Method, system, and apparatus for communicating with a computer management device

• US 7,827,258 B1
• Filed: 03/01/2004
• Issued: 11/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/01/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: American Megatrends International, LLC
• Original Assignee: American Megatrends Incorporated
• Inventors: Kalbarga, Subash
• Primary Examiner(s): Vaughn, Jr.; William C
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gupta; Muktesh G
• Application Number:
  US10/790,160
• Time in Patent Office: 2,437 Days
• Field of Search: 709/223, 709/219, 703/203, 710/3, 710/300
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/105 where the programme performs an input/output emulation function
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/00 Arrangements for maintenance, administration or management of data switching networks, e.g. of packet switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0806 for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0856 by backing up or archiving configuration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/344 Out-of-band transfers

Abstract

Methods, systems, and apparatus are provided for enabling communication with a computer management device. According to a method one or more vendor specific commands for communicating with a management device are defined according to a first communication standard. The one or more vendor specific commands are then transmitted to the management device over a communication link conforming to a second communication standard. A device conforming to the second communication standard may be emulated on the communication link. If vendor specific commands are received by the management device that are not intended for the emulated device, the commands may be used for communicating with the management device.

Claims

1. A method for communicating with a computer management device, the method comprising:

defining, at a host computer managed by the computer management device, one or more vendor specific commands, the vendor specific commands conforming to a first communication standard, wherein the computer management device is operative to receive video output of the host computer and transmit the video output to a remote computer and further operative to receive user input received at and transmitted from the remote computer and provide the user input to the host computer;

emulating a device at the computer management device, the emulated device conforming to a second communication standard;

transmitting the one or more vendor specific commands from an application programming interface of the host computer to the device emulated at the computer management device over a communications link between the host computer and the computer management device, the communications link conforming to the second communication standard;

receiving the one or more vendor specific commands at the computer management device;

determining, at the computer management device, whether the one or more vendor specific commands are commands intended for accessing data on the device emulated by the computer management device, commands for modifying configuration data associated with the computer management device, or commands for obtaining coordinates of a user input cursor on the remote computer;

in response to determining that the one or more vendor specific commands are commands for modifying configuration data associated with the computer management device or commands for obtaining coordinates of a user input cursor on the remote computer, utilizing the received vendor specific commands for communicating with the computer management device; and

in response to determining that the one or more vendor specific commands are commands intended for accessing data on the device emulated by the computer management device, accessing content from a mass storage device attached to the remote computer to the computer management device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein utilizing the received vendor specific commands for communicating with the computer management device in response to determining that the one or more vendor specific commands are commands for modifying configuration data associated with the computer management device or commands for obtaining coordinates of a user input cursor on the remote computer comprises utilizing data contained in the received vendor specific commands to configure the computer management device.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein utilizing data contained in the received vendor specific commands to configure the computer management device comprises setting a network address of the management device based upon contents of the received vendor specific commands.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein utilizing the received vendor specific commands for communicating with the computer management device in response to determining that the one or more vendor specific commands are commands for modifying configuration data associated with the computer management device or commands for obtaining coordinates of a user input cursor on the remote computer comprises:

determining coordinates of a user input cursor on the remote computer; and

returning the coordinates to the host computer in response to the received vendor specific commands.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first communication standard comprises the SCSI standard, the second communication standard comprises the USB standard, and wherein the emulated device comprises a USB mass storage device.

6. A method for communicating with a computer management device, the method comprising:

emulating a mass storage device at the computer management device, the mass storage device made available on a communication link between the computer management device and a host computer managed by the computer management device, the communication link conforming to a first communication standard, wherein the computer management device is operative to receive video output of the host computer and transmit the video output to a remote computer and further operative to receive user input received at and transmitted from the remote computer and provide the user input to the host computer;

receiving at the computer management device, from an application programming interface of the host computer, one or more vendor specific commands directed toward the mass storage device, the vendor specific commands conforming to a second communication standard and transmitted to the computer management device over the communication link conforming to the first standard;

determining, at the computer management device, whether the received vendor specific commands are commands intended for accessing data on the mass storage device emulated by the computer management device, commands for modifying configuration data associated with the computer management device, or commands for obtaining coordinates of a user input cursor on the remote computer;

in response to determining that the one or more vendor specific commands are commands for modifying configuration data associated with the computer management device or commands for obtaining coordinates of a user input cursor on the remote computer, utilizing the received vendor specific commands for communicating with the computer management device; and

in response to determining that the one or more vendor specific commands are commands intended for accessing data on the mass storage device emulated by the computer management device, accessing content from a mass storage device attached to the remote computer, the content from the mass storage device attached to the remote computer redirected from the remote computer to the computer management device.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the first communication standard comprises the USB standard and wherein the second communication standard comprises the SCSI standard.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the emulated mass storage device comprises an emulated CD-ROM device on a USB communication link.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein utilizing the received vendor specific commands for communicating with the computer management device in response to determining that the one or more vendor specific commands are commands for modifying configuration data associated with the computer management device or commands for obtaining coordinates of a user input cursor on the remote computer comprises utilizing the vendor specific commands to configure the computer management device.

10. The method of claim 6, further comprising in response to determining that the one or more vendor specific commands are commands for obtaining coordinates of a user input cursor on the remote computer:

determining coordinates of a user input cursor on the remote computer; and

returning the coordinates to the host computer in response to the received vendor specific commands.

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

the host computer supporting a communication link that conforms to a first communication standard and including an application programming interface, the application programming interface of the host computer operative to transmit one or more vendor specific commands that conform to a second communication standard over the communication link; and

a management device for managing the host computer, the management device connected to the host computer via the communication link, the management device operative to;

receive video output of the host computer and transmit the video output to a remote computer, receive user input received at and transmitted from the remote computer and provide the user input to the host computer, emulate a mass storage device on the communication link, receive the vendor specific commands from the application programming interface of the host computer directed toward the mass storage device, determine whether the received vendor specific commands are commands intended for accessing data on the mass storage device emulated by the management device, commands for modifying configuration data associated with the management device, or commands for obtaining coordinates of a user input cursor on the remote computer, utilize the received vendor specific commands for communicating with the management device in response to determining that the one or more vendor specific commands are commands for modifying configuration data associated with the management device or commands for obtaining coordinates of a user input cursor on the remote computer, and access content from a mass storage device attached to the remote computer in response to determining that the one or more vendor specific commands are commands intended for accessing data on the mass storage device emulated by the management device, the content from the mass storage device attached to the remote computer redirected from the remote computer to the management device.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the first communication standard comprises the USB standard and wherein the second communication standard comprises the SCSI standard.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the emulated mass storage device comprises an emulated CD-ROM device on a USB communication link.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the management device is further operative to utilize the received vendor specific commands to configure the management device in response to determining that the one or more vendor specific commands are commands for modifying configuration data associated with the management device.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein in response to determining that the one or more vendor specific commands are commands for obtaining coordinates of a user input cursor on the remote computer, the management device is further operative to:

determine coordinates of a user input cursor on the remote computer; and

return the coordinates to the computer in response to the received vendor specific commands.