Local externally accessible managed virtual network interface controller

• US 8,805,983 B2
• Filed: 10/19/2009
• Issued: 08/12/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Dube, Shawn Joel, Lambert, Timothy M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Serrao, Ranodhi
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hussain, Farrukh
• Application Number:
  US12/581,280
• Publication Number:
  US 20110093575A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,758 Days
• Field of Search: 709221-226, 709/250, 711/103, 711/105
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/16 Combinations of two or more digital computers each having at least an arithmetic unit, a program unit and a register, e.g. for a simultaneous processing of several programs coordinating program control therefor G06F9/52; in regulating and control system G05B

Abstract

An information handling system (IHS) includes a processing system operating as a controller. A network interface controller is coupled to the processing system and receives communications from a remote administrator via a management network. An external virtual device link is coupled to the processing system.

Claims

1. A server information handling system (IHS), comprising:

a server IHS chassis;

a processing system located in the server IHS chassis and operating as a management controller;

a management network interface controller (NIC) located in the server IHS chassis, coupled to the processing system, and configured to transmit communications via a network between a remote IHS and the processing system during a remote IHS session to provide a server management user experience to a remote administrator that is using the remote IHS;

a host controller located in the server IHS chassis and coupled to the processing system through an internal virtual device link; and

a physical connector interface located on an external surface of the server IHS chassis, wherein the physical connector interface is directly coupled to the processing system through an external virtual device link, and wherein in response to a cabled connection of a local IHS to the physical connector interface, the processing system is configured to configure the connection to transmit communications with the local IHS over the external virtual device link during a local IHS session such that the local IHS session provides a server management user experience to a local administrator that is using the local IHS that is the same as the server management user experience that is provided during the remote IHS session to the remote administrator using the remote IHS.

2. The IHS of claim 1, wherein the external virtual device link includes a virtual NIC emulated by the processing system.

3. The IHS of claim 1, wherein the processing system is configured to communicatively bridge the remote IHS and the local IHS using the external virtual device link and the management NIC.

4. The IHS of claim 1, wherein the physical connector interface includes a universal serial bus (USB) physical connector interface.

5. The IHS of claim 1, wherein the processing system is configured to provide a dynamic host configuration protocol (DHCP) server in order to provide the local IHS with an address.

6. The IHS of claim 1, wherein the processing system is configured to communicatively bridge the host controller and the local IHS using the external virtual device link and the internal virtual device link.

7. The IHS of claim 1, wherein the processing system is configured to emulate the external virtual device link in response to detecting the connection of the local IHS to the physical connector interface.

8. A server information handling system (IHS), comprising:

a server IHS chassis;

a management controller located in the server IHS chassis;

a management network interface controller (NIC) located in the server IHS chassis and coupled to the management controller, wherein the management NIC is configured to connect to a network such that the management controller may transmit communications with a remote IHS during a remote IHS session to provide a server management user experience to a remote administrator that is using the remote IHS; and

a virtual NIC emulated by the management controller and coupled to a physical connector interface that is located on an external surface of the server IHS chassis, wherein in response to the physical connector interface being connected to a local IHS using a cable, the management controller is configured to configure the connection to transmit communications with the local IHS during a local IHS session such that the local IHS session provides a server management user experience to a local administrator that is using the local IHS that is the same as the server management user experience that is provided during the remote IHS session to the remote administrator using the remote IHS.

9. The IHS of claim 8, wherein a direct connection is provided between the management controller and the physical connector interface.

10. The IHS of claim 8, further comprising:

a multiplexer coupled between the management controller and the physical connector interface.

11. The IHS of claim 8, wherein the physical connector interface includes a universal serial bus (USB) physical connector interface.

12. The IHS of claim 8, wherein the management controller is configured to communicatively bridge the local IHS with a remote IHS using the virtual NIC and the management NIC.

13. The IHS of claim 8, wherein the management controller is configured to emulate the virtual NIC in response to detecting that the local IHS has been connected to the physical connector interface.

14. The IHS of claim 8, further providing:

a host controller located in the server IHS and coupled to the management controller through a plurality of internal virtual device links, where the management controller is configured to communicatively bridge the local IHS and the host controller using the virtual NIC and the plurality of interval virtual device links.

15. A method comprising:

providing a server Information Handling System (IHS) including a server IHS chassis that houses a management controller and includes a physical connector interface on an external surface of the server IHS chassis;

coupling a remote IHS to the management controller over a management network, using a management network interface controller (NIC) that is located in the server IHS chassis, such that the management controller may transmit communications over the network with a remote IHS during a remote IHS session to provide a server management user experience to a remote administrator that is using the remote IHS; and

connecting a local IHS to the physical connector interface using a cable such that an external virtual device link that is emulated by the management controller couples the management controller to the local IHS and, in response to the connecting, configuring the connection using the management controller such that management controller may transmit communications with the local IHS during a local IHS session such that the local IHS session provides a server management user experience to a local administrator that is using the local IHS that is the same as the server management user experience that is provided during the remote IHS session to the remote administrator using the remote IHS.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the external virtual device link is a direct connection between the physical connector interface and the management controller.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

communicatively bridging the remote IHS and the local IHS using the management NIC and the external virtual device link.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

emulating the external virtual device link as a virtual NIC using the management controller in response to detecting the connection of the local IHS to the physical connector interface.

19. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

communicatively bridging the host controller and the local IHS using the internal virtual device link and the external virtual device link.

20. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

providing a dynamic host configuration protocol (DHCP) server using the management controller; and

providing an address to the local IHS using the DHCP server.