Method, system and apparatus for providing real-time led status of embedded controllers to system management software

• US 7,096,155 B2
• Filed: 03/03/2003
• Issued: 08/22/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/03/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Chen, Wei, Vasudevan, Bharath
• Primary Examiner(s): Wachsman, Hal
• Assistant Examiner(s): Desta, Elias
• Application Number:
  US10/377,836
• Publication Number:
  US 20040176927A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,268 Days
• Field of Search: 702/57, 702/81, 702/108, 702/117, 702/122, 702/127, 702182-185, 324/133, 324/556, 712/227, 712/205, 719/311, 719/318, 700 79- 92, 361/93.2
• US Class Current: 702/182
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/328 Computer systems status display G06F11/327 takes precedence

Abstract

Embedded controller(s) in an information handling system have real-time status and activities represented by indicators, such as light emitting diodes (LEDs), associated with the embedded controller(s). These indicators may be monitored for example by operating (management software, e.g., Embedded Server Management (ESM) software. In addition, edge triggered latches and a timer detect and store flash patterns of these LED indicators so that the flash pattern information may be read by the operating management software as static signals.

Claims

1. An information handling system having at least one embedded controller with at least one activity-status indicator, said system comprising:

at least one embedded controller in an information handling system, said embedded controller having at least one activity-status indicator, wherein the at least one activity-status indicator represents activity and status of said at least one embedded controller;

an interface circuit having an input coupled to the at least one activity-status indicator, whereby the activity and status of said at least one embedded controller is monitored by said information handling system by reading said interface circuit; and

at least one edge-triggered latch, said at least one edge-triggered latch having an input coupled to the at least one activity-status indicator, an output coupled to another input of said interface circuit and a clear input coupled to an output of a timer circuit, wherein a flash pattern from said at least one activity-status indicator is captured and stored in the at least one edge-triggered latch and represented on the output thereof,

whereby the flash pattern from said at least one activity-status indicator is monitored by said information handling system by reading said interface circuit, and said at least one edge-triggered latch is cleared at predetermined time intervals by said timer circuit,

wherein the predetermined time intervals differentiate between different flash patterns.

2. The information handling system according to claim 1, wherein said timer circuit is reset by an output signal from said interface circuit.

3. The information handling system according to claim 1, wherein said at least one activity-status indicator coupled to said interface circuit represents the activity and status of said at least one embedded controller selected from the group consisting of Ethernet_Link_LED, Ethernet_ACT_LED, FC_Green_LED, FC_Yellow_LED, blower LED and system health LED.

4. The information handling system according to claim 1, wherein said at least one activity-status indicator coupled to said at least one edge-triggered latch represents the activity and status of said at least one embedded controller selected from the group consisting of Ethernet_ACT_LED, FC_Green_LED, FC_Yellow_LED, blower LED and system health LED.

5. The information handling system according to claim 1, wherein said at least one activity-status indicator coupled to said at least one edge-triggered latch represents the activity and status of said at least one embedded controller selected from the group consisting of Ethernet_ACT_LED, FC_Green_LED and FC_Yellow_LED.

6. The information handling system according to claim 1, wherein the flash pattern stored in said at least one edge-triggered latch is selected from the group consisting of Ethernet_ACT_LED_Flash, FC_Green_LED_Flash and FC_Yellow_LED_Flash.

7. The information handling system according to claim 1, wherein said information handling system is selected from the group consisting of computer work station, personal computer, portable computer, computer server, print server, network router, network hub, network switch, storage area network disk array, RAID disk system and telecommunications switch.

8. The information handling system according to claim 1, wherein the interface circuit is coupled to an I²C bus.

9. An apparatus for monitoring activity-status of an embedded controller in an information handling system, comprising:

an interface circuit having inputs coupled to activity-status indicators of an embedded controller in an information handling system;

edge-triggered latches coupled to the activity-status indicators, outputs coupled to other inputs of said interface circuit and clear inputs coupled to a timer circuit, wherein flash patterns from said activity-status indicators are captured and stored in the edge-triggered latches and represented on the outputs thereof,

whereby the flash patterns from the activity-status indicators are monitored through said interface circuit, and the edge-triggered latches are cleared at predetermined time intervals by said timer circuit,

wherein the predetermined time intervals differentiate between different flash patterns; and

operating management software adapted to read said interface circuit and present presentations of the activity-status indicator states.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said timer circuit is reset by an output signal from said interface circuit.

11. A method for monitoring activity-status of an embedded controller in an information handling system, said method comprising the steps of:

reading logic levels of activity-status indicators with an interface circuit;

monitoring flash repetition rates of the activity-status indicators with edge-triggered latches, wherein a transition from a first logic level to a second logic level for each of the activity-status indicators causes a respective edge-triggered latch to change logic state and the flash repetition rates are determined by resetting the edge-triggered latches at predetermined time intervals;

reading the logic states of the edge-triggered latches with the interface circuits;

reading the logic levels of the activity-status indicators and logic states of the edge-triggered latches from the interface circuit with operating management software; and

displaying the logic states and the logic levels with the operating management software on an information handling system display, wherein the displayed logic states and logic levels are representative of the activity-status of the embedded controller.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the step of resetting the edge-triggered latches at the predetermined time intervals is done through the interface circuit.

13. The method according to claim 11, wherein the step of resetting the edge-triggered latches at the predetermined time intervals is done with a timer.

14. The method according to claim 13, further comprising the step of resetting the timer with the interface circuit.