Out-of-band characterization of server utilization via remote access card virtual media for auto-enterprise scaling

• US 8,171,174 B2
• Filed: 01/19/2006
• Issued: 05/01/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/19/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Lambert, Timothy, Hart, Sean
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Ashok
• Assistant Examiner(s): GAZDA, JOSEPH P
• Application Number:
  US11/335,294
• Publication Number:
  US 20070168498A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,294 Days
• Field of Search: 709/250
• US Class Current: 709/250
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/344 Out-of-band transfers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0817 by checking functioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/131 Protocols for games, networked simulations or virtual reality

Abstract

A method for characterizing server utilization out-of-band via remote access card virtual media includes sending at least one preselected desired parameter comprising at least one of at least one performance parameter and at least one process parameter, and at least one preselected polling interval to a remote access card disposed in at least one preselected managed host server system, using a remote application running on a remote management client via at least one remote access card administrative command through an out-of-band dedicated remote access card network interface card. The method also includes connecting a plug-and-play virtual drive, having an auto-run data gathering executable, to the at least one preselected managed host server system at the at least one preselected polling interval via a plug-and-play virtual media interface between the remote access card and the at least one preselected managed host server system, using firmware of the remote access card.

Claims

1. A method for characterizing server utilization out-of-band via remote access card virtual media, the method comprising:

prompting a user to preselect at least one preselected desired parameter comprising at least one of at least one performance parameter, at least one process parameter, at least one preselected polling interval, and at least one preselected managed host server system to observe, using a remote application running on a remote management client;

sending the at least one preselected desired parameter comprising at least one of at least one performance parameter, the at least one process parameter, and the at least one preselected polling interval to a remote access card disposed in at least one preselected managed host server system, using the remote application running on the remote management client via at least one remote access card administrative command through an out-of-band dedicated remote access card network interface card;

connecting a plug-and-play virtual drive, having an auto-run data gathering executable, to the at least one preselected managed host server system at the at least one preselected polling interval via a plug-and-play virtual media interface between the remote access card and the at least one preselected managed host server system, using firmware of the remote access card, the plug-and-play virtual drive emulating at least one of a remote drive disposed in the remote management client and a local virtual key disposed in the remote access card;

saving to the remote drive disposed in the remote management client the at least one preselected desired parameter from the at least one preselected managed host server system at the at least one preselected polling interval through a network without completely interrupting the at least one preselected managed host server system, using the auto-run data gathering executable running on the firmware of the remote access card disposed in the at least one preselected managed host server system that writes a performance snapshot text file to the at least one of the remote drive and the local virtual key, wherein the performance snapshot text file comprises at least one result of the collection of the at least one preselected desired parameter;

repeating the saving to the remote drive the at least one preselected desired parameter from the at least one preselected managed host server system at the at least one preselected polling interval, using the auto-run data gathering executable, using firmware of the remote access card until the remote application running on the remote management client sends at least one remote access card administrative command to stop collecting the at least one preselected desired parameter from the at least one preselected managed host server system;

detecting the performance snapshot text file comprising the at least one result of the collection of the at least one preselected desired parameter written to the at least one of the remote drive and the local virtual key, using the remote application;

analyzing at least one trend from the at least one of the spreadsheet and the database to at least one of predict when the at least one preselected managed host server system should be scaled, predict at least one impact of at least one upgrade before purchase, do a cost/benefit analysis, and link to a vendor for at least one sales recommendation; and

terminating the auto-run data gathering executable running on the firmware of the remote access card.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the remote application copies and parses the performance snapshot text file comprising the at least one result of the collection of the at least one preselected desired parameter for at least one relevant field and populates at least one of a spreadsheet and a database for at least one of plotting purposes and analysis purposes.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein analyzing at least one trend includes predicting when the at least one preselected managed host server system should be scaled.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein sending the at least one preselected desired parameter comprising at least one of the at least one performance parameter and the at least one process parameter to the remote access card disposed in the at least one preselected managed host server system further comprises sending the at least one preselected desired parameter comprising at least one of a central processing unit utilization parameter, a memory utilization parameter, a disk utilization parameter, and a process monitoring parameter to the remote access card disposed in the at least one preselected managed host server system.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein collecting the at least one preselected desired parameter from the at least one preselected managed host server system at the at least one preselected polling interval, using the auto-run data gathering executable further comprises gathering further out-of-band data by querying a baseboard management controller disposed in the at least one preselected managed host server system for at least one status signal comprising at least one of central processor unit throttling and memory throttling.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

disconnecting the plug-and-play virtual drive, having the auto-run data gathering executable, from the at least one preselected managed host server system via the plug-and-play virtual media interface between the remote access card and the at least one preselected managed host server system, using the firmware of the remote access card.

7. A method for characterizing server utilization out-of-band via remote access card virtual media, the method comprising:

prompting a user to select at least one desired parameter comprising at least one of at least one performance parameter and at least one process parameter, at least one polling interval, and at least one managed host server system to observe, using a remote application running on a remote management client;

sending the selected at least one desired parameter and the selected at least one polling interval to a remote access card disposed in the selected at least one managed host server system, using the remote application running on the remote management client via at least one remote access card administrative command through an out-of-band dedicated remote access card network interface card;

connecting a plug-and-play virtual drive, having an auto-run data gathering executable, to the selected at least one managed host server system at the selected at least one polling interval via a plug-and-play virtual media interface between the remote access card and the selected at least one managed host server system, using firmware of the remote access card, the plug-and-play virtual drive emulating at least one of a remote drive disposed in the remote management client and a local virtual key disposed in the remote access card;

