Communications system for multiple computer system management circuits

• US 6,408,334 B1
• Filed: 01/13/1999
• Issued: 06/18/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/13/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Dell USA LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell USA LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Rao, Anil V., Chidester, Philip D., Carroll, Donald E., Bassman, Robert G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Coulter, Kenneth R.
• Application Number:
  US09/229,736
• Time in Patent Office: 1,252 Days
• Field of Search: 709/220, 709/221, 709/222, 709/223, 709/224
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/4252 using a handshaking protocol

Abstract

A communications system for multiple computer system management circuits to enable remote management of the computer systems via a remote management system. The management circuits are operably coupled to a remote connector circuit via a communications bus (e.g. a bus conforming to the RS-485 communications standard). The remote connector circuit can be implemented on a daughter card of one of the computer systems. The remote connector circuit includes modem circuitry for providing operating information on operating conditions of the computer systems to a remote management system and for receiving operating commands to be provided to the management circuits wherein the computer systems initiate operations (e.g. rebooting and power cycle) in response to receiving the commands. The RS-485 bus is configured in a daisy chain configuration to allow for a simplified addition of new computer systems to the bus.

Claims

1. A system for enabling remote management of computer systems comprising:

a remote connector circuit, the remote connector circuit operably coupled to a remote management system via a communications network;

a plurality of computer systems, each computer system including a management circuit, each management circuit obtaining operating information on at least one operating condition of its associated computer system;

a communications bus, each management circuit operably coupled to the remote connector circuit via the communications bus, wherein the operating information from each management circuit is provided to the remote connector circuit via the communications bus, the remote connector circuit providing the operating information from each management circuit to the remote management system via the communications network;

wherein the management circuits are operably coupled to the communications bus in a daisy chain configuration; and

wherein each management circuit operates independently of an operating system of its associated computer system.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the communications bus includes a serial data bus.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein:

the communications bus substantially conforms to a RS-485 standard.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the at least one operating condition includes an environmental condition of the associated computer system.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein the environmental condition includes an temperature condition of the associated computer system.

6. The system of claim 4 wherein the environmental condition includes a fan operating parameter of the associated computer system.

7. The system of claim 4 wherein the at least one operating condition includes a power supply parameter of the associated computer system.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein each management circuit maintains an event log of error conditions related to the at least one operating condition, wherein the event log is provided to the remote connector circuit via the communications bus.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein each management circuit obtains the operating information from codes generated by the execution of a BIOS routine of its associated computer system.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein each management circuit initiates a computer system operation on its associated computer system in response to receiving a management system generated operating command via the communications bus.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the computer system operation is a reboot of the associated computer system and the management system generated operating command is a reboot command.

12. The system of claim 10 wherein the computer system operation is a power cycle of the associated computer system and the management system generated operating command is a power cycle command.

13. The system of claim 10 wherein the computer system operation is a shut down of an operating system of the associated computer system and the management system generated operating command is an operating system shutdown command.

14. The system of claim 1 wherein each management circuit includes a controller embedded on a motherboard of its associated computer system.

15. The system of claim 1 wherein each computer system is a server.

16. The system of claim 1 wherein a computer system of the plurality of computer systems includes the remote connector circuit.

17. The system of claim 1 wherein the remote connector circuit polls each management circuit via the communications bus to obtain the operating information from each management circuit.

18. The system of claim 1 wherein a communications bus address of each management circuit is dependent upon an identifier number unique to each management circuit.

19. The system of claim 1 wherein the remote connector circuit provides management system generated firmware to the management circuits via the communications bus.

20. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the remote connector circuit assigns a communications bus address to each management circuit operably coupled to the communications bus.

21. A computer system comprising:

a management circuit, the management circuit obtaining operating information on at least one operating condition of the computer system, the management circuit including communications bus circuitry for proving the operating information on a communications bus to a connector circuit to provide to a management system;

a first communications bus connector;

a second communications bus connector;

wherein the first bus connector is capable of receiving a first communications bus cable coupled to an upstream computer system on the communications bus and the second communications bus connector is capable of receiving a second communications bus cable operably connected to a downstream computer system so as to operably couple the management circuit to the communications bus in a daisy chain configuration; and

wherein the management circuit operates independently of an operating system of the computer system.

22. The computer system of claim 21 wherein the communications bus includes a serial data bus.

23. The computer system of claim 22 wherein:

the communications bus substantially conforms to a RS-485 standard.

24. The computer system of claim 21 wherein the at least one operating condition includes an environmental condition of the computer system.

25. The computer system of claim 24 wherein the environmental condition includes a fan operating parameter of the associated computer system.

26. The computer system of claim 21 wherein the at least one operating condition includes a power supply parameter of the associated computer system.

27. The computer system of claim 21 wherein the at least one operating condition includes a security parameter of the associated computer system.

28. The computer system of claim 21 further comprising:

a motherboard, wherein the management circuit includes a controller embedded on the motherboard.

29. The computer system of claim 21 wherein a communications bus address of the management circuit is dependent upon an identifier number unique to the management circuit.

30. The computer system of claim 21 wherein the management circuit is electrically coupled to receive power from a battery power source.

31. The computer system of claim 21 wherein the management circuit maintains an event log of error conditions related to the at least one operating condition, wherein the event log is provided to the remote connector circuit via the communications bus.

32. The computer system of claim 21 wherein the management circuit obtains the operating information from codes generated by the execution of a BIOS routine of its associated computer system.

