Custom baseboard management controller (BMC) firmware stack watchdog system and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11714696-B2
Application number	US-202117346657-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 14, 2021
Priority date	Jun 14, 2021
Publication date	Aug 1, 2023
Grant date	Aug 1, 2023

Abstract

An Information Handling System (IHS) includes multiple hardware devices, and a baseboard Management Controller (BMC) in communication with the plurality of hardware devices. The BMC includes a first processor for executing a custom BMC firmware stack, and transmitting a watchdog message at an ongoing basis. The BMC also includes a second processor for receiving the watchdog message. When the watchdog message is received within a specified elapsed period of time, allow continued operation of the custom BMC firmware stack, and when not received within the specified elapsed period of time, place the BMC in a failsafe mode of operation.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An Information Handling System (IHS), comprising:
a plurality of hardware and software resources; and
a Baseboard Management Controller (BMC) in communication with the plurality of resources, the BMC comprising:
a first processor configured to execute first instructions stored in a first memory unit to:
execute a custom BMC firmware stack; and
transmit a watchdog message at an ongoing basis; and

a second processor configured to execute second instructions stored in a second memory unit to:
receive the watchdog message;
when the watchdog message is received within a specified elapsed period of time, allow continued operation of the custom BMC firmware stack; and
when the watchdog message is not received within a specified elapsed period of time, place the BMC in a failsafe mode of operation.

2. The IHS of claim 1 , further comprising a system on chip (SoC) device comprising the first processor and a third processor, wherein the third processor is configured to execute third instructions stored in a third memory unit to:
assist the first processor in performing one or more functions associated with the operation of the BMC; and
transmit the watchdog message.

3. The IHS of claim 2 , wherein the second instructions are further executed to transmit the watchdog message only when the second instructions have not been tampered with via execution of the custom BMC firmware stack.

4. The IHS of claim 2 , wherein the second instructions are further executed to:
receive a request for data from a fourth memory unit of the BMC by one of the resources;
inhibit the first processor from responding to the request; and
respond to the request by controlling the third processor to transmit the requested data to the one resource.

5. The IHS of claim 1 , wherein the first instructions are further executed to include a numerical value in the watchdog timer, the numerical value incremented each time the watchdog message is transmitted, and wherein the second instructions are further executed to:
when the received watchdog message includes the incremented numerical value, allow continued operation of the first and second processors; and
when the received watchdog message does not include the incremented numerical value, place the first processor in the failsafe mode of operation.

6. The IHS of claim 1 , wherein the first instructions are further executed to transmit the watchdog message using a random delay function.

7. The IHS of claim 1 , wherein the second instructions are further executed to inhibit the first and second memory units from being written to when in the failsafe mode of operation.

8. The IHS of claim 1 , wherein the second instructions are further executed to set one or more fans of the IHS to a maximum speed when in the failsafe mode of operation.

9. The IHS of claim 1 , wherein the second instructions are further executed to inhibit execution of the custom BMC firmware stack by holding the first processor in a reset condition when in the failsafe mode of operation.

10. The IHS of claim 1 , wherein the second instructions are further executed to place the BMC in a failsafe mode by locking a BIOS of the IHS in a user input mode.

11. A method comprising:
executing a custom baseboard management controller (BMC) firmware stack using first instructions stored in at least one memory and executed by a first processor, wherein the BMC is in communication with a plurality of resources of an information handling system (IHS);
transmitting, using the first instructions, a watchdog message at an ongoing basis;
receiving the watchdog messages using second instructions stored in at least one memory and executed by a second processor;
when the watchdog message is received within a specified elapsed period of time, allowing, using the second instructions, continued operation of the custom BMC firmware stack; and
when the watchdog message is not received within a specified elapsed period of time, placing, using the second instructions, the BMC in a failsafe mode of operation.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein a system on chip (SoC) device comprises the first processor and a third processor, the method further comprising:
assisting, using third instructions stored in a third memory unit and executed by the third processor, the first processor in performing one or more functions associated with the operation of the BMC; and
transmitting, using the third instructions, the watchdog message.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising transmitting, using the second instructions, the watchdog message only when the second instructions have not been tampered with via execution of the custom BMC firmware stack.

14. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
receiving, using the second instructions, a request for data from a fourth memory unit of the BMC by one of the resources;
inhibiting, using the second instructions, the first processor from responding to the request; and
responding, using the second instructions, to the request by controlling the third processor to transmit the requested data to the one resource.

15. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
including, using the first instructions, a numerical value in the watchdog timer, and incrementing the numerical value each time the watchdog message is transmitted;
when the received watchdog message includes the incremented numerical value, allowing continued operation of the first and second processors using the second instructions; and
when the received watchdog message does not include the incremented numerical value, placing the first processor in the failsafe mode of operation using the second instructions.

16. The method of claim 11 , further comprising transmitting the watchdog message using a random delay function.

17. The method of claim 11 , further comprising performing at least one of inhibiting, using the second instructions, the at least one memory from being written to when in the failsafe mode of operation, setting one or more fans of the IHS to a maximum speed when in the failsafe mode of operation, inhibiting execution of the custom BMC firmware stack by holding the first processor in a reset condition when in the failsafe mode of operation, and place the BMC in a failsafe mode by locking a BIOS of the IHS in a user input mode.

18. A baseboard management controller (BMC) in communication with a plurality of resources of an information handling system (IHS), the BMC comprising:
a first processor configured to execute first instructions stored in a first memory unit to:
execute a custom BMC firmware stack; and
transmit a watchdog message at an ongoing basis; and

a second processor is configured to execute second instructions stored in a second memory unit to:
receive the watchdog message;
when the watchdog message is received within a specified elapsed period of time, allow continued operation of the custom BMC firmware stack; and
when the watchdog message is not received within a specified elapsed period of time, place the BMC in a failsafe mode of operation.

19. The BMC of claim 18 , further comprising a system on chip (SoC) device comprising the first processor and a third processor, wherein the third processor is configured to execute third instructions stored in a third memory unit to:
assist the first processor in performing one or more functions associated with the operation of the BMC; and
transmit the watchdog message.

20. The BMC of claim 18 , wherein the second

Assignees

• Dell Products Lp

Inventors

• Cho Eugene David
• Lambert Timothy M
• Maddukuri Akkiah Choudary
• Mugunda Chandrasekhar
• Muthaiyan Arun
• Veluthakkal Sreeram

Classifications

• G06F11/0757 Primary

  by exceeding a time limit, i.e. time-out, e.g. watchdogs · CPC title

• G06F1/20

  Cooling means · CPC title

• G06F11/3058

  Monitoring arrangements for monitoring environmental properties or parameters of the computing system or of the computing system component, e.g. monitoring of power, currents, temperature, humidity, position, vibrations (thermal management in cooling arrangements of a computing system G06F1/206) · CPC title

• G06F1/206 Primary

  comprising thermal management · CPC title

• G06F11/3024

  where the computing system component is a central processing unit [CPU] · CPC title