Backup backplane management control in a server rack system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9804937-B2
Application number	US-201514825875-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 13, 2015
Priority date	Sep 8, 2014
Publication date	Oct 31, 2017
Grant date	Oct 31, 2017

Abstract

A server rack includes a rack management controller (RMC) configured to manage a first function and a backplane including a backplane controller (BPC). The BPC is configured to monitor the RMC, determine that the RMC is unavailable, and manage the first function, in response to determining that the RMC is unavailable.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method, comprising:
managing, by a rack management controller (RMC) of a server rack, a first function;
monitoring, by a backplane controller (BPC) of a backplane in the server rack, the RMC, the BPC coupled to a plurality of baseboard management controllers (BMCs) of the server rack;
determining, by the BPC, that the RMC is unavailable; and
managing, by the BPC, the first function, in response to determining that the RMC is unavailable.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining, by the BPC, that the RMC is available; and
ceasing management of the first function by the BPC, in response to determining that the RMC is available.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein monitoring comprises monitoring signals from the RMC, and the RMC is determined unavailable, in response to receiving no signals from the RMC for a response threshold time.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein monitoring comprises sending a ping to the RMC, and the RMC is determined unavailable, in response to receiving no ping response for a ping threshold time.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein monitoring comprises sending a ping to the RMC, and the RMC is determined unavailable, in response to receiving no response within a response threshold time.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first function comprises power supply unit management.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first function comprises fan management.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first function comprises power consumption management.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first function comprises sensor and alarm management.

10. A server rack, comprising:
a rack management controller (RMC) configured to manage a first function; and
a backplane comprising a backplane controller (BPC), the BPC coupled to a plurality of baseboard management controllers (BMCs) of the server rack,
wherein the BPC is configured to:
monitor the RMC,
determine that the RMC is unavailable; and
manage the first function, in response to determining that the RMC is unavailable.

11. The server rack of claim 10 , wherein the BPC is further configured to:
determine that the RMC is available; and
cease management of the first function, in response to determining that the RMC is available.

12. The server rack of claim 10 , wherein monitoring comprises monitoring signals from the RMC, and the RMC is determined unavailable, in response to receiving no signals from the RMC for a response threshold time.

13. The server rack of claim 10 , wherein monitoring comprises sending a ping to the RMC, and the RMC is determined unavailable, in response to receiving no ping response for a ping threshold time.

14. The server rack of claim 10 , wherein monitoring comprises sending a ping to the RMC, and the RMC is determined unavailable, in response to receiving no response within a response threshold time.

15. The server rack of claim 10 , wherein the first function comprises power supply unit management.

16. The server rack of claim 10 , wherein the first function comprises fan management.

17. The server rack of claim 10 , wherein the first function comprises power consumption management.

18. The server rack of claim 10 , wherein the first function comprises sensor and alarm management.

Assignees

• Quanta Comp Inc

Inventors

• Huang Jen-Hsuen
• Lin Fa-Da
• Wang Pao-Ching

Classifications

• 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

• G06F11/3062

  where the monitored property is the power consumption (power management in a computing system G06F1/3203) · CPC title

• G06F11/2035

  without idle spare hardware · CPC title

• G06F11/2025 Primary

  using centralised failover control functionality · CPC title