Device diagnostic system

• US 20050138473A1
• Filed: 12/18/2003
• Published: 06/23/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Mathew, Tisson K., Sathappan, Sivakumar
• Granted Patent: US 7,350,115 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 714/27
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2294 by remote test

Abstract

A device management system includes a backplane, a device that communicates via the backplane and that stores identification information, a management module that receives the identification information and that provides a diagnostic module that corresponds to the identification information, and a controller associated with the device. The controller provides the identification information to the management module, receives the diagnostic module from the management module, and outputs diagnostic information for the device that is obtained via the diagnostic module.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a backplane;

a device that communicates via the backplane, the device storing identification information;

a management module that receives the identification information, and that provides a diagnostic module that corresponds to the identification information; and

a controller associated with the device, the controller providing the identification information to the management module, receiving the diagnostic module from the management module, and outputting diagnostic information for the device that is obtained via the diagnostic module.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the management module receives the diagnostic information from the controller and generates a report based on the diagnostic information.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the report comprises one of a summary of the diagnostic information and a detailed report of the diagnostic information.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a back-up module that provides redundant functionality for the management module.

5. The system of claim 4, further comprising a bus that interconnects the management module and the back-up module, the management module and the back-up module maintaining synchronization via the bus.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the back-up module pings the management module and, if a return signal is not received from the management module in response to a ping, the back-up module assumes control over functions performed by the management module.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the management module obtains the diagnostic module using the identification information.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the management module obtains the diagnostic module via the Internet.

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising a memory, into which the management module stores the identification information.

10. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a second device that communicates via the backplane, the management module providing a second diagnostic module to the second device and receiving, from the second device, second diagnostic information that is obtained via the second diagnostic module.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the device includes a processor to execute the diagnostic module, the controller providing the diagnostic module to the processor, the processor providing the diagnostic information to the controller.

12. A method of managing a device in a modular computing system, the method comprising:

receiving identification information for the device;

identifying a diagnostic module that corresponds to the device based on the identification information;

sending the diagnostic module to the device; and

receiving diagnostic information from the device that was generated using the diagnostic module.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

generating a report based on the diagnostic information; and

outputting the report.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the report comprises one of a summary of the diagnostic information and details associated with the diagnostic information.

15. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

obtaining the diagnostic module via a network using the identification information.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the method is performed for each of the multiple devices using diagnostic modules that correspond to respective devices.

17. A method, performed by a controller associated with a device, of providing diagnostic information for the device to a management module in a modular computing system, the method comprising:

providing identification information to the management module;

receiving a diagnostic module from the management module;

obtaining diagnostic information for the device via the diagnostic module; and

outputting the diagnostic information to the management module.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein obtaining comprises:

passing the diagnostic module to a processor on the device that runs the diagnostic module;

and receiving the diagnostic information from the processor.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the identification information is provided in response to a request from the management module.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the identification information is provided automatically when the device is incorporated into the modular computing system.

21. An article comprising a machine-readable medium that stores instructions for managing a device in a modular computing system, the instructions causing a machine to:

receive identification information for the device;

identify a diagnostic module that corresponds to the device based on the identification information;

send the diagnostic module to the device; and

receive diagnostic information from the device that was generated using the diagnostic module.

22. The article of claim 21, further comprising instructions that cause the machine to:

generate a report based on the diagnostic information; and

output the report.

23. The article of claim 21, wherein the report comprises one of a summary of the diagnostic information and details associated with the diagnostic information.

24. The article of claim 21, further comprising instructions that cause the machine to:

obtain the diagnostic module via a network using the identification information.

25. An article comprising a machine-readable medium that stores executable instructions to provide diagnostic information for a device to a management module in a modular computing system, the instructions causing a machine to:

provide identification information to the management module;

receive a diagnostic module from the management module;

obtain diagnostic information for the device via the diagnostic module; and

output the diagnostic information to the management module.

26. The article of claim 25, wherein obtaining comprises:

passing the diagnostic module to a processor on the device that runs the diagnostic module;

and receiving the diagnostic information from the processor.

27. The article of claim 25, wherein the identification information is provided in response to a request from the management module.

28. The article of claim 25, wherein the identification information is provided automatically when the device is incorporated into the modular computing system.