Method of displaying system status

• US 6,088,816 A
• Filed: 10/01/1997
• Issued: 07/11/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Round Rock Research LLC
• Original Assignee: Micro Electronics Incorporated
• Inventors: Johnson, Karl S., Nouri, Ahmad
• Primary Examiner(s): Maung, Zarni
• Assistant Examiner(s): Najjar, Saleh
• Application Number:
  US08/942,071
• Time in Patent Office: 1,014 Days
• Field of Search: 395/200.59, 395/200.47, 709/224, 709/228, 709/217, 709/31
• US Class Current: 714/31
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2294 by remote test
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3024 where the computing system component is a central processing unit [CPU]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3041 where the computing system component is an input/output interface interconnection of, or transfer of information or other signals between, memories, input/output devices or central processing units G06F13/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3058 Monitoring arrangements for monitoring environmental properties or parameters of the computing system or of the computing system component, e.g. monitoring of power, currents, temperature, humidity, position, vibrations thermal management in cooling arrangements of a computing system G06F1/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3065 Monitoring arrangements determined by the means or processing involved in reporting the monitored data error or fault reporting or logging G06F11/0766
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/328 Computer systems status display G06F11/327 takes precedence

Abstract

A fault tolerant method of obtaining and displaying, or updating the status of server components through a Remote Interface Board and either a local or remote client machine without intervention of the server operating system software. The remote machine accesses the server by use of a dial-in modem connection, while the local machine accesses the server by a local serial connection. The components that can be monitored include, but are not limited to, the following: Power Supplies, Temperatures, Fans, Processors, I/O Groups, I/O Canisters, Serial Numbers, and Revisions.

Claims

1. A method of retrieving or updating system status for a computer, the method comprising the acts of:

sending a command for remotely retrieving or updating system status from a second computer through a remote interface to a first computer;

executing the command on a microcontroller in the first computer; and

sending a retrieve or update system status signal from the microcontroller to the first computer thereby retrieving or updating the system status.

2. The method of claim 1, additionally including the act of providing power to the remote interface from a remote interface power supply independent of a first computer power supply.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the second computer is at the same location as the first computer.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the second computer is at a location remote to the first computer.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the act of sending the remotely retrieving or updating system status command from the second computer includes the act of connecting a pair of modems, wherein a first modem connects to the first computer and a second modem connects to the second computer.

6. The method of claim 1, further including the act of providing a response to the second computer through the remote interface based on results of the command.

7. The method of claim 1, additionally comprising the act of connecting the remote interface proximately to the first computer.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the act of executing the command includes the act of sending data to the microcontroller of the first computer.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the microcontroller comprises a central processing unit controller.

10. The method of claim 2, additionally comprising the act of providing power from the remote interface power supply to the first computer when the first computer power supply fails.

11. The method of claim 6, wherein the act of providing a response includes the act of storing response data in a remote interface memory.

12. A method of retrieving or updating system status for a computer, the method comprising the acts of:

connecting a remote interface to a first computer and a second computer;

providing a retrieving or updating system status command at the second computer directed to the first computer;

encapsulating the command in a communications protocol;

transmitting the encapsulated command to the remote interface;

communicating the command received by the remote interface to the first computer; and

performing the command on the first computer.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the act of performing the command includes the act of establishing a secure mode in the computer environment.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the act of performing the command includes the act of sending data to a component of the first computer.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the act of performing the command includes the act of requesting data from a component of the first computer.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the act of communicating the command includes the act of storing command data in a memory associated with the remote interface.

17. The method of claim 12, further including the act of providing a response to the second computer through the remote interface based on results of the command.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the act of providing a response includes the act of storing response data in a memory associated with the remote interface.

19. The method of claim 12, wherein the act of connecting a remote interface to a first computer includes the act of proximately locating the remote interface to the first computer.

20. The method of claim 12, wherein the act of performing the command on the first computer includes the act of updating data on a central processing unit controller.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the data being updated comprises fan speed data.

22. The method of claim 12, wherein the act of performing the command on the first computer includes the act of updating data on a canister controller.

23. The method of claim 18, wherein the remote interface comprises a circuit having a microcontroller, and wherein the memory is connected to the microcontroller and stores the response data.

24. The method of claim 23, additionally comprising the act of proximately locating the circuit to the first computer.

25. A method of external management of a computer environment, the method comprising the acts of:

providing a first computer;

providing a second computer;

selecting, at the second computer, a component of the first computer to be managed;

selecting, at the second computer, a management operation to be performed by the first computer on the selected component;

communicating the selected component and selected operation from the second computer to the first computer; and

performing the selected operation on the selected component at the first computer.

26. The method of claim 25, further including the act of providing a response to the second computer based on the results of the selected operation.

27. The method of claim 26, further including the act of displaying the response to a user at the second computer.

28. The method of claim 25, wherein the management operation comprises updating system status.

29. The method of claim 25, wherein the act of performing the selected operation on the selected component includes the act of sending data to the component of the first computer.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the selected component comprises a microprocessor.

31. The method of claim 25, wherein the management operation comprises retrieving system status.

32. The method of claim 25, wherein the act of performing the selected operation includes the act of retrieving data from the selected component of the first computer.