33. The computer system of claim 21 wherein the management circuit initiates a computer system operation on the computer system in response to receiving a management system generated operating command via the communications bus.

34. The computer system of claim 33 wherein the computer system operation is a reboot of the computer system and the management system generated operating command is a reboot command.

35. The computer system of claim 33 wherein the computer system operation is a power cycle of the computer system and the management system generated operating command is a power cycle command.

36. The computer system of claim 33 wherein the computer system operation is a shut down of an operating system of the computer system and the management system generated operating command is an operating system shutdown command.

37. A computer system comprising:

a remote connector circuit comprising;

a network connector circuit for operably coupling the remote connector circuit to a remote management system via a communications network;

communications bus connector circuit for operably coupling the remote connector circuit to a communications bus operably coupled to a plurality of computer system management circuits, each management circuit obtaining operating information on at least one operating condition of a computer system associated with the each management circuit;

a controller; and

a memory storing code wherein the controller, executing the code, assigns a communications bus address to each management circuit operably coupled to the communications bus, wherein the bus address assigned to each management circuit is dependent upon an identifier number unique to each management circuit, wherein the bus addresses are assigned in a collision detection/back off/retry scheme wherein an amount of time before retry for each management circuit is based upon the identifier number unique to each management circuit;

wherein the remote connector circuit receives the operating information from the management circuits via the communications bus and provides the operating information to the remote management system via the communications network.

38. The computer system of claim 37 further comprising:

a daughter card, the remote connector circuit being implemented on the daughter card.

39. The computer system of claim 38 wherein the daughter card further comprises:

an auxiliary connector, the communications bus connector circuit operably coupled to the communications bus via the auxiliary connector.

40. The computer system of claim 37 wherein:

the computer bus connector circuit is substantially compliant to a RS-485 standard.

41. The computer system of claim 37 wherein the network connector circuit includes a modem circuit.

42. The computer system of claim 41 wherein the communications network includes a telephone network.

43. The computer system of claim 42 wherein the communications network is a local area network (LAN) conforming to a LAN standard, wherein the remote connector circuit is compliant to the LAN standard.

44. The computer system of claim 37 wherein the at least one operating condition includes an environmental condition.

45. The computer system of claim 37 wherein the remote connector circuit includes:

a controller;

a memory storing code, wherein the controller executes the code to poll the management circuits on the communications bus to receive the operating information.

46. The computer system of claim 45 wherein the controller, executing the code, assigns a communications bus address to each management circuit operably coupled to the communications bus.

47. The computer system of claim 37 wherein the remote connector circuit is operably coupled to the system processor via a computer bus.

48. The computer system of claim 37 wherein the remote connector circuit is capable of providing the operating information to a system processor of the computer system via the computer bus.

49. The computer system of claim 37 further comprising:

a management circuit operably coupled to the communications bus, the management circuit obtaining operating information on at least operating condition of the computer system, the management circuit providing the operating information to the remote connector circuit via the computer bus.

50. The computer system of claim 49 wherein the management circuit includes a controller embedded on a motherboard of the computer system.

51. The computer system of claim 37 wherein remote connector circuit provides operating commands received from the management system to the management circuits for the management circuits to initiate computer system operations in response to the operating commands.

52. The computer system of claim 37 wherein the remote connector circuit polls each management circuit via the communications bus to obtain the at least one operating condition from each management circuit.

53. A remote connector circuit comprising:

a network connector circuit for operably coupling the remote connector circuit to a remote management system via a communications network;

communications bus connector circuit for operably coupling the remote connector circuit to a communications bus operably coupled to a plurality of management circuits, each management circuit obtaining operating information on at least one operating condition of a computer system associated with each management circuit;

a controller;

a memory storing code wherein the controller, executing the code, assigns a communications bus address to each management circuit operably coupled to the communications bus, wherein the bus address assigned to each management circuit is dependent upon an identifier number unique to each management circuit, wherein the bus addresses are assigned in a collision detection/back off/retry scheme wherein an amount of time before retry for each management circuit is based upon the identifier number unique to each management circuit;

wherein the remote connector circuit receives the operating information from the management circuits via the communications bus and provides the operating information to the remote management system via the communications network.

54. The remote connector circuit of claim 53 further comprising:

a daughter card, the remote connector circuit being implemented on the daughter card.

55. The remote connector circuit of claim 53 wherein the daughter card further comprises:

an auxiliary connector, the communications bus connector circuit operably coupled to the communications bus via the auxiliary connector.

56. The remote connector circuit of claim 53 wherein:

the computer bus connector circuit is substantially compliant to a RS-485 standard.

57. The remote connector circuit of claim 53 wherein the network connector circuit includes a modem circuit.

58. The remote connector circuit of claim 57 wherein the communications network includes a telephone network.

59. The remote connector circuit of claim 53 wherein the communications network is a local area network (LAN) conforming to a LAN standard, wherein the remote connector circuit is compliant to the LAN standard.

60. The remote connector circuit of claim 53 wherein the at least one operating condition includes an environmental condition.

61. The remote connector circuit of claim 53 further comprising:

a controller;

a memory storing code, wherein the controller executes the code to poll the management circuits on the communications bus to receive the operating information.

62. The remote connector circuit of claim 53 further comprising:

computer bus connector circuit for operably coupling the remote connector circuit to a computer bus of a host computer system;

wherein the remote connector circuit is capable of providing the operating information to the host computer system via the computer bus.