System and method for managing computer network interfaces

• US 8,843,607 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2010
• Issued: 09/23/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: American Megatrends Incorporated
• Original Assignee: American Megatrends Incorporated
• Inventors: Ayanam, Varadachari Sudan, Parthiban, Baskar
• Primary Examiner(s): KIM, EDWARD J
• Application Number:
  US12/895,245
• Publication Number:
  US 20120084420A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,454 Days
• Field of Search: 709217-219, 709220-224
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/6418 Hybrid transport

Abstract

According to one aspect, a computer-implemented method for managing at least one network interface of a computer system is disclosed. In one embodiment, the method includes the steps of executing of a boot loader to initialize a dedicated network interface and a side-band network interface, determining if a boot loader priority setting designates a preference to use one of a detected dedicated network interface or side-band network interface, determining if preferred network interface is available for use, then passing the priority setting to an operating system to use for network communications during run time.

Claims

1. A baseboard management controller (BMC)-implemented method for managing a dedicated network interface of the BMC and a side-band network interface of a host computer of the BMC, comprising:

(a) initiating, at the BMC, execution of a boot loader operative to initialize one of the dedicated network interface and the side-band network interface as a communications network interface for the BMC, wherein the dedicated network interface is dedicated to provide the BMC an out-of-band communications channel to a network, and wherein the side-band network interface is operative to provide both the BMC and the host computer a communications channel to the network, wherein a remote management computer is configured to be communicatively coupled to the BMC either through a first communications path comprising the network and the initialized dedicated network interface or through a second communications path comprising the network and the initialized side-band network interface;

(b) determining, by the boot loader, if a boot loader environment priority setting is present, the priority setting indicating a priority for initializing the dedicated network interface or the side-band network interface as the communication network interface;

(c) in response to determining that the priority setting is present and indicates a priority for initializing the dedicated network interface;

(i) determining, by the boot loader, if the dedicated network interface is available; and

(ii) if the dedicated network interface is available, initializing, by the boot loader, the dedicated network interface as the communications network interface for the BMC and booting an operating system of the BMC with a configuration to use the dedicated network interface for network communications, wherein the remote management computer is configured to be communicatively coupled to the BMC through the first communications path comprising the network and the initialized dedicated network interface;

(d) in response to determining that the priority setting is present and indicates a priority for initializing the side-band network interface, or, in response to determining that the priority setting is present, and the dedicated network interface is not available;

(i) determining, by the boot loader, if the side-band network interface is available; and

(ii) if the side-band network interface is available, initializing, by the boot loader, the side-band network interface as the communications network interface for the BMC and booting an operating system of the BMC with a configuration to use the side-band network interface for network communications, wherein the remote management computer is configured to be communicatively coupled to the BMC through the second communications path comprising the network and the initialized side-band network interface; and

(e) in response to determining that the priority setting is present, and neither the dedicated network interface nor the side-band network interface is available, booting by the boot loader, an operating system of the BMC without initializing either the dedicated network interface or the side-band network interface.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the boot loader environment priority setting is modifiable during run time through a remote management device.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the host computer further comprises a system management bus that is operative to communicatively couple the BMC to the at least one of the dedicated network interface and side-band network interface.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the boot loader environment priority setting is a U-Boot environment variable that is modifiable during run time.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein determining if the dedicated network interface is available and determining if the side-band network interface is available comprise verifying a PHY link status of the dedicated network interface and verifying the PHY link status of the side-band network interface, respectively.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the BMC manages at least one of an environmental monitoring sensor, power control means, and mass storage means of the host computer.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the baseboard management controller is communicatively coupled to a remote management computer that is operative to control operation of the baseboard management controller and communicate data associated with operations of at least one hardware component via the initialized dedicated network interface or the initialized side-band network interface.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions stored thereon which, when executed by one or more processors, cause a baseboard management controller (BMC) to perform functions for managing at least one network interface, the functions comprising:

(a) initiating, at the BMC, execution of a boot loader operative to initialize at least one of a dedicated network interface of the BMC and a side-band network interface of a host computer of the BMC as a communications network interface for the BMC, wherein the dedicated network interface is dedicated to provide the BMC an out-of-band communications channel to a network, and wherein the side-band network interface is operative to provide both the BMC and the host computer a communications channel to the network, wherein a remote management computer is configured to be communicatively coupled to the BMC either through a first communications path comprising the network and the initialized dedicated network interface, or through a second communications path comprising the network and the initialized side-band network interface;

(b) determining, by the boot loader, if a boot loader environment priority setting is present, the priority setting indicating a priority for initializing the dedicated network interface or the side-band network interface as the communication network interface;

(c) in response to determining that the priority setting is present and indicates a priority for initializing the dedicated network interface;

(i) determining, by the boot loader, if an operable dedicated network interface is available; and

