REMOTE MANAGEMENT FOR A COMPUTING DEVICE

• US 20130262642A1
• Filed: 03/30/2012
• Published: 10/03/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Kutch, Patrick G.
• Granted Patent: US 9,479,592 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/168 above the transport layer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network

Abstract

Examples are disclosed for remote management of a computing device. In some examples, a secure communication link may be established between a network input/output device for a computing device and a remote management application. Commands may be received from the remote management application and management functions may be implemented at the network input/output device. Implementation of the management functions may enable the remote management application to manage or control at least some operating parameters of the computing device. Other examples are described and claimed.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

establishing a secure communication link between a network input/output device for a computing device and a remote management application;

receiving, at the network input/output device, one or more commands from the remote management application via the secure communication link; and

implementing, at the network input/output device, one or more management functions based on the received one or more commands, the one or more management functions to enable the remote management application to manage or control one or more operating parameters of the computing device.

2. The method of claim 1, comprising the network input/output device being arranged to function as one of a network interface card (NIC) or a local area network on motherboard (LOM).

3. The method of claim 1, comprising implementing the one or more management functions at the network input/output device without use of a separate baseboard management controller (BMC).

4. The method of claim 1, the one or more management functions comprising one or more of controlling power actions for the computing device, maintaining a watchdog timer for the computing device or serving as a proxy device to allow the remote management application to communicate with one or more sensors for the computing device.

5. The method of claim 4, the power actions comprising one of power up, power down and reset.

6. The method of claim 1, comprising:

establishing the secure communication link via a communication channel arranged to operate in accordance with an Ethernet standard.

7. The method of claim 6, comprising:

establishing the secure communications link in accordance with an Intelligent Platform Management Interface (IPMI) specification; and

receiving one or more commands formatted in accordance with the IPMI specification from the remote management application.

8. The method of claim 7, the one or more management functions comprising one or more of controlling power actions for the computing device, establishing a Serial Over Local Area Network (SOL) connection, setting a watchdog timer for the computing device, providing temperature sensor readings of the computing device or serving as a proxy device to allow the remote management application to communicate with one or more sensors for the computing device.

9. The method of claim 8, serving as a proxy device to allow the remote management application to communicate with one or more sensors for the computing device comprises the network I/O device including a local management bus coupled to the one or more sensors for the computing device, the network I/O device arranged to operate the local management bus in accordance with a Smart Management Bus (SMBus) specification.

10. The method of claim 1, comprising:

maintaining a profile to indicate to the remote management application one or more management functions the network input/output device is capable of implementing, the profile provided to the remote management application following establishment of the secure communication link.

11. An apparatus comprising:

a processor circuit for a network input/output device at a computing device; and

a memory unit communicatively coupled to the processor circuit, the memory unit arranged to store instructions for logic operative on the processor circuit, the logic configured to establish a secure communication link with a remote management application and receive one or more commands from the remote management application via the secure communication link, the logic also configured to implement one or more management functions based on the received one or more commands, the one or more management functions to enable the remote management application to manage or control one or more operating parameters of the computing device.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, comprising the memory unit to include volatile memory.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, comprising the network input/output device being arranged to function as one of a network interface card (NIC) or a local area network on motherboard (LOM)

14. The apparatus of claim 11, the logic configured to implement the one or more management functions at the network input/output device without use of a separate baseboard management controller (BMC).

15. The apparatus of claim 11, the logic configured to implement one or more management functions comprises the logic arranged to implement one or more of controlling power actions for the computing device, maintaining a watchdog timer for the computing device or serving as a proxy device to allow the remote management application to communicate with one or more sensors for the computing device.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, the power actions comprising one of power up, power down and reset.

17. The apparatus of claim 11, comprising the logic configured to establish the secure communication link via a communication channel arranged to operate in accordance with an Ethernet standard and the network input/output device capable of being configured to operate as an Ethernet controller for the computing device.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, the computing device arranged to operate as a server and the network input/output device arranged to operate as one of a local access network on motherboard (LOM) or a network interface card.

19. The apparatus of claim 11, comprising the logic configured to establish the secure communication link in accordance with an Intelligent Platform Management Interface (IPMI) specification and the one or more commands received from the remote management application to include commands formatted in accordance with the IPMI specification.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, the logic configured to implement one or more management functions comprises the logic arranged to implement one or more of controlling power actions for the computing device, establishing a Serial Over Local Area Network (SOL) connection, maintaining a watchdog timer for the computing device, provide temperature sensor readings of the computing device or serving as a proxy device to allow the remote management application to communicate with one or more sensors for the computing device.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, the logic arranged to implement serving as a proxy device to allow the remote management application to communicate with one or more sensors for the computing device comprises the network I/O device including a local management bus coupled to the one or more sensors for the computing device, the logic arranged to operate the local management bus in accordance with a Smart Management Bus (SMBus) specification

22. At least one machine readable medium comprising a plurality of instructions that in response to being executed on a system cause the system to:

establish a secure communication link between a network input/output device for a computing device and a remote management application;

receive one or more commands from the remote management application via the secure communication link; and

implement, at the network input/output device, one or more management functions based on the received one or more commands, the one or more management functions to enable the remote management application to manage or control one or more operating parameters of the computing device without use of a separate baseband management controller (BMC).

23. The at least one machine readable medium of claim 22, comprising the instructions to also cause the system to maintain a profile to indicate to the remote management application one or more management functions the network input/output device is capable of implementing, the profile provided to the remote management application following establishment of the secure communication link.

24. The at least one machine readable medium of claim 22, the one or more management functions comprising one or more of controlling power actions for the computing device, maintaining a watchdog timer for the computing device or serving as a proxy device to allow the remote management application to communicate with one or more sensors for the computing device.

25. The at least one machine readable medium of claim 24, the secure communication link established via a communication channel arranged to operate in accordance with an Ethernet standard.

26. The at least one machine readable medium of claim 25, the secure communication link established in accordance with an Intelligent Platform Management Interface (IPMI) specification and the one or more commands received from the remote management application to include commands formatted in accordance with the IPMI specification.

27. The at least one machine readable medium of claim 26, the one or more management functions comprising one or more of controlling power actions for the computing device, establishing a Serial Over Local Area Network (SOL) connection, a watchdog timer for the computing device, providing temperature sensor readings of the computing device or serving as a proxy device to allow the remote management application to communicate with one or more sensors for the computing device.