System and method for providing a wireless device connection in a server rack of a data center

• US 10,009,766 B2
• Filed: 11/09/2015
• Issued: 06/26/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Ahmed, Sajjad, Taylor, II, Travis E., Raju, Arulnambi, Shetty, Sudhir, Lairsey, Jeffrey M., Warden, David M., Prabhu, Pritesh F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mesfin, Yemane
• Assistant Examiner(s): Elmejjarmi, Abdelillah
• Application Number:
  US14/936,307
• Publication Number:
  US 20170134223A1
• Time in Patent Office: 960 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/28 Restricting access to network management systems or functions, e.g. using authorisation function to access network configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/101 Access control lists [ACL]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/18 using different networks or channels, e.g. using out of band channels cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key distribution involving distinctive intermediate devices or communication paths H04L9/0827; cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for authentication using a plurality of channels H04L9/3215
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/068 using credential vaults, e.g. password manager applications or one time password [OTP] applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 Arrangements for optimising operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/14 Direct-mode setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

An information handling system, comprising a host processing complex that instantiates a hosted processing environment, a managed element, a management controller to manage the managed element out of band from the hosted processing environment, and a wireless management module coupled to the management controller, the wireless management module including a wireless transceiver to wirelessly couple a mobile device to the management controller, wherein the management controller receives a direction from the mobile device to manage the managed element.

Claims

1. An information handling system, comprising:

a host processing complex to instantiate a hosted processing environment;

a managed element;

a management controller to manage the managed element out of band from the hosted processing environment, and configured in a first mode to instantiate a Universal Serial Bus (USB) class network interface card (NIC) driver, and in a second mode to instantiate a Bluetooth Host Controller Interface (HCI); and

a wireless management module coupled to the management controller, the wireless management module including a wireless transceiver to wirelessly couple a mobile device to the management controller, the wireless management module configured;

to couple to the management controller as a USB NIC device when the mobile device is a WiFi device; and

to couple to the management controller as a Bluetooth dongle device when the mobile device is a Bluetooth device;

wherein the management controller receives a direction from the mobile device to manage the managed element.

2. The information handling system of claim 1, wherein in the first mode:

the management controller instantiates the USB class NIC driver on a first Universal Serial Bus (USB) interface; and

the wireless management module includes a second USB interface coupled to the first USB interface.

3. The information handling system of claim 2, wherein:

the management controller configures the first USB interface as a USB network interface device; and

the wireless management interface configures the second USB interface as a wireless endpoint.

4. The information handling system of claim 3, wherein the wireless endpoint comprises a WiFi wireless endpoint.

5. The information handling system of claim 4, wherein the WiFi wireless endpoint is configured to provide a wireless access point, and the wireless management module authenticates the mobile device onto the access point.

6. The information handling system of claim 4, wherein the WiFi wireless endpoint is configured to provide a base station, and the wireless management module is authenticated onto a wireless network.

7. The information handling system of claim 1, wherein in the second mode:

the management controller instantiates the Bluetooth HCI on the first USB interface; and

the wireless endpoint comprises a Bluetooth controller, and the Bluetooth controller authenticates the mobile device.

8. The information handling system of claim 1, wherein the management controller provides a configuration setting to the wireless management module.

9. The information handling system of claim 8, wherein the configuration setting includes a blacklist of mobile devices that are not permitted to connect to the wireless management module.

10. The information handling system of claim 8, wherein the configuration setting includes a whitelist of mobile devices that are permitted to connect to the wireless management module.

11. The information handling system of claim 8, wherein the configuration setting includes a Service Set Identification (SSID) for a WiFi access point instantiated by the wireless management module.

12. A method, comprising:

instantiating, on a host processing complex of a system, a hosted processing environment;

managing, by a management controller of the system, a managed element of the system out of band from the hosted processing environment;

coupling, in a first mode, a wireless management module of the system to the management controller via a Universal Serial Bus (USB) class network interface card (NIC) driver;

coupling, in a second mode, the wireless management module to the management controller via a Bluetooth Host Controller Interface (HCI);

wirelessly coupling, by a transceiver of the wireless management module, a mobile device to the management controller;

coupling the wireless management module to the management controller as a USB NIC device when the mobile device is a WiFi device;

coupling the wireless management module to the management controller as a Bluetooth dongle device when the mobile device is a Bluetooth device; and

receiving, at the management controller, a direction from the mobile device to manage the managed element.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

instantiating the USB class NIC driver on a first Universal Serial Bus (USB) interface of the management controller the wireless management module including a second USB interface.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein:

configuring, by the management controller, the first USB interface as a USB network interface device; and

configuring the second USB interface as a wireless endpoint.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the wireless endpoint comprises a WiFi wireless endpoint.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

configuring the WiFi wireless endpoint to provide a wireless access point; and

authenticating, by the wireless management module, the mobile device onto the access point.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

configuring the WiFi wireless endpoint to provide a base station; and

authenticating the wireless management module onto a wireless network.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein:

the management controller instantiates the Bluetooth HCI on the first USB interface;

the wireless endpoint comprises a Bluetooth controller; and

the method further comprising;

configuring the second USB interface as a wireless endpoint comprising a Bluetooth controller; and

authenticating, by the Bluetooth controller, the mobile device.

19. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

providing, by the management controller, a configuration setting to the wireless management module.

20. A non-transitory computer-readable medium including code for performing a method, the method comprising:

instantiating, on a host processing complex of a system, a hosted processing environment;

managing, by a management controller of the system, a managed element of the system out of band from the hosted processing environment;

coupling, in a first mode, a wireless management module of the system to the management controller via a Universal Serial Bus (USB) class network interface card (NIC) driver;

coupling, in a second mode, the wireless management module to the management controller via a Bluetooth Host Controller Interface (HCI);

wirelessly coupling, by a transceiver of the wireless management module, a mobile device to the management controller;

coupling the wireless management module to the management controller as a USB NIC device when the mobile device is a WiFi device;

coupling the wireless management module to the management controller as a Bluetooth dongle device when the mobile device is a Bluetooth device; and

receiving, at the management controller, a direction from the mobile device to manage the managed element.