Server information handling system NFC ticket management and fault storage

• US 9,596,149 B2
• Filed: 06/03/2014
• Issued: 03/14/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/23/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Terwilliger, Kevin D., Taylor, Travis E. III, Ahmed, Syed S., Palmer, John R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Simon
• Application Number:
  US14/294,487
• Publication Number:
  US 20150312087A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,015 Days
• Field of Search: 455 411- 413, 455423-425, 455/67.11, 455/67.13, 455/67.14
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/00 Details not covered by groups G06F3/00 - G06F13/00 and G06F21/00 architectures of general purpose stored program computers G06F15/76
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/30 Means for acting in the event of power-supply failure or interruption, e.g. power-supply fluctuations for resetting only G06F1/24
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/00 Error detection; Error correction; Monitoring error detection, correction or monitoring in information storage based on relative movement between record carrier and transducer G11B20/18; monitoring, i.e. supervising the progress of recording or reproducing G11B27/36; in static stores G11C29/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0706 the processing taking place on a specific hardware platform or in a specific software environment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0766 Error or fault reporting or storing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0686 Additional information in the notification, e.g. enhancement of specific meta-data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/069 using logs of notifications; Post-processing of notifications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0816 the condition being an adaptation, e.g. in response to network events
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0846 based on copy from other elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5074 Handling of user complaints or trouble tickets
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

Server information handling system deployment and maintenance is enhanced with automated trouble ticket generation at a mobile telephone through an NFC transaction with a management controller. NFC transactions coordinate authorization for replacement component installation and server information handling system replacement. In one embodiment, a bezel includes an NFC device that interfaces with a management controller and stores configuration information to aid installation of replacement server information handling systems in the event of a system failure. A back-up battery provides power to an NFC support circuit that stores fault codes detected by the management controller so that fault codes are available during management controller failures.

Claims

1. A server information handling system comprising:

a chassis;

a processor disposed in the chassis and operable to execute instructions that process information;

memory disposed in the chassis, interfaced with the processor and operable to store the instructions and information;

a management controller disposed in the chassis, interfaced with the processor and non-transitory memory storing instructions executable by the management controller to support remote management functions including at least tracking faults by fault codes in a management controller memory, the management controller detecting power failures of the server information handling system and storing the fault codes in the memory in response to the detecting the power failure;

a near field communication (NFC) device interfaced with the management controller and operable to communicate the fault codes with an NFC transaction to an external NFC device; and

a back-up battery interfaced with the management controller memory and operable to power the management controller memory in the event of power failure so that the management controller memory provides access to the fault codes by the NFC device during power failure that prevents power to the management controller.

2. The server information handling system of claim 1 further comprising:

an NFC support circuit interfaced with the battery, the management controller and the NFC device, the NFC support circuit operable to run with power from the battery upon failure of the server information handling system, the NFC support circuit providing the fault codes stored in a management controller memory at the failure to the NFC device for communication by the NFC transaction to the external NFC device system.

3. The server information handling system of claim 2 wherein the battery is integrated with the NFC support circuit.

4. The server information handling system of claim 2 wherein the battery is integrated with the management controller.

5. The server information handling system of claim 2 wherein the battery is integrated with the NFC device.

6. The server information handling system of claim 1 further comprising:

a bezel operable to couple to a front surface of the chassis; and

an NFC support circuit having NFC support memory operable to store information in support of the NFC transactions;

wherein the NFC device is integrated with the bezel and the NFC support circuit is operable to cleanse the NFC support memory if an identifier associated with the NFC device fails to match an identifier associated with the management controller.

7. The server information handling system of claim 6 wherein the NFC support memory stores configuration information for configuration of the server information handling system to interface with a network.

8. The server information handling system of claim 7 wherein the NFC device is further operable to accept an identifier of a replacement server information handling system to allow retention of the configuration information if the bezel transfers to the replacement information handling system.

9. The server information handling system of claim 1 wherein the management controller is further operable to require identification information for a component by NFC transaction through the NFC device before authorizing installation of the component.

10. A method for reporting server information handling system faults, the method comprising:

detecting a fault at a server information handling system;

storing a fault code associated with the fault in memory accessible by an NFC device, the NFC device integrated with the server;

reading the fault code from the NFC device with an NFC transaction after a power failure at the server information handling system;

detecting the power failure of the server information handling system; and

storing the fault code in the memory in response to the detecting the power failure.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the memory comprises random access memory, the method further comprising:

in response to the detecting the power failure, powering the random access memory with a back-up battery.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

removing a bezel from the server information handling system, the bezel including the NFC device;

removing the server information handling system from a support slot;

inserting a replacement information handling system into the support slot;

attaching the bezel to the replacement information handling system; and

copying configuration information from the NFC device to the replacement information handling system upon power up of the replacement server information handling system.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

performing an NFC transaction of an identifier of the replacement server information handling system to the NFC device before powering up the replacement server information handling system;

comparing the identifier with an identifier retrieved from the replacement server information handling system upon power up of the replacement server information handling system; and

allowing the copying configuration information only if the identifiers match.

14. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

comparing an identifier stored on the replacement server information handling system with an identifier stored on the NFC device; and

disabling application of the configuration information at the replacement server information handling system if the identifiers fail to match.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising erasing the configuration information from the NFC device if the identifiers fail to match.

16. The method of claim 10 wherein detecting a fault indication at a server information handling system further comprises:

detecting a power failure at the server information handling system; and

in response to detecting a power failure, storing the fault code in memory accessible by an NFC device of the server information handling system when the server information handling system is powered down.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the memory comprises a memory powered by a back-up battery.

18. A management subsystem for a server information handling system, the management subsystem comprising:

a management controller integrated with a chassis of the server information handling system, the management controller operable to manage operations of processing components disposed in the chassis, the management controller further operable to detect power failure and in response to detecting power failure to store fault codes in a memory;

a bezel operable to couple to the chassis;

an NFC device integrated in the bezel and operable to perform NFC transactions with external NFC devices; and

an NFC support circuit disposed between the NFC device and the management controller and having the memory, the memory storing the fault codes detected by the management controller in response to detecting power failure;

wherein the NFC device is operable to provide the fault codes by NFC transaction to an external NFC device with the management controller powered off.

19. The management subsystem of claim 18 further comprising a battery interfaced with the NFC support circuit and operable to power the NFC support circuit when the management controller is powered off, the NFC support circuit operable to provide the fault codes to the NFC device using battery power.