Server system and method for transferring at least one chassis-specific configuration value

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9619422-B2
Application number	US-201214356236-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 26, 2012
Priority date	Nov 9, 2011
Publication date	Apr 11, 2017
Grant date	Apr 11, 2017

Abstract

A server system includes a chassis having a plurality of insertion slots that receive a plurality of server plug-in modules; at least one printed circuit board including at least one first microcontroller and arranged in the chassis to contact server plug-in modules received in the insertion slots; and a first server plug-in module including a first system management controller and arranged in a first insertion slot and coupled to the at least one printed circuit board, wherein the first microcontroller and the first system management controller are coupled together via at least one first signal line, and the first microcontroller is arranged to provide the first system management controller with at least one chassis-specific configuration value.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A server system comprising:
a chassis having a plurality of insertion slots that receive a plurality of server plug-in modules;
at least one midplane comprising at least a first plug connector, a second plug connector, a first microcontroller and a second microcontroller, the first plug connector, the second plug connector, the first microcontroller and the second microcontroller being arranged on the midplane, the midplane being arranged in the chassis to contact server plug-in modules received in the insertion slots;
a first server plug-in module comprising a first system management controller arranged in the first server plug-in module, the first server plug-in module being arranged in a first insertion slot and coupled to the at least one midplane via the first plug connector; and
a second server plug-in module comprising a second system management controller arranged in the second server plug-in module, the second server plug-in module being arranged in a second insertion slot and coupled to the at least one midplane via the second plug connector,
wherein
the first microcontroller arranged on the midplane and the first system management controller arranged in the first server plug-in module are coupled together via at least one first signal line connected to the first plug connector, and the first microcontroller is configured to provide the first system management controller with at least one chassis-specific configuration value; and
the second microcontroller arranged on the midplane and the second system management controller arranged in the second server plug-in module are coupled together via at least one second signal line connected to the second plug connector, and the second microcontroller is configured to provide the second system management controller with the at least one chassis-specific configuration value.

2. The server system according to claim 1 , wherein the first microcontroller and the second microcontroller are coupled to a common memory, and the at least one chassis-specific configuration value is stored in the common memory.

3. The server system according to claim 1 , wherein the server system comprises a plurality of components selected from server plug-in modules, fans, mass memory devices and/or current supply units, the first microcontroller is coupled to a first subset of the plurality of components and arranged to monitor an operating state of the component of the first subset, and the second microcontroller is coupled to a second subset of the plurality of components, different from the first subset, and is arranged to monitor an operating state of the components of the second subset.

4. A server system comprising:
a chassis having a plurality of insertion slots that receive a plurality of server plug-in modules;
at least one midplane comprising at least one first plug connector and at least one first microcontroller, the at least one first plug connector and at least one first microcontroller being arranged on the midplane, the midplane being arranged in the chassis to contact server plug-in modules received in the insertion slots; and
a first server plug-in module comprising a first system management controller arranged in the first server plug-in module, the first server plug-in module being arranged in a first insertion slot and coupled to the at least one midplane via the at least one first plug connector,
wherein the first microcontroller arranged on the midplane and the first system management controller arranged in the first server plug-in module are coupled together via at least one first signal line connected to the at least one first plug connector, and the first microcontroller is configured to provide the first system management controller with at least one chassis-specific configuration value.

5. The server system according to claim 4 , wherein the first system management controller and the first microcontroller are arranged for serial communication via the first data line, in particular in accordance with the I 2 C protocol.

6. The server system according to claim 4 , wherein at least one plug connector is arranged on the at least one midplane in a region of each insertion slot to connect a server plug-in module received into the respective insertion slot, a first plug connector is arranged in a region of the first insertion slot and connects to the first microcontroller via the first signal line, a second plug connector is arranged in the region of a second insertion slot and connects to the first microcontroller via a second signal line independent of the first signal line.

7. The server system according to claim 4 , wherein the first server plug-in module comprises a first network interface to establish a first network connection to an external management unit and the first system management controller is arranged to transmit the provided chassis-specific configuration value via the first network connection to an external management unit.

8. The server system according to claim 7 , wherein the first server plug-in module comprises a second network interface to establish a further network connection to an application performed by the server plug-in module.

9. The server system according to claim 4 , wherein the first microcontroller functionally connects to a non-volatile memory, and the first microcontroller is arranged to read out at least one characteristic of the server system stored in the non-volatile memory and to transmit said at least one characteristic via the first signal line to the first system management controller.

10. The server system according to claim 4 , wherein the server system comprises at least one commonly used component selected from a fan, a mass memory device and/or a current supply unit, and the first microcontroller is arranged to monitor the operating state of the at least one commonly used component and to transmit said operating state to the first system monitoring element.

11. The server system according to claim 4 , wherein a second server plug-in module having a second system management controller is arranged in a further insertion slot of the server system, a second microcontroller is arranged on the at least one midplane, and the second microcontroller and the second system management controller are coupled together via at least one third signal line and the second microcontroller is arranged to provide the second system management controller with the at least one chassis-specific configuration value.

12. The server system according to claim 11 , wherein the first microcontroller and the second microcontroller are coupled to a common memory, and the at least one chassis-specific configuration value is stored in the common memory.

13. The server system according to claim 11 , wherein the server system comprises a plurality of components selected from server plug-in modules, fans, mass memory devices and/or current supply units, the first microcontroller is coupled to a first subset of the plurality of components and arranged to monitor an operating state of the component of the first subset, and the second microcontroller is coupled to a second subset of the plurality of components, different from the first subset and is arranged to monitor an operating state of the components of the second subset.

14. A method of transferring at least one chassis-specific configuration value of a server system comprising:
requesting a chassis-specific configuration value by a first system management controller arranged in a first server plug-in module of the server system;
transferring a request from the first system management controller arr

Assignees

• Fujitsu Tech Solutions Ip Gmbh
• Fujitsu Ltd

Inventors

• Mühsam Gerhard

Classifications

• G06F13/4027 Primary

  using bus bridges (G06F13/4022 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G06F13/409

  Mechanical coupling (back panels H05K7/1438) · CPC title

• G06F13/24

  using interrupt (G06F13/32 takes precedence) · CPC title