Integration and remote control of a pre-assembled computer system into a server for a virtualization service

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11113046-B1
Application number	US-201916581650-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Sep 24, 2019
Priority date	Sep 24, 2019
Publication date	Sep 7, 2021
Grant date	Sep 7, 2021

Abstract

A branded fleet server system includes a pre-assembled third-party computer system integrated into a chassis of the branded fleet server system. The pre-assembled third-party computer system is configured to execute proprietary software that is only licensed for use on branded hardware. A baseboard management controller (BMC) included in the server chassis couples with the pre-assembled computer system via one or more cables coupled to ports of the pre-assembled computer system. The BMC enables remote control of the pre-assembled computer system, such as remote power on and power off. Also the BMC may enable automatic and remote software and/or firmware updates to be performed at the pre-assembled computer system.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A server system, comprising:
a server chassis;
a pre-assembled computer system mounted in the server chassis, wherein the pre-assembled computer system is pre-assembled and pre-installed in a computer case of the pre-assembled computer system prior to being installed in the server chassis;
a baseboard management controller mounted in the server chassis external to the pre-assembled computer system;
one or more cables coupled at respective first ends to one or more connectors of the baseboard management controller and coupled at respective second ends to one or more ports in the computer case of the pre-assembled computer system,
wherein the baseboard management controller is configured to:
receive request messages from a virtualization offloading component of a cloud computing service that provides virtualization control for a plurality of servers;
receive status information or data from one or more system management components included in the server chassis;
receive status information or data from the pre-assembled computer system via the one or more cables coupled to the one or more ports of the pre-assembled computer system; and
generate, based on the request messages, the status information, or the data, output commands to take one or more control actions at the pre-assembled computer system or the one or more system management components included in the server chassis;

wherein the baseboard management controller enables the cloud computing service to remotely control the pre-assembled computer system.

2. The server system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more control actions comprise:
remotely changing a power state of the pre-assembled computer system from a power on-state to a power off-state, or from a power off-state to a power on-state.

3. The server system of claim 1 , wherein the baseboard management controller is further configured to:
generate one or more output commands to take one or more other control actions at the system management components based on the received status information or data from the pre-assembled computer system or the system management components included in the server chassis.

4. The server system of claim 1 , wherein the baseboard management controller is configured to:
emulate, via the one or more cables coupled to the one or more ports of the pre-assembled computer system, one or more of:
a keyboard;
a mouse; or
a monitor,

such that the pre-assembled computer system senses a connection to an emulated keyboard, an emulated mouse, or an emulated monitor.

5. The server system of claim 1 , wherein the pre-assembled computer system is a computer system manufactured by Apple, Inc.

6. A device, comprising:
a server chassis;
a mounting device configured to secure a pre-assembled computer system in the server chassis, wherein the pre-assembled computer system is pre-assembled and pre-installed in a computer case of the pre-assembled computer system prior to being mounted in the mounting device;
a system management processor mounted in the server chassis external to the pre-assembled computer system, wherein the system management processor is configured to:
receive request messages from a virtualization offloading component of a cloud computing service that provides virtualization control for a plurality of servers in a data center;
receive status information or data from one or more system management components included in the server chassis;
receive status information or data from the pre-assembled computer system; and
generate, based on the received request messages, status information, or data, output commands to cause one or more control actions to be taken at the pre-assembled computer system or at the system management components,
wherein the system management processor enables the cloud computing service to remotely control the pre-assembled computer system.

7. The device of claim 6 , further comprising:
a baseboard management controller; and
the virtualization offloading component coupled to the baseboard management controller,

wherein:
the system management processor is included in the baseboard management controller,
the baseboard management controller includes one or more remote virtualization offloading controllers in communication with the virtualization offloading component, and
the virtualization offloading component is configured to, via the one or more remote virtualization offloading controllers:
permit or inhibit the control commands from the baseboard management controller from being transmitted to cause the one or more control actions to be taken at the pre-assembled computer system or at the system management components.

8. The device of claim 6 , wherein the system management processor is further configured to:
generate one or more output commands to take one or more other control actions based on the received status information or data from the system management components or the pre-assembled computer system.

9. The device of claim 8 , further comprising the virtualization offloading component, wherein:
the system management processor is included in a baseboard management controller mounted in the server chassis external to the pre-assembled computer system,
the virtualization offloading component is coupled to the baseboard management controller that includes the system management processor,
the baseboard management controller includes one or more remote virtualization offloading controllers in communication with the virtualization offloading component, and
the virtualization offloading component is configured to, via the one or more remote virtualization offloading controllers:
permit or inhibit the status information or data from the system management components or the pre-assembled computer system from being received at the system management processor.

10. The device of claim 6 , wherein the one or more system management components comprise one or more of:
a fan configured to direct air through the server chassis and towards or away from the pre-assembled computer system;
a power distribution board configured to distribute power to the system management components and, via a power cable, the pre-assembled computer system; or
one or more thermal sensors.

11. The device of claim 10 , wherein:
the device is configured to receive direct current (DC) power from a DC power source external to the device;
the one or more system management components are configured to receive DC power via the power distribution board, and

wherein the device further comprises:
an inverter configured to convert DC power received from the DC power source external to the device into alternating current (AC) power, wherein an output of the inverter is configured to couple with the power cable of the pre-assembled computer system to supply AC power to the pre-assembled computer system.

12. The device of claim 6 , further comprising:
an electro-mechanical device coupled to the server chassis and situated in the server chassis such that the electro-mechanical device is configured to press a power button of the pre-assembled computer system.

13. The device of claim 12 , wherein the system management processor is configured to generate an output command that causes the electro-mechanical device to press the power button in response to receiving a request message from the virtualization computer service to change a power state of the pre-assembled computer system.

14. The device of claim 13 , wherein the request message to change the power state of the pre-assembled computer system is formatted as an in

Assignees

• Amazon Tech Inc

Inventors

• Bowen Peter Zachary
• Frink Darin Lee
• Northup Eric Robert
• Skirmont David A
• Rathaur Manish Singh

Classifications

• G06F2009/45579

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

• G06F2009/45575

  Starting, stopping, suspending or resuming virtual machine instances · CPC title

• G06F2009/4557

  Distribution of virtual machine instances; Migration and load balancing · CPC title

• G06F9/45558

  Hypervisor-specific management and integration aspects · CPC title

• H05K7/1498 Primary

  Resource management, Optimisation arrangements, e.g. configuration, identification, tracking, physical location (thermal management H05K7/20836) · CPC title