Selectively disabling a portion of ASF operations when ASF device is powered by auxiliary power

• US 7,451,335 B2
• Filed: 04/24/2002
• Issued: 11/11/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies General IP PTE Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Naylor, Andrew M., Lindsay, Steven B., Hwang, Andrew S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee; Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): WANG, ALBERT C
• Application Number:
  US10/131,362
• Publication Number:
  US 20030028633A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,393 Days
• Field of Search: 709/217, 709/221, 709/250, 713/340, 713/324, 710/8
• US Class Current: 713/324
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/263 Arrangements for using multiple switchable power supplies, e.g. battery and AC G06F1/30 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/30 Means for acting in the event of power-supply failure or interruption, e.g. power-supply fluctuations for resetting only G06F1/24
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/324 by lowering clock frequency
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3287 by switching off individual functional units in the computer system
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/12 Arrangements for remote connection or disconnection of substations or of equipment thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0213 Standardised network management protocols, e.g. simple network management protocol [SNMP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/06 Management of faults, events, alarms or notifications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/08 Configuration management of networks or network elements address allocation H04L61/50
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0803 Configuration setting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/082 the condition being updates or upgrades of network functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0856 by backing up or archiving configuration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0869 Validating the configuration within one network element
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/147 for predicting network behaviour
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/18 Multiprotocol handlers, e.g. single devices capable of handling multiple protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/22 Parsing or analysis of headers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/40 for recovering from a failure of a protocol instance or entity, e.g. service redundancy protocols, protocol state redundancy or protocol service redirection management of faults, events, alarms or notifications in data switching networks H04L41/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/50 in wire-line communication networks, e.g. low power modes or reduced link rate

Abstract

Techniques are disclosed for providing system manageability for computing systems operating under OS-absent conditions. In particular, techniques are disclosed for providing fully functional system management capabilities even when the primary power source for the computing system is disabled. One aspect of the invention provides an ASF-compliant device that selectively supports partial ASF functionality. One aspect of the invention provides an ASF-compliant device that runs ASF firmware that is stored in nonvolatile memory and can be upgraded in the field. One aspect of the invention provides an ASF-compliant device that runs ASF firmware and that can load portions of the ASF firmware into its memory in stages.

Claims

1. An alert sending device, comprising:

at least one sensor for providing a signal indicative of whether at least a portion of the alert sending device is powered by an auxiliary power source; and

at least one alert standard format controller for performing alert standard format operations, the at least one alert standard format controller configured to generate, in accordance with the signal, at least one indication indicative of whether a portion of the alert standard format operations are enabled or disabled, and configured to selectively execute a portion of the alert standard format operations based on the at least one indication.

2. The alert sending device, of claim 1 wherein the at least one alert standard format controller only calls subroutines associated with enabled alert standard format operations.

3. The alert sending device of claim 1, wherein the at least one indication comprises at least one configuration flag that identifies which portion of the alert standard format operations is executed.

4. The alert sending device of claim 3, wherein a first routine polls for criteria to generate the at least one indication and a run-time routine checks the at least one configuration flag.

5. The alert sending device of claim 1, wherein the alert standard format operations include watchdog alerts and the at least one alert standard format controller does not perform watchdog alert operations when the alert sending device is operating on auxiliary power.

6. The alert sending device of claim 1, wherein the at least one alert standard format controller is incorporated in a network controller integrated circuit.

7. The alert sending device of claim 1, wherein the at least alert standard format controller is incorporated in a network interface card.

8. The alert sending device of claim 1, wherein a disabled alert standard format operation is associated with a timer that is associated with a device that is powered off when a primary power source is off.

9. A method of performing alert standard format operations comprising:

receiving a signal indicative of whether at least a portion of an alert sending device is powered by an auxiliary power source;

generating, in accordance with the signal, at least one indication indicative of whether alert standard format operations to be performed by the alert sending device are enabled or disabled;

identifying enabled portions of the alert standard format operations according to the at least one indication; and

executing code associated with the enabled portions of the alert standard format operations.

