REMOTE ACCESS CONTROLLER SUPPORT REGISTRATION SYSTEM

• US 20200137062A1
• Filed: 10/31/2018
• Published: 04/30/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Rao, Sanjay, Vijayvargiya, Divya
• Granted Patent: US 10,938,821 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4641 Virtual LANs, VLANs, e.g. virtual private networks [VPN] LAN interconnection over a bridge based backbone H04L12/462; encapsulation techniques H04L12/4633; routing of packets H04L45/00; packet switches H04L49/00; virtual private networks for security H04L63/0272
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0272 Virtual private networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/101 Access control lists [ACL]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1031 Controlling of the operation of servers by a load balancer, e.g. adding or removing servers that serve requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/20 Services signaling; Auxiliary data signalling, i.e. transmitting data via a non-traffic channel

Abstract

A remote access controller support system includes a second server device that includes a second remote access controller that is coupled to a support system through an out-of-band network and coupled to a first remote access controller through a remote access controller network. The second server device registers and enrolls, using the second remote access controller and via communications through the out of-band-network, the second remote access controller with the support system by providing a second service tag. The second server device retrieves, using the second remote access controller and via communications with the first remote access controller through the remote access controller network, a first service tag from the first remote access controller and provides, using the second remote access controller and through the out of-band-network, the first service tag to the support system to enroll the first remote access controller with the support system.

Claims

1. A remote access controller support system, comprising:

a support system;

a first server device that includes a first remote access controller;

a second server device that includes a second remote access controller, wherein the second remote access controller is coupled to the support system through an out-of-band network and coupled to the first remote access controller through a remote access controller network, and wherein the second server device is configured to;

register and enroll, using the second remote access controller and via communications with the support system through the out-of-band network, the second remote access controller with the support system by providing the support system with a second remote access controller service tag;

retrieve, using the second remote access controller and via communications with the first remote access controller through the remote access controller network, a first remote access controller service tag from the first remote access controller; and

provide, using the second remote access controller and via communications with the support system through the out-of-band network, the first remote access controller service tag to the support system to enroll the first remote access controller with the support system.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the second server device is configured to:

determine, prior to the registering of the second remote access controller with the support system, that the second remote access controller has satisfied at least one registration prerequisite.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the at least one registration prerequisite includes a supported operating system installed on the second server device, a remote access controller service module running on the supported operating system, and the second remote access controller being coupled to the support system through the out-of-band network.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the first server device does not satisfy a registration prerequisite.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the second server device is configured to:

provide, via the second remote access controller and through the out-of-band network to the support system, second server device support data.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the second server device is configured to:

retrieve, from the first remote access controller and through the remote access controller network, first server device support data; and

provide, via the second remote access controller and through the out-of-band network to the support system, the first server device support data.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the first server device is configured to:

provide, via the first remote access controller and through the out-of-band network to the support system, first server device support data when the first remote access controller is coupled to the out-of-band network.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the second server device is configured to:

create a local cluster that includes the first remote access controller and the second remote access controller;

detect a third remote access controller being coupled to the second remote access controller via the remote access controller network;

add the third remote access controller to the local cluster;

retrieve, via communications with the third remote access controller through the remote access controller network, a third remote access controller service tag; and

provide, using the second remote access controller and via communications with the support system through the out-of-band network, the third remote access controller service tag to the support system to enroll the third remote access controller with the support system.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the second server device is configured to:

provide, in response to a support data collection event detected at least one of the second remote access controller and the third remote access controller that belong to the local cluster, second server device support data to the support system.

10. An information handling system (IHS), comprising:

a first remote access controller, wherein the first remote access controller is coupled to a support system through an out-of-band network connection and coupled to a second remote access controller through a remote access controller network connection, and wherein the first remote access controller is configured to;

register and enroll, via communications with the support system through the out-of-band network connection, the first remote access controller with the support system by providing the support system with a first service tag;

retrieve, via communications with a second remote access controller through the remote access controller network connection, a second service tag from the second remote access controller; and

provide, via communications with the support system through the out-of-band network connection, the second service tag to the support system to enroll the second remote access controller with the support system.

11. The IHS of claim 10, wherein the first remote access controller is configured to:

determine, prior to the registering of the first remote access controller with the support system, that the first remote access controller has satisfied at least one registration prerequisite.

12. The IHS of claim 11, wherein the at least one registration prerequisite includes a supported operating system coupled to the first remote access controller, a remote access controller service module running on the supported operating system, and the first remote access controller being coupled to the support system through the out-of-band network connection.

13. The IHS of claim 10, wherein the second remote access controller does not satisfy a registration prerequisite.

14. The IHS of claim 10, wherein the first remote access controller is configured to:

provide, through the out-of-band network connection to the support system, first server device support data.

15. The IHS of claim 10, wherein the first remote access controller is configured to:

retrieve, from the second remote access controller and through the remote access controller network connection, second server device support data; and

provide, through the out-of-band network connection to the support system, the second server device support data.

16. The IHS of claim 10, wherein the first remote access controller is configured to:

create a local cluster that includes the first remote access controller and the second remote access controller;

detect a third remote access controller being coupled to the first remote access controller via the remote access controller network connection;

add the third remote access controller to the local cluster;

retrieve, via communications with the third remote access controller through the remote access controller network connection, a third service tag; and

provide, via communications with the support system through the out-of-band network connection, the third service tag to the support system to enroll the third remote access controller with the support system.

17. A method of registering a remote access controller of a server device with a support system, comprising:

registering and enrolling, using a first remote access controller and via communications with a support system through an out-of-band network connection, the first remote access controller with the support system by providing the support system with a first service tag;

retrieving, using a first remote access controller and via communications with a second remote access controller through a remote access controller network connection, a second service tag from the second remote access controller; and

providing, using a first remote access controller and via communications with the support system through the out-of-band network connection, the second service tag to the support system to enroll the second remote access controller with the support system.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

determining, prior to the registering of the first remote access controller with the support system, that the first remote access controller has satisfied at least one registration prerequisite.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

providing, using the first remote access controller and through the out-of-band network connection to the support system, first server device support data.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

retrieving, using the first remote access controller and from the second remote access controller and through the remote access controller network connection, second server device support data; and

providing, using the first remote access controller and through the out-of-band network connection to the support system, the second server device support data.