Apparatus and methods for multiple user remote connections to an information handling system via a remote access controller

• US 20060190532A1
• Filed: 02/23/2005
• Published: 08/24/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Chadalavada, Kalyana
• Application Number:
  US11/063,779
• Publication Number:
  US 20060190532A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6218 to a system of files or objects, e.g. local or distributed file system or database
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources

Abstract

An information handling system includes a host computer system, at least one virtual machine, and a remote access controller. The virtual machine(s) runs on the host computer system. The remote access controller is configured to provide simultaneous out-of-band communication between a plurality of users and the host computer system.

Claims

1. An information handling system, comprising:

a host computer system;

at least one virtual machine running on the host computer system; and

a remote access controller, the remote access controller configured to provide simultaneous out-of-band communication between a plurality of users and the host computer system.

2. The information handling system according to claim 1, wherein a first user communicates with, and administers, the at least one virtual machine.

3. The information handling system according to claim 2, wherein a second user communicates with, and administers, the host system.

4. The information handling system according to claim 1, wherein the host system further comprises a virtualization layer running on the host system.

5. The information handling system according to claim 4, wherein the virtualization layer further comprises a remote access controller module, the remote access controller module configured to provide simultaneous communication between the plurality of users and the host computer system.

6. The information handling system according to claim 5, wherein the remote access controller module uses time multiplexing to provide simultaneous communication between the plurality of users and the host computer system.

7. The information handling system according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of users communicate with the host computer system using Hyper Text Transfer Protocol (HTTP) or Hyper Text Transfer Protocol Secure sockets (HTTPS).

8. The information handling system according to claim 1, further comprising video/graphics hardware coupled to the remote access controller, the video/graphics hardware configured to redirect display information to the plurality of remote users.

9. An apparatus for providing communication between a plurality of remote users and a host system, comprising:

a remote access controller configured to communicate with at least one virtual machine implemented on a host system,

wherein the remote access controller allows simultaneous out-of-band communication between the plurality of remote users and the at least one virtual machine.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the remote access controller is configured to communicate display information from a virtual display device to the plurality of remote users.

11. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the remote access controller samples display information from the virtual display device.

12. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the remote access controller comprises redirect circuitry, the redirect circuitry configured to communicate console display information between video/graphics hardware and a remote user in the plurality of remote users.

13. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the redirect circuitry is configured to communicate console display information from a console of the at least one virtual machine.

14. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the redirect circuitry is configured to communicate console display information from a console of the host system.

15. A method of providing simultaneous access to resources of an information handling system, the method comprising:

operating a plurality of virtual machines using the information handling system; and

providing simultaneous first and second out-of-band communication paths, respectively, between first and second users in a plurality of remote users and first and second virtual machines in the plurality of virtual machines.

16. The method according to claim 15, further comprising time multiplexing the first and second communication paths.

17. The method according to claim 16, further comprising:

communicating display information from the first virtual machine to the first user by using the first communication path; and

communicating display information from the second virtual machine to the second user by using the second communication path.

18. The method according to claim 15, further comprising providing a third communication path between a third remote user in the plurality of remote users and a console of the information handling system.

19. The method according to claim 15, wherein providing simultaneous first and second communication paths further comprises:

generating a list of the resources of the information handling system;

receiving a request from the first user for access to the resources of the information handling system;

presenting the list of resources to the first remote user;

accepting from the first remote user a selection from the list of resources; and

providing access by the first remote user to the selected resource of the information handling system.

20. The method according to claim 19, further comprising authenticating the first remote user.