Server information handling system NFC management sideband feedback

• US 10,110,277 B2
• Filed: 09/05/2017
• Issued: 10/23/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/23/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Varma, Yogesh, Ahmed, Syed S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Simon
• Application Number:
  US15/695,399
• Publication Number:
  US 20170366231A1
• Time in Patent Office: 413 Days
• Field of Search: 455 411- 413, 455423-425
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/72 for local intradevice communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/069 using logs of notifications; Post-processing of notifications

Abstract

Server information handling system deployment and maintenance is enhanced with automated trouble ticket generation at a mobile telephone through an NFC transaction with a management controller. NFC transactions coordinate authorization for replacement component installation and server information handling system replacement. In one embodiment, a bezel includes an NFC device that interfaces with a management controller and stores configuration information to aid installation of replacement server information handling systems in the event of a system failure. A back-up battery provides power to an NFC support circuit that stores fault codes detected by the management controller so that fault codes are available during management controller failures. In one embodiment, contact information provided from a mobile telephone through an NFC transaction is used by the management controller to notify the mobile telephone of the state of management functions initiated by the mobile telephone with the NFC transaction.

Claims

1. A system for managing a server information handling system, the system comprising:

a management controller integrated in the server information handling system;

a wireless communication device interfaced with the management controller and operable to support wireless communication of management information;

a portable information handling system external to the server information handling system and operable to communicate with the wireless communication device by a direct wireless transaction, the portable information handling system locally storing contact information;

a management application stored in non-transitory memory of the portable information handling system and operable to command a management function to the management controller with the direct wireless transaction; and

a notification module associated with the management controller and the wireless communication device, the notification module applying the contact information communicated from the portable information handling system local storage to send a notification to the portable information handling system at the contact information based upon a predetermined state of the management function at the server information handling system.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein:

the contact information comprises a telephone number of the portable information handling system; and

the notification comprises a communication sent by the management controller to the telephone number including the predetermined state.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the notification further comprises a text message.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein the text message includes an image having a map of the physical location of the server information handling system.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the wireless communication device comprises Bluetooth.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein:

the contact information comprises an email address of an email account supported by the portable information handling system; and

the notification comprises an email sent by the management controller to the email address including the predetermined state.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the notification module applies the contact information to send the notification through an Internet interface with a push service.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the management application is further operable to accept a user selection of contact information and to send the user selected contact information in the wireless communication transaction.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein the user selection of contact information includes contact information for one or more additional portable information handling systems to receive notifications, the contact information for the one or more additional portable information handling systems included with the wireless communication transaction.

10. A method for managing server information handling systems, the method comprising:

commanding a management function at a server information handling system with a wireless communication sent by a portable information handling system to a management controller of the server information handling system, the wireless communication including contact information of the portable information handling system;

detecting a predetermined state of the management function with the management controller; and

in response to detecting, sending a notification from the management controller to the contact information.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein in response to detecting, sending a notification to the contact information further comprises sending a text to a telephone number of the portable information handling system.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein in response to detecting, sending a notification to the contact information further comprises sending a voice message to a telephone number of the portable information handling system.

13. The method of claim 10 wherein in response to detecting, sending a notification to the contact information further comprises sending an email to an email address of an email account supported by the portable information handling system.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein sending an email further comprises sending an image depicting a physical location of the server information handling system.

15. The method of claim 10 the predetermined state of the management function comprises a failure to complete the management function.

16. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

selecting at the portable information handing system contact information of at least one additional portable information handling system;

including the contact information of the at least one additional portable information handling system with the NFC transaction; and

in response to detecting, sending a notification from the management controller to the contact information of the at least one additional portable information handling system.

17. The method of claim 10 wherein the wireless communication comprises a near field communication.

18. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

completing the management function;

setting a timer at the management controller;

testing the management function after the timer completes; and

sending the notification if the testing the management function detects a failure.

19. A server information handling system comprising:

a management controller operable to manage operations responsive to remote instructions receive through a network;

a wireless communication device interfaced with the management controller and operable to accept a command to perform a management function by a wireless communication from an external portable information handling system; and

a notification module associated with the management controller, the notification module operable to obtain contact information from the portable information handling system interfacing through the wireless communication device and apply the contact information to send a notification to the contact information based upon a predetermined state of the management function at the server information handling system.

20. The server information handling system of claim 19 wherein the notification comprises an email or text message sent directly from the management controller to a contact address, the email or text message including the management function state.