MANAGING INVENTORY DATA FOR COMPONENTS OF A SERVER SYSTEM

• US 20130013759A1
• Filed: 07/07/2011
• Published: 01/10/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/07/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: O'CONNOR, JAMES A., AUSTEN, CHRISTOPHER H., BREY, THOMAS M., EDMONDS, WILLIAM M., FRANKE, JEFFREY M., KLODNICKI, EDWARD J., WILLIAMSON, NICHOLAS M.
• Granted Patent: US 9,021,076 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/161 Computing infrastructure, e.g. computer clusters, blade chassis or hardware partitioning casings, cabinets, racks or drawers for data centers H05K5/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/025 for remote control or remote monitoring of applications

Abstract

Techniques are disclosed for managing inventory data for components of a server system. In one embodiment, a global management controller is provided, that is operatively connected to a plurality of local management controllers. Each local management controller is configured to manage a subset of the components of the server system. Each local management controller is also configured to generate, for each component, a checksum based on vital product data (VPD) of the component. Each local management controller is also configured to compute a composite checksum based on the checksums generated for the components in the subset. The global management controller is configured to maintain a global view of the VPD in the computer system, based on the checksums and/or composite checksums.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a global management controller configured to perform an operation for managing vital product data (VPD) associated with a plurality of components, each component configured to provide the associated VPD responsive to a request; and

a plurality of local management controllers operatively connected to the global management controller, each local management controller configured to manage a respective subset of the plurality of components;

wherein the operation comprises;

receiving, from a first local management controller of the plurality of local management controllers;

(i) VPD of a first component in the subset managed by the first local management controller and (ii) a first checksum generated based on the VPD of the first component;

storing the VPD and the first checksum of the first component;

receiving, from the first local management controller, an indication that the VPD has changed, wherein the indication specifies a second checksum generated based on the changed VPD of the first component; and

responsive to the indication, determining whether the stored VPD is up-to-date by comparing the second checksum with the stored checksum.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the operation further comprises, upon determining that the stored VPD is not up-to-date:

retrieving, from the first local management controller, the changed VPD of the first component, responsive to the indication; and

updating the stored VPD of the first component using the changed VPD.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the global management controller stores VPD associated with a subset managed by a second local management controller, and wherein the operation further comprises:

receiving a first composite checksum from the second local management controller, wherein the first composite checksum is generated based on a plurality of checksums, each checksum being generated based on the VPD associated with a respective component of the subset managed by the second local management controller;

subsequent to restarting the system, receiving a second composite checksum from the second local management controller; and

determining whether the stored VPD associated with the subset is up-to-date by comparing the stored composite checksum with the second composite checksum.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the operation further comprises, upon determining that the stored VPD associated with the subset is not up-to-date:

identifying at least one component in the subset managed by the second local management controller for which VPD stored by the global management controller is not up-to-date; and

updating the stored VPD of the identified component using VPD retrieved from the second local management controller.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the at least one component is identified by comparing a stored checksum of the at least one component with a subsequently retrieved checksum of the at least one component.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein each component is uniquely identifiable by an associated identifier, wherein each identifier is immutable, and wherein each checksum is generated via a cyclic redundancy check (CRC) algorithm.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the vital product data comprises at least one of a serial number, a part number, a version number, and a universally unique identifier (UUID), wherein the global management controller comprises a management appliance, wherein the plurality of local management controllers includes at least a chassis management module and a service processor, wherein the chassis management module is configured to manage a first subset of the plurality of components, the first subset including at least one of a midplane, a fan, an input/output (I/O) module, a power supply, a front panel, a rear panel, and a media device, wherein the service processor is configured to manage a second subset of the plurality of components, the second subset including at least one of a processor, a memory, a storage device, and a daughter card.

8. A management controller configured to manage vital product data (VPD) associated with a plurality of components, the management controller comprising:

a computer processor; and

a memory storing management firmware which, when executed on the computer processor, performs an operation comprising;

receiving, from a first local management controller of a plurality of local management controllers operatively connected to the management controller;

(i) VPD of a first component in the subset managed by the first local management controller and (ii) a first checksum generated based on the VPD of the first component, wherein each local management controller is configured to manage a respective subset of the plurality of components;

storing the VPD and the first checksum of the first component;

receiving, from the first local management controller, an indication that the VPD has changed, wherein the indication specifies a second checksum generated based on the changed VPD of the first component; and

responsive to the indication, determining whether the stored VPD is up-to-date by comparing the second checksum with the stored checksum.

