System and method for providing management network communication and control in a data center

• US 10,116,744 B2
• Filed: 02/04/2016
• Issued: 10/30/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/04/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Dube, Shawn J., Ahmed, Sajjad, Shetty, Sudhir V., Palmer, John R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mirza, Adnan
• Application Number:
  US15/015,961
• Publication Number:
  US 20170230251A1
• Time in Patent Office: 999 Days
• Field of Search: 709223
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/042 comprising distributed management centres cooperatively managing the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1097 for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS]

Abstract

An information handling system includes a host processing complex to instantiate a hosted processing environment, a managed element, and a management controller to manage the managed element out of band from the hosted processing environment. The management controller stores console information from a management console, where the management console directs the management controller to manage the managed element, and the management controller provides the console information to a mobile management device, where the mobile management device directs the management console to direct the management controller to manage the managed element based upon the console information.

Claims

1. An information handling system, comprising:

a host processing complex to instantiate a hosted processing environment;

a first managed element; and

a baseboard management controller to manage the managed element out of band from the hosted processing environment, wherein the baseboard management controller;

stores console information for a plurality of management consoles, wherein the console information includes a mapping to each of the management consoles, and wherein a first one of the management consoles directs the baseboard management controller to manage the first managed element;

provides the console information to a mobile management device;

receives a first direction from the mobile management device based upon the console information in response to providing the console information to the mobile management device;

provides the first direction to the first management console;

receives first management information from the first management console to direct the baseboard management controller to manage the first managed element based upon the first management information; and

stores the console information in an entry of a console table.

2. The information handling system of claim 1, wherein the entry includes an identity for each of the management consoles and an address for each of the management consoles.

3. The information handling system of claim 1, wherein the baseboard management controller stores the management console information in response to an access by the first management console to the baseboard management controller.

4. The information handling system of claim 3, wherein the baseboard management controller:

determines an address of the first management console based upon the access; and

stores the address in the entry.

5. The information handling system of claim 1, wherein the baseboard management controller receives the console information from the first management console, and wherein the console information further includes an authentication credential associated with the first management console.

6. The information handling system of claim 5, wherein the baseboard management controller:

receives an instruction from the mobile management device, wherein the instruction includes the authentication credential;

provides the instruction to the first management console, wherein the mobile management device is logged on to the first management console based upon the authentication credential; and

receives the first management information in response to the mobile management device being logged on to the first management console.

19. The information handling system of claim 1, further comprising:

a second managed element, wherein a second one of the management consoles directs the baseboard management controller to manage the second managed element;

wherein the baseboard management controller;

receives a second direction from the mobile management device based upon the console information in response to providing the console information to the mobile management device;

provides the second direction to the second management console; and

receives second management information from the second management console to direct the baseboard management controller to manage the second managed element based upon the second management information.

7. A method, comprising:

storing, by a baseboard management controller of an information handling system, console information associated with a first one of a plurality of management consoles in an entry of a console table of the baseboard management controller, wherein the first management console directs the baseboard management controller to manage a managed element of the information handling system out of band from a hosted processing environment instantiated on a host processing complex of the information handling system;

providing the console information to a mobile management device;

receiving, by the baseboard management controller, direction from the mobile management device based upon the console information in response to providing the console information to the mobile management device;

providing the direction to the first management console; and

receiving, by the baseboard management controller, management information from the first management console to direct the baseboard management controller to manage the managed element based upon the management information.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the entry includes an identity of the first management console and an address of the first management console.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

storing, by the management controller, the console information in response to an access by the first management console to the baseboard management controller.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

determining an address of the first management console based upon the access; and

storing the address in the entry.

11. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

receiving, by the baseboard management controller, the console information from the first management console.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the console information further includes an authentication credential associated with the first management console.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

receiving an instruction from the mobile management device, wherein the instruction includes the authentication credential;

providing the instruction to the first management console, wherein the mobile management device is logged on to the first management console based upon the authentication credential; and

receiving a direction to manage the managed device from the first management console in response to the mobile management device being logged on to the first management console.

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

storing console information associated with a first one of a plurality of management consoles in an entry of a console table of a baseboard management controller, wherein the first management console directs the baseboard management controller to manage a managed element of an information handling system out of band from a hosted processing environment instantiated on a host processing complex of the information handling system; and

providing the console information to a mobile management device;

receiving, by the baseboard management controller, direction from the mobile management device based upon the console information in response to providing the console information to the mobile management device;

providing the direction to the first management console; and

receiving, by the baseboard management controller, management information from the first management console to direct the baseboard management controller to manage the managed element based upon the management information.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the entry includes an identity of the first management console and an address of the first management console, the method further comprising:

storing, by the management controller, the management console information in response to an access by the first management console to the baseboard management controller.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, the method further comprising:

determining an address of the first management console based upon the access; and

storing the address in the entry.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the console information further includes an authentication credential associated with the first management console, the method further comprising:

receiving, by the baseboard management controller, the console information from the first management console.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, further comprising:

receiving an instruction from the mobile management device, wherein the instruction includes the authentication credential;

providing the instruction to the management console, wherein the mobile management device is logged on to the first management console based upon the authentication credential; and

receiving a direction to manage the managed device from the first management console in response to the mobile management device being logged on to the first management console.