(ii) if the dedicated network interface is available, initializing, by the boot loader, the dedicated network interface as the communications network interface for the BMC and booting an operating system of the BMC with a configuration to use the dedicated network interface for network communications, wherein the remote management computer is configured to be communicatively coupled to the BMC through the first communications path comprising the network and the initialized dedicated network interface;

(d) in response to determining that the priority setting is present and indicates a priority for initializing the side-band network interface, or, in response to determining that the priority setting is present, and the dedicated network interface is not available;

(i) determining, by the boot loader, if the operable side-band network interface is available; and

(ii) if the side-band network interface is available, initializing, by the boot loader, the side-band network interface as the communications network interface for the BMC and booting an operating system of the BMC with a configuration to use the side-band network interface for network communications, wherein the remote management computer is configured to be communicatively coupled to the BMC through the second communications path comprising the network and the initialized side-band network interface; and

(e) in response to determining that the priority setting is present, and neither the dedicated network interface nor the side-band network interface is available, booting by the boot loader, an operating system of the BMC without initializing either the dedicated network interface or the side-band network interface.

9. The computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the boot loader environment priority setting is modifiable during run time.

10. The computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the host computer further comprises a system management bus that is operative to communicatively couple the BMC to the at least one of the dedicated network interface and the side-band network interface.

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the boot loader environment priority setting is a U-Boot environment variable that is modifiable during run time.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein determining if the dedicated network interface is available and determining if the side-band network interface is available comprise verifying a PHY link status of the dedicated network interface and verifying the PHY link status of the side-band network interface, respectively.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the BMC manages at least one of an environmental monitoring sensor, power control means, and mass storage means of the host computer.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the baseboard management controller is communicatively coupled to a remote management computer that is operative to control operation of the baseboard management controller and communicate data associated with operations of at least one hardware component via the initialized dedicated network interface or the initialized side-band network interface.

15. A computer system, comprising:

(a) a management controller;

(b) a host computer;

(c) at least one of a dedicated network interface and a side-band network interface, wherein the dedicated network interface is dedicated to provide the management controller an out-of-band communications channel to a network, and wherein the side-band network interface is operative to provide both the management controller and the host computer a communications channel to the network;

(d) a programmable processor of the management controller that is programmed to;

(i) initiate, at the management controller, execution of a boot loader operative to initialize one of the dedicated network interface and the side-band network interface as a communications network interface for the management controller, wherein a remote management computer is configured to be communicatively coupled to the management controller either through a first communications path comprising the network and the initialized dedicated network interface, or through a second communications path comprising the network and the initialized side-band network interface;

(ii) determine, by the boot loader, if a boot loader environment priority setting is present, the priority setting indicating a priority for initializing the dedicated network interface or the side-band network interface as the communication network interface;

(iii) in response to determining that the priority setting is present that indicates a priority for initializing the dedicated network interface;

(1) determine, by the boot loader, if the dedicated network interface is available; and

(2) if the dedicated network interface is available, initialize, by the boot loader, the dedicated network interface as the communications network interface for the management controller and boot an operating system of the management controller with a configuration to use the dedicated network interface for network communications, wherein the remote management computer is configured to be communicatively coupled to the management controller through the first communications path comprising the network and the initialized dedicated network interface;

(iv) in response to determining that the priority setting is present and indicates a priority for initializing the side-band network interface, or, in response to determining that the priority setting is present, and the dedicated network interface is not available;

(1) determine, by the boot loader, if the side-band network interface is available; and

(2) if the side-band network interface is available, initialize, by the boot loader, the side-band network interface as the communications network interface for the management controller and boot an operating system of the management controller with a configuration to use the side-band network interface for network communications, wherein the remote management computer is configured to be communicatively coupled to the management controller through the second communications path comprising the network and the initialized side-band network interface; and

(v) in response to determining that the priority setting is present, and neither the dedicated network interface nor the side-band network interface is available, boot, by the boot loader, an operating system of the management controller without initializing either the dedicated network interface or the side-band network interface.

16. The computer system of claim 15, wherein the boot loader environment priority setting is modifiable during run time.

17. The computer system of claim 15, wherein determining if the dedicated network interface is available and determining if the side-band network interface is available comprise verifying a PHY link status of the dedicated network interface and verifying a PHY link status of the side-band network interface, respectively.

18. The computer system of claim 15, further comprising a system management bus that is operative to communicatively couple the management controller to the at least one of the dedicated network interface and the side-band network interface.

19. The computer system of claim 15, wherein the management controller manages at least one of an environmental monitoring sensor, power control means, and mass storage means of the computer system.

20. The computer system of claim 15, wherein the management controller is a baseboard management controller of the host computer, wherein the baseboard management controller is communicatively coupled to a remote management computer that is operative to control operation of the baseboard management controller and communicate data associated with operations of at least one hardware component via the initialized dedicated network interface or the initialized side-band network interface.