saving to the remote drive disposed in the remote management client the selected at least one desired parameter from the selected at least one managed host server system at the selected at least one polling interval through a network without completely interrupting the at least one preselected managed host server system, using the auto-run data gathering executable running on the firmware of the remote access card disposed in the at least one preselected managed host server system that writes a performance snapshot text file to the at least one of the remote drive and the local virtual key, wherein the performance snapshot text file comprises at least one result of the collection of the at least one preselected desired parameter;

repeating the saving to the remote drive the selected at least one desired parameter from the selected at least one managed host server system at the selected at least one polling interval, using the auto-run data gathering executable, using firmware of the remote access card until the remote application running on the remote management client sends at least one remote access card administrative command to stop collecting the selected at least one desired parameter from the selected at least one managed host server system;

detecting the performance snapshot text file comprising the at least one result of the collection of the selected at least one desired parameter written to the at least one of the remote drive and the local virtual key, using the remote application;

analyzing at least one trend from the at least one of the spreadsheet and the database to at least one of predict when the selected at least one managed host server system should be scaled, predict at least one impact of at least one upgrade before purchase, do a cost/benefit analysis, and link to a vendor for at least one sales recommendation; and

terminating the auto-run data gathering executable running on the firmware of the remote access card.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

using the remote application to copy and parse the performance snapshot text file comprising the at least one result of the collection of the selected at least one desired parameter for at least one relevant field and populate at least one of a spreadsheet and a database for at least one of plotting purposes and analysis purposes.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein analyzing at least one trend includes predicting when the selected at least one managed host server system should be scaled.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein sending the selected at least one desired parameter comprising at least one of the at least one performance parameter and the at least one process parameter to the remote access card disposed in the selected at least one managed host server system further comprises sending the selected at least one desired parameter comprising at least one of a central processing unit utilization parameter, a memory utilization parameter, a disk utilization parameter, and a process monitoring parameter to the remote access card disposed in the selected at least one managed host server system.

11. the method of claim 7, wherein collecting the selected at least one desired parameter from the selected at least one managed host server system at the selected at least one polling interval, using the auto-run data gathering executable further comprises gathering further out-of-band data by querying a baseboard management controller disposed in the selected at least one managed host server system for at least one status signal comprising at least one of central processor unit throttling and memory throttling.

12. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

disconnecting the plug-and-play virtual drive, having the auto-run data gathering executable, from the selected at least one managed host server system via the plug-and-play virtual media interface between the remote access card and the selected at least one managed host server system, using the firmware of the remote access card.

13. A method for characterizing server utilization out-of-band via remote access card virtual media for auto-enterprise scaling, the method comprising:

prompting a user to select at least one desired parameter comprising at least one of at least one performance parameter and at least one process parameter, at least one polling interval, and at least one managed host server system to observe, using a remote application running on a remote management client;

sending the selected at least one desired parameter and the selected at least one polling interval to a remote access card disposed in the selected at least one managed host server system, using the remote application running on the remote management client via at least one remote access card administrative command through an out-of-band dedicated remote access card network interface card;

connecting a plug-and-play virtual drive, having an auto-run data gathering executable, to the selected at least one managed host server system at the selected at least one polling interval via a plug-and-play virtual media interface between the remote access card and the selected at least one managed host server system, using firmware of a service processor and a virtual media engine of the remote access card, the plug-and-play virtual drive emulating at least one of a remote drive disposed in the remote management client and a local virtual key disposed in the remote access card;

saving to the remote drive disposed in the remote management client the selected at least one desired parameter from the selected at least one managed host server system at the selected at least one polling interval through a network without completely interrupting the at least one preselected managed host server system, using the auto-run data gathering executable running on the firmware of the remote access card disposed in the at least one preselected managed host server system that writes a performance snapshot text file to the at least one of the remote drive and the local virtual key, the performance snapshot text file comprising at least one result of the collection of the selected at least one desired parameter;

repeating the saving to the remote drive the selected at least one desired parameter from the selected at least one managed host server system at the selected at least one polling interval without completely interrupting the at least one preselected managed host server system, using the auto-run data gathering executable, using the firmware of the service processor and the virtual media engine of the remote access card until the remote application sends at least one remote access card administrative command to stop collecting the selected at least one desired parameter from the selected at least one managed host server system;

detecting the performance snapshot text file comprising the at least one result of the collection of the selected at least one desired parameter written to the at least one of the remote drive and the local virtual key, using the remote application that copies and parses the performance snapshot text file comprising the at least one result of the collection of the selected at least one desired parameter for at least one relevant field and populates at least one of a spreadsheet and a database for at least one of plotting purposes and analysis purposes; and

analyzing at least one trend from the at least one of the spreadsheet and the database to at least one of predict when the selected at least one managed host server system should be scaled, predict at least one impact of at least one upgrade before purchase, do a cost/benefit analysis, and link to a vendor for at least one sales recommendation; and

terminating the auto-run data gathering executable running on the firmware of the remote access card.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

disconnecting the plug-and-play virtual drive, having the auto-run data gathering executable, from the selected at least one managed host server system via the plug-and-play virtual media interface between the remote access card and the selected at least one managed host server system, using the firmware of the service processor and the virtual media engine of the remote access card; and

replacing the auto-run data gathering executable dynamically, based on at least one performance result, to tweak at least one performance parameter on the selected at least one managed host server system via the plug-and-play virtual media interface between the remote access card and the selected at least one managed host server system to at least one of substantially optimize performance of the selected at least one managed host server system on-the-fly and kill off at least one process in the selected at least one managed host server system that substantially inhibits in-band network access, using the firmware of the service processor and the virtual media engine of the remote access card.