particular service processor responsive to receiving the user instructions, the command for causing the particular service processor to communicate the command to the peripheral device, wherein the command relates to functionality implemented on the virtual service processor but not implemented on the particular service processor itself.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the management controller is integral to a first information handling system communicatively coupl

Assignees

• Dell Products Lp

Inventors

• Gupta Chitrak
• Jreij Elie Antoun
• Bisa Rama Rao
• Patel Rajeshkumar Ichchhubhai
• Joshi Neeraj
• Basavarajaiah Sushma
• Sampathkumar Kala

Classifications

• G06F13/20

  for access to input/output bus · CPC title

• G06F13/4068

  Electrical coupling · CPC title

• G06F13/102 Primary

  where the program performs an interfacing function, e.g. device driver (G06F13/105 takes precedence; contention policies within device drivers G06F9/4881; scheduling within device drivers G06F9/52) · CPC title

• Y02D10/14

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• Y02D10/151

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic