Computer system management apparatus and method
First Claim
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1. A computer system comprising:
- a main computing unit including a host processor, and a host bus coupled to the host processor;
a storage storing an operating system; and
a system management controller coupled to the main computing unit to determine an operational state of the main computing unit when the main computing unit is being controlled by the operating system and, based on the determination, selectively regulate the main computing unit.
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Abstract
A system management controller may record and/or modify the state of the computer system'"'"'s host processor if it fails to execute user level program instructions (e.g., is hung). The system management controller may also be commanded, from a site remote from the computer system, to acquire and/or modify the state of the host processor. The system management controller may also acquire and/or modify the state of the other components coupled to the computer system such as, for example, a modem, a network interface card, a memory, and a bus-to-bus bridge circuit.
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Citations
33 Claims
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1. A computer system comprising:
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a main computing unit including a host processor, and a host bus coupled to the host processor;
a storage storing an operating system; and
a system management controller coupled to the main computing unit to determine an operational state of the main computing unit when the main computing unit is being controlled by the operating system and, based on the determination, selectively regulate the main computing unit. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
a management processor;
a management bus coupled to the management processor;
a communication circuit coupled to the management bus and configured to couple to the main computing unit; and
memory coupled to the management bus and including a program executable by the management processor to configure the management processor to interact with the communication circuit to perform the regulation.
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10. The computer system of claim 9, wherein the system management controller further comprises a modem interface circuit coupled to the management bus.
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11. The computer system of claim 9, wherein the system management controller further comprises a circuit coupled to the management bus and configured to receive input signals indicative of main computing unit state.
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12. The computer system of claim 11, wherein the main computing unit state comprises an indication of whether the host processor is executing user application program instructions.
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13. The computer system of claim 9, wherein the system management controller further comprises a serial interface circuit coupled to the management bus.
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14. The computer system of claim 9, wherein the system management controller further comprises a thermal control circuit coupled to the management bus and configured to receive a signal indicative of a thermal state of the main computing unit.
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15. The computer system of claim 14, wherein the thermal control circuit is further configured to transmit a thermal control signal to the main computing unit.
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16. The computer system of claim 14, wherein the thermal control signal comprises a signal to modify operation of a fan coupled to the main computing unit.
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17. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the system management controller is coupled to the main computing unit by a inter-integrated circuit control bus.
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18. The computer system of claim 1 including a housing around said main computing unit, said controller detects when said housing has been opened.
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19. The computer system of claim 1 including a fan coupled to said controller, said controller detecting when the temperature exceeds a predetermined threshold and in response operating said fan.
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20. The computer system of claim 1 including a power supply having a voltage, said controller determining when the power supply voltage exceeds a threshold and in response altering an operating characteristic of said computing unit in response thereto.
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21. A method to manage a computer system having a host processor, a bus coupled to the host processor, and a device coupled to the bus, said computer system being controlled by its own operating system, the method comprising:
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receiving a signal indicative of an operating mode of the computer system being controlled by its own operating system; and
determining if the signal indicates the computer system is operating in a normal mode and, if it is not, then regulating the computer system independently of the host processor. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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31. A program storage device, readable by a processor-based system, comprising:
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instructions stored thereon for causing the processor-based system to;
receive a signal indicative of an operating mode of a computer system being controlled by its own operating system; and
determine if the signal indicates the computer system is operating in a normal mode and, if it is not, then regulate the computer system independently of a host processor of the computer system. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33)
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Specification