10. The method of claim 9, comprising using configuration information to identify the enabled portions of the alert standard format operations.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the configuration information is stored in a non-volatile data memory.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein a first routine polls for criteria to generate the at least one indication and a run-time routine checks the configuration information.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the alert standard format operations include watchdog alerts, and wherein watchdog alert operations are not performed when the alert sending device is operating on auxiliary power.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein a disabled alert standard format operation is associated with a timer that is associated with a device that is powered off when a primary power source is off.

15. A network controller, comprising:

at least one sensor for providing a signal indicative of whether at least a portion of the network controller is currently being powered by an auxiliary power source;

at least one data memory for storing alert standard format code associated with a plurality of alert standard format operations; and

at least one processor configured to set, in accordance with the signal, at least one indication in the at least one data memory indicative of whether alert standard format operations are enabled or disabled, and configured to selectively execute a portion of the alert standard format operations based on the at least one indication.

16. The network controller of claim 15, wherein the at least one indication comprises at least one configuration flag that identifies which portion of the alert standard format operations are executed.

17. The network controller of claim 15, wherein the alert standard format operations include watchdog alerts, and wherein the at least one processor does not perform watchdog alert operations when at least a portion of the network controller is operating on auxiliary power.

18. The network controller of claim 15, wherein a disabled alert standard format operation is associated with a timer that is associated with a device that is powered off when a primary power source is off.

19. A network controller, connected to be powered by at least one PCI bus primary power source or a PCI bus auxiliary power source, for performing alert standard format operations when at least a portion of the network controller is powered by the auxiliary power source, the network controller comprising:

at least one sensor for providing a signal indicative of whether at least a portion of the network controller is currently being powered by an auxiliary power source;

at least one data memory, powered by the auxiliary power source, for storing alert standard format code associated with a plurality of alert standard format operations and for storing configuration information; and

at least one processor, powered by the auxiliary power source and coupled to the at least one sensor, for setting, in accordance with the signal, the configuration information, and for selectively executing a portion of the alert standard format operations according to the configuration information.

20. The network controller of claim 19, wherein the configuration information is indicative of disabled alert standard format operations.

21. The network controller of claim 19, wherein the configuration information is indicative of a disabled operation associated with a timer for a device that is powered off when a primary power source is off.

22. An alert sending device comprising:

at least one processor for performing alert standard format operations, wherein the at least one processor selectively executes a portion of the alert standard format operations based on at least one criteria indicative of whether alert standard format operations are enabled or disabled, wherein the alert standard format operations include watchdog alerts, and wherein the at least one processor does not perform watchdog alert operations when the alert sending device is operating on auxiliary power.

23. The alert sending device of claim 22, comprising:

at least one sensor for providing a signal to the at least one processor, the signal indicative of whether the alert sensing device is powered by an auxiliary power source, wherein the at least one criteria is whether the alert sending device is operating on auxiliary power.

24. The alert sending device of claim 22, wherein the at least one processor uses at least one configuration flag to determine which alert standard format operations are not executed.

25. A method of performing alert standard format operations, comprising:

retrieving at least one criteria associated with alert standard format operations to be performed by an alert sending device;

identifying enabled portions of the alert standard format operations according to the at least one criteria; and

executing code associated with the enabled portions of the alert standard format operations,

wherein the alert standard format operations include watchdog alerts, and wherein watchdog alert operations are not performed when the alert sending device is operating on auxiliary power.

26. The method of claim 25, comprising:

generating a signal indicative of whether the alert sensing device is powered by an auxiliary power source, wherein the at least one criteria is whether the alert sending device is operating on auxiliary power.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein the at least one criteria comprises at least one configuration flag.

28. A network controller, comprising:

at least one data memory for storing alert standard format code associated with a plurality of alert standard format operations; and

at least one processor for selectively executing a portion of the alert standard format operations based on at least one criteria indicative of whether alert standard format operations are enabled or disabled,

wherein the alert standard format operations include watchdog alerts, and wherein the at least one processor does not perform watchdog alert operations when the network controller is operating on auxiliary power.

29. The network controller of claim 28, comprising:

at least one sensor for providing a signal to the at least one processor, the signal indicative of whether at least a portion of the network controller is powered by an auxiliary power source, wherein the at least one criteria is whether at least a portion of the network controller is operating on auxiliary power.

30. The network controller of claim 28, wherein the at least one processor uses at least one configuration flag to determine which alert standard format operations are not executed.