Forming modular chassis trusted groups for pre-boot authentication of blade servers

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12346449-B2
Application number	US-202217876523-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 28, 2022
Priority date	Jul 28, 2022
Publication date	Jul 1, 2025
Grant date	Jul 1, 2025

Abstract

Disclosed methods maintain security key information, including a unique security key, for one or more blade servers inserted in slots of one or more modular chassis. Following an indication of a logical trusted group comprising a plurality of slots, a trusted group database, including the security key information for each blade server in a slot of the trusted group, is maintained. Responsive to detecting movement of a blade server between two slots of the trusted group, a pre boot process of the server blade in the second slot is automatically authenticated via the security key information in the trusted group database. If a blade server not associated with the trusted group is inserted into a trusted group slot, automatic authentication is blocked and the user is prompted to manually authenticate the new blade server. If manual authentication is successful, security key information for the new blade is added to the database.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
generating and maintaining security key information, including a unique security key, for each of one or more blade servers inserted in slots of one or more modular chassis;
responsive to detecting an indication of a logical trusted group comprising two or more slots including one or more slots from each of two or more of the modular chassis, maintaining a trusted group database including the security key information for each blade server inserted in a slot of the logical trusted group;
responsive to detecting movement of a blade server from a first slot of the logical trusted group to a second slot of the logical trusted group, automatically authenticating a pre boot process of the server blade in the second slot via the security key information for the server blade in the trusted group database; and
responsive to detecting insertion of a new blade server, comprising a blade server not associated with the trusted group database, into a slot of the logical trusted group, prompting a user to manually authenticate the new blade server.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, responsive to a successful manual authentication of the new blade server, generating security key information for the new blade server and storing the security key information of the new blade server in the trusted group database.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein generating security key information for a blade server comprises:
deriving a security token for the blade server based on inventory information including information identifying the blade server and information identifying the modular chassis; and
generating the unique security key for the blade server based on the security token, wherein the security key information includes the unique security key and the security token.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the inventory information includes at least one of:
an inventory tag of the modular chassis;
an inventory tag of the blade server; and
a media access control (MAC) address of a management controller.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the security token comprises a sequence of alpha numeric characters randomly selected from the inventory information.

6. An information handling system, comprising:
a central processing unit (CPU); and
a computer readable memory including processor executable instructions that, when executed by the CPU, cause the information handling system to perform operations including:
generating and maintaining security key information, including a unique security key, for each of one or more blade servers inserted in slots of one or more modular chassis;
responsive to detecting an indication of a logical trusted group comprising two or more slots including one or more slots from each of two or more of the modular chassis, maintaining a trusted group database including the security key information for each blade server inserted in a slot of the logical trusted group;
responsive to detecting movement of a blade server from a first slot of the logical trusted group to a second slot of the logical trusted group, automatically authenticating a pre boot process of the server blade in the second slot via the security key information for the server blade in the trusted group database; and
responsive to detecting insertion of a new blade server, comprising a blade server not associated with the trusted group database, into a slot of the logical trusted group, prompting a user to manually authenticate the new blade server.

7. The information handling system of claim 6 , wherein the operations further include, responsive to a successful manual authentication of the new blade server, generating security key information for the new blade server and storing the security key information of the new blade server in the trusted group database.

8. The information handling system of claim 6 , wherein generating security key information for a blade server comprises:
deriving a security token for the blade server based on inventory information including information identifying the blade server and information identifying the modular chassis; and
generating the unique security key for the blade server based on the security token, wherein the security key information includes the unique security key and the security token.

9. The information handling system of claim 8 , wherein the inventory information includes at least one of:
an inventory tag of the modular chassis;
an inventory tag of the blade server; and
a media access control (MAC) address of a management controller.

10. The information handling system of claim 9 , wherein the security token comprises a sequence of alpha numeric characters randomly selected from the inventory information.

11. A non-transitory computer readable medium including processor executable instructions that, when executed by a processor of an information handling system, cause the information handling system to perform operations comprising:
generating and maintaining security key information, including a unique security key, for each of one or more blade servers inserted in slots of one or more modular chassis;
responsive to detecting an indication of a logical trusted group comprising two or more slots including one or more slots from each of two or more of the modular chassis, maintaining a trusted group database including the security key information for each blade server inserted in a slot of the logical trusted group;
responsive to detecting movement of a blade server from a first slot of the logical trusted group to a second slot of the logical trusted group, automatically authenticating a pre boot process of the server blade in the second slot via the security key information for the server blade in the trusted group database; and
responsive to detecting insertion of a new blade server, comprising a blade server not associated with the trusted group database, into a slot of the logical trusted group, prompting a user to manually authenticate the new blade server.

12. The computer readable medium of claim 11 , further comprising, responsive to a successful manual authentication of the new blade server, generating security key information for the new blade server and storing the security key information of the new blade server in the trusted group database.

13. The computer readable medium of claim 11 , wherein generating security key information for a blade server comprises;
deriving a security token for the blade server based on inventory information including information identifying the blade server and information identifying the modular chassis; and
generating the unique security key for the blade server based on the security token, wherein the security key information includes the unique security key and the security token.

14. The computer readable medium of claim 13 , wherein the inventory information includes at least one of:
an inventory tag of the modular chassis;
an inventory tag of the blade server; and
a media access control (MAC) address of a management controller.

15. The computer readable medium of claim 14 , wherein the security token comprises a sequence of alpha numeric characters randomly selected from the inventory information.

Assignees

• Dell Products Lp

Inventors

• Kumar Suren
• Sheriff Akbar
• Chayakumar Thanuja

Classifications

• G06F21/33 Primary

  using certificates · CPC title

• G06F2221/034

  Test or assess a computer or a system · CPC title

• G06F21/575 Primary

  Secure boot · CPC title