Systems and methods for implementing a TCP/IP stack and web interface within a management module

• US 7,668,941 B1
• Filed: 06/29/2004
• Issued: 02/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: American Megatrends International, LLC
• Original Assignee: American Megatrends Incorporated
• Inventors: Kathandapani, Govind
• Primary Examiner(s): Bruckart; Benjamin R
• Application Number:
  US10/879,826
• Time in Patent Office: 2,065 Days
• Field of Search: 709217-219, 709223-226, 709/220, 714 48- 57, 714/47
• US Class Current: 709/220
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/622 Layer-2 addresses, e.g. medium access control [MAC] addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0253 using browsers or web-pages for accessing management information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/32 Architecture of open systems interconnection [OSI] 7-layer type protocol stacks, e.g. the interfaces between the data link level and the physical level
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/326 in the transport layer [OSI layer 4] H04L69/16 takes precedence

Abstract

Methods and systems for implementing a network protocol stack and a web interface within a management module are provided. A network controller supports utilizing a plurality of media access control (MAC) addresses. The method involves configuring the network controller to allocate one of the MAC addresses to the management module where the management module is utilized in monitoring operations associated with the computer system. The network controller is programmed to send the management module, via the system interface, all network packets addressed to the MAC address allocated to the management module. The TCP/IP stack and the web interface are provided within the management module. Thus, when a network packet destined for the management module is received from a remote computer at the network controller, the network controller sends the network packet to the management module via the system interface thereby implementing a network protocol stack and web interface.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for managing a computer system over a network, the method comprising:

providing a motherboard management module within the computer system;

configuring the motherboard management module to collect operating parameters associated with the computer system;

providing a network controller within the computer system and in communication with the network;

interconnecting the network controller and the motherboard management module over a management bus, the network controller and the motherboard management module being integrated on the same chip;

interconnecting the network controller and a central processing unit over a system bus;

configuring the network controller to associate a first media access control address to the central processing unit having a first network protocol stack, the network controller configured to pass network packets intended for the first media access control address to the central processing unit;

configuring the network controller to associate a second media access control address to the motherboard management module, the network controller configured to filter network packets intended for the second media access control address to the motherboard management module;

providing a second network protocol stack within the motherboard management module;

implementing TCP/IP within the second network protocol stack;

implementing a web server application within the motherboard management module and in communication with the second network protocol stack;

receiving a management request intended for the second media access control address at the network controller;

filtering the management request intended for the second media access control address to the motherboard management module with the network controller;

receiving the management request intended for the second media access control address at the motherboard management module;

upon receiving the management request intended for the second media access control address at the motherboard management module, collecting operating parameters corresponding to the management request;

formatting the collected operating parameters for exposure from the web server application over the network to a web browser; and

communicating the formatted operating parameters from the motherboard management module to the network controller, the network controller configured to provide the formatted operating parameters to the web browser over the network.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining whether a network packet received includes the second media access control address allocated to the motherboard management module, wherein the network packet received is sent to the motherboard management module in response to the network packet received including the second media access control address.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the method further comprises, in response to the network packet received including the first media access control address, sending the network packet received to the central processing unit.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving at the motherboard management module, a network packet received at the network controller.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the management request is directed to a universal resource locator (URL) associated with the motherboard management module.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending a network packet from the motherboard management module over the network to a remote computer via the management bus and the network controller.

7. A computer-implemented method for supporting network communications at a management module of a computer system, the method comprising:

providing the management module within the computer system;

configuring the management module to collect operating parameters associated with the computer system;

providing a network controller within the computer system and in communication with a network;

interconnecting the network controller and the management module over a management bus, the network controller and the management module being integrated on the same chip;

interconnecting the network controller and a central processing unit over a system bus;

programming the network controller of the computer system to allocate a first media access control (MAC) address to an operating system associated with the computer system, the network controller configured to pass network communications addressed to the first media access control address to the operating system via a system bus;

programming the network controller of the computer system to allocate a second MAC address to the management module, the network controller configured to filter network communications addressed to the second MAC address to the management module via a logical connection internal to an integrated circuit, the integrated circuit comprising the management module and the network controller;

implementing a TCP/IP stack within the management module;

implementing a web server application within the management module, the web server application associated with the TCP/IP stack;

receiving the network communications addressed to the second MAC address from the network controller at the management module;

configuring the web server application to provide management information associated with the computer system to a web browser over a network;

receiving a management query addressed to the second media access control address at the network controller;

filtering the management query addressed to the second media access control address to the management module with the network controller;

receiving the management query addressed to the second media access control address at the management module;

upon receiving the management query addressed to the second media access control address at the management module, collecting operating parameters corresponding to the management query;

formatting the collected operating parameters for exposure from the web server application over the network to a web browser; and

communicating the collected operating parameters from the management module to the network controller, the network controller configured to provide the formatted operating parameters to the web browser over the network.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the management module further includes at least one of an IP address and a domain name allocated to the management module.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the system interface comprises a management bus.

10. The method of claim 7, further comprising sending network communications from the management module over a network to a remote computer via the system interface and the network controller.

11. A system for managing a computer system over a network, the system comprising:

a management module within the computer system, the management module configured to collect operating parameters associated with the computer system;

a network controller within the computer system and in communication with the network, the network controller and the management module interconnected over a management bus, the network controller and the management module being integrated on the same chip, the network controller and a central processing unit interconnected over a system bus;

wherein the network controller is configured to (a) associate a first media access control address to the central processing unit having a first network protocol stack, (b) pass network packets intended for the first media access control address to the central processing unit, (c) associate a second media access control address to the management module, and (d) filter network packets intended for the second media access control address to the management module;

a second network protocol stack implemented within the management module, wherein TCP/IP is implemented within the second network protocol stack;

wherein the network controller is further configured to receive a management request intended for the second media access control address and to filter the management request intended for the second media access control address to the management module;

wherein the management module is further configured to receive the management request intended for the second media access control address and when the management request intended for the second media access control address is received, to collect operating parameters corresponding to the management request; and

a web server application implemented within the management module and in communication with the second network protocol stack, the web server application configured to format the collected operating parameters for exposure from the web server application over the network to a web browser and to communicate the formatted operating parameters from the management module to the network controller, the network controller further configured to provide the formatted operating parameters to the web browser over the network.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the management module comprises a baseboard management controller implemented on a baseboard of the computer system.