Virtual media apparatus of a server and access method thereof

• US 9,645,961 B2
• Filed: 11/03/2013
• Issued: 05/09/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Inventec Corporation, Inventec Technology Company Limited (Inventec Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Inventec Corporation, Inventec Technology Company Limited (Inventec Corporation)
• Inventors: Zou, Xiao-Bing
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Nimesh G
• Application Number:
  US14/070,576
• Publication Number:
  US 20150074303A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,283 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/4022 using switching circuits, e.g. switching matrix, connection or expansion network G06F13/4009 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/4286 using a handshaking protocol, e.g. RS232C link

Abstract

A server system comprises base boards connected in series. Each base board is connected to virtual media apparatus. Each virtual media apparatus includes system-on-chips, a switch unit, a control unit and a programmable module. The switch unit couples with the system-on-chips through a serial bus. The control unit couples with the switch unit to transform a serial signal to an intranet signal. The programmable module couples with the switch unit and the control unit to receive a control signal generated by the control unit and generate a selecting signal according to the control signal. The selecting signal is transferred to the switch unit to select one of the system-on-chips to be connected to the control unit.

Claims

1. A server system, comprising:

a plurality of base boards connected in series, each base board connected to a plurality of virtual media apparatus, wherein each of the virtual media apparatus comprises;

a plurality of system-on-chips;

a switch unit coupling with the system-on-chips through a serial bus;

a control unit coupling with the switch unit to transform a serial signal to an intranet signal; and

a programmable module coupling with the switch unit and the control unit to receive a control signal generated by the control unit and generate a selecting signal according to the control signal, wherein the selecting signal is transferred to the switch unit to select one of the system-on-chips to be connected to the control unit.

2. The server system of claim 1, wherein each of the base boards comprises:

a first network interface; and

a second network interface, wherein the first network interface of the present base board is connected to a second network interface of a previous base board, and the second network interface of the present base board is connected to a first network interface of a next base board to make the base boards be in series.

3. The server system of claim 2, wherein each of the virtual media apparatus further comprises a network converter coupling with the control unit, and each of the virtual media apparatus is connected to a corresponding base board through the network converter.

4. The server system of claim 3, wherein the base board further comprises a repeater, and each of the virtual media apparatus is connected to the repeater through the network converter.

5. The server system of claim 4, wherein the repeater comprises a first repeater and a second repeater, wherein the first repeater and the second repeater are connected in series, the first repeater is connected to the first network interface, and the second repeater is connected to the second network interface.

6. The server system of claim 1, wherein the control unit transforms the serial signal from the switch unit to an intranet signal.

7. The server system of claim 1, wherein the selecting signal comprises an enable signal, a first selecting signal and a second selecting signal, wherein the enable signal controls a connection between the control unit and the switch unit, and the first selecting signal and the second selecting signal select one of the system-on-chips to connect to the control unit.

8. The server system of claim 7, wherein, when the enable signal is enabled, the switch unit is connected to the control unit.

9. The server system of claim 1, wherein a client end is connected to the server system through an internet, the client end includes a media apparatus accessible to the server system.

10. The server system of claim 9, wherein the internet is an Ethernet.

11. A virtual media apparatus in a server system, comprising:

a plurality of system-on-chips;

a control unit to transform a serial signal to an intranet signal;

a switch unit coupling with the system-on-chips through a serial bus and the control unit, wherein the switch unit selects one of the system-on-chips so as to be connected to the control unit; and

a programmable module coupling with the switch unit and the control unit to receive a control signal generated by the control unit and generate a selecting signal according to the control signal, wherein the selecting signal is transferred to the switch unit;

wherein the switch unit selects one of the system-on-chips to be connected to the control unit according to the selecting signal, and the control unit transforms the serial signal from the switch signal to an intranet signal for outputting.

12. The virtual media apparatus of claim 11, wherein the programmable module has at least one address signal end and an enable signal end, wherein the selecting signal is outputted from the at least one address signal end, and the enable signal end controls a connection between the switch unit and the control unit.

13. The virtual media apparatus of claim 11, wherein the switch unit is an USB repeater and the serial bus is an universal serial bus.

14. The virtual media apparatus of claim 11, wherein the serial signal is an universal serial bus signal and the intranet signal is a media independent interface (MII) signal.

15. The virtual media apparatus of claim 11, further comprising a network converter coupling with the control unit to transform the intranet signal to a differential signal to transfer to an Internet.