9. The management controller of claim 8, wherein the operation further comprises, upon determining that the stored VPD is not up-to-date:

retrieving, from the first local management controller, the changed VPD of the first component, responsive to the indication; and

updating the stored VPD of the first component using the changed VPD.

10. The management controller of claim 8, wherein the management controller stores VPD associated with a subset managed by a second local management controller, and wherein the operation further comprises:

receiving a first composite checksum from the second local management controller, wherein the first composite checksum is generated based on a plurality of checksums, each checksum generated based on the VPD associated with a respective component of the subset managed by the second local management controller;

subsequent to restarting the system, receiving a second composite checksum from the second local management controller; and

determining whether the stored VPD associated with the subset is up-to-date by comparing the stored composite checksum with the second composite checksum.

11. The management controller of claim 10, wherein the operation further comprises, upon determining that the stored VPD associated with the subset is not up-to-date:

identifying at least one component in the subset managed by the second local management controller, for which VPD stored by the management controller is not up-to-date; and

updating the stored VPD of the identified at least one component using VPD retrieved from the second local management controller.

12. The management controller of claim 11, wherein the at least one component is identified by comparing a stored checksum of the at least one component with a subsequently retrieved checksum of the at least one component.

13. The management controller of claim 8, wherein each component is uniquely identifiable by an associated identifier, wherein each identifier is immutable, and wherein each checksum is generated via a cyclic redundancy check (CRC) algorithm.

14. The management controller of claim 8, wherein the vital product data comprises at least one of a serial number, a part number, a version number, and a universally unique identifier (UUID), wherein the management controller comprises a management appliance, wherein the plurality of local management controllers includes at least a chassis management module and a service processor, wherein the chassis management module is configured to manage a first subset of the plurality of components, the first subset including at least one of a midplane, a fan, an input/output (I/O) module, a power supply, a front panel, a rear panel, and a media device, wherein the service processor is configured to manage a second subset of the plurality of components, the second subset including at least one of a processor, a memory, a storage device, and a daughter card.

15. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

from a first local management controller of a plurality of local management controllers operatively connected to a global management controller configured to manage a plurality of components, each component having associated vital product data (VPD), receiving;

(i) VPD of a first component in the subset managed by the first local management controller and (ii) a first checksum generated based on the VPD of the first component, wherein each local management controller is configured to manage a respective subset of the plurality of components;

storing the VPD and the first checksum of the first component by operation of one or more computer processors;

receiving, from the first local management controller, an indication that the VPD has changed, wherein the indication specifies a second checksum generated based on the changed VPD of the first component; and

responsive to the indication, determining whether the stored VPD is up-to-date by comparing the second checksum with the stored checksum.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 15, further comprising, upon determining that the stored VPD is not up-to-date:

retrieving, from the first local management controller, the changed VPD of the first component, responsive to the indication; and

updating the stored VPD of the first component using the changed VPD.

17. The computer-implemented method of claim 15, wherein the global management controller stores VPD associated with a subset managed by a second local management controller, and wherein the method further comprises:

receiving a first composite checksum from the second local management controller, wherein the first composite checksum is generated based on a plurality of checksums, each checksum generated based on the VPD associated with a respective component of the subset managed by the second local management controller;

subsequent to restarting the system, receiving a second composite checksum from the second local management controller; and

determining whether the stored VPD associated with the subset is up-to-date by comparing the stored composite checksum with the second composite checksum.

18. The computer-implemented method of claim 17, further comprising, upon determining that the stored VPD associated with the subset is not up-to-date:

identifying at least one component in the subset managed by the second local management controller, for which VPD stored by the global management controller is not up-to-date; and

updating the stored VPD of the identified at least one component using VPD retrieved from the second local management controller.

19. The computer-implemented method of claim 18, wherein the at least one component is identified by comparing a stored checksum of the at least one component with a subsequently retrieved checksum of the at least one component.

20. The computer-implemented method of claim 15, wherein each component is uniquely identifiable by an associated identifier, wherein each identifier is immutable, and wherein each checksum is generated via a cyclic redundancy check (CRC) algorithm.