Mechanism to report operating system events on an intelligent platform management interface compliant server

• US 7,844,866 B2
• Filed: 10/02/2007
• Issued: 11/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Austen, Christopher Harry, Schnorr, Christopher T., Kump, Garry Michael, Patel, Kanisha
• Primary Examiner(s): Puente; Emerson C
• Application Number:
  US11/865,772
• Publication Number:
  US 20090089624A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,155 Days
• Field of Search: 714/57
• US Class Current: 714/57
• 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 11/0727 in a storage system, e.g. in a DASD or network based storage system drivers for digital recording or reproducing units G06F3/06; circuits for error detection or correction within digital recording or reproducing units G11B20/18; for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS], H04L67/1097
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0748 in a remote unit communicating with a single-box computer node experiencing an error/fault remote testing G06F11/2294
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0775 Content or structure details of the error report, e.g. specific table structure, specific error fields
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0781 Error filtering or prioritizing based on a policy defined by the user or on a policy defined by a hardware/software module, e.g. according to a severity level
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/30 Monitoring

Abstract

The exemplary embodiments provide a computer-implemented method, apparatus, and computer-usable program code for reporting operating system faults on an Intelligent Platform Management Interface compliant server. In response to receiving an alert for an operating system fault, the alert for the operating system fault is converted into an IPMI event. The IPMI event is stored in an internal event log. An IPMI system event record is created for the IPMI event. The IPMI event is sent to a host management controller in order to enable monitoring of the operating system fault.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for reporting operating system faults on an Intelligent Platform Management Interface (IPMI) compliant server, the computer-implemented method comprising:

detecting, by an operating system in a computer system, an operating system fault in the operating system;

notifying, by the operating system, system firmware included in the computer system of the operating system fault;

generating, by the system firmware, an alert for the operating system fault;

responsive to receiving the alert for the operating system fault by an IPMI compliant sensor, converting the alert for the operating system fault into an IPMI event, wherein the sensor is an original equipment manufacturer event reporting mechanism that is unique to a particular manufacturer;

storing the IPMI event in an internal event log;

creating an IPMI system event record for the IPMI event; and

sending the IPMI event to a host management controller in order to enable reporting of the operating system fault.

2. The computer-implemented of claim 1, wherein the operating system is a non-IPMI compliant operating system.

3. The computer-implemented of claim 1, wherein a baseboard manager controller included in the computer system receives the alert and converts the alert into the IPMI event.

4. The computer-implemented of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving the IPMI event by a host management controller; and

storing the IPMI event in an internal log of the host management controller, wherein the internal log of the host management controller is accessible by a user through a user interface.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 4, further comprising:

sending the IPMI event to another host management controller.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the IPMI compliant sensor is configured to detect and to receive operating system faults, and wherein the IPMI compliant sensor converts the alert for the operating system fault into the IPMI event.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

wherein the alert for the operating system fault comprises a level of severity of the operating system fault; and

wherein the IPMI event includes the level of severity.

8. A computer program product that is stored in a computer-usable medium having computer-usable program code for reporting operating system faults on an Intelligent Platform Management Interface (IPMI) compliant server, the computer program product comprising:

computer-usable program code for detecting, by an operating system in a computer system, an operating system fault in the operating system;

computer-usable program code for notifying, by the operating system, system firmware in the computer system of the operating system fault;

computer-usable program code for generating, by the system firmware, an alert for the operating system fault;

computer-usable program code, responsive to receiving the alert for the operating system fault by an IPMI compliant sensor, for converting the alert for the operating system fault into an IPMI event, wherein the sensor is an original equipment manufacturer event reporting mechanism that is unique to a particular manufacturer;

computer-usable program code for storing the IPMI event in an internal event log;

computer-usable program code for creating an IPMI system event record for the IPMI event; and

computer-usable program code for sending the IPMI event to a host management controller in order to enable monitoring of the operating system fault.

9. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the operating system is a non-IPMI compliant operating system.

10. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein a baseboard manager controller included in the computer system receives the alert and converts the alert into the IPMI event.

11. The computer program product of claim 8, further comprising:

computer-usable program code for receiving the IPMI event by a host management controller; and

computer-usable program code for storing the IPMI event in an internal log of the host management controller, wherein the internal log of the host management controller is accessible by a user through a user interface.

12. The computer program product of claim 11, further comprising:

computer-usable program code for sending the IPMI event to another host management controller.

13. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the IPMI compliant sensor is configured to detect and to receive operating system faults, and wherein the IPMI compliant sensor converts the alert for the operating system fault into the IPMI event.

14. The computer program product of claim 8, further comprising:

wherein the alert for the operating system fault comprises a level of severity of the operating system fault; and

wherein the IPMI event includes the level of severity.

15. A data processing system for reporting operating system faults on an Intelligent Platform Management Interface (IPMI) compliant server, the data processing system comprising:

a bus;

a communications unit connected to the bus;

a storage device connected to the bus, wherein the storage device includes computer-usable program code; and

a processor connected to the bus, wherein the processor executes the computer-usable program code;

detect, by an operating system in a computer system, an operating system fault in the operating system;

notifies, by the operating system, system firmware in the computer system of the operating system fault;

generate, by the system firmware, an alert for the operating system fault;

responsive to receiving the alert for the operating system fault by an IPMI compliant sensor, convert the alert for the operating system fault into an IPMI event, wherein the sensor is an original equipment manufacturer event reporting mechanism that is unique to a particular manufacturer;

store the IPMI event in an internal event log;

create an IPMI system event record for the IPMI event; and

send the IPMI event to a host management controller in order to enable monitoring of the operating system fault.

16. The data processing system of claim 15, wherein the operating system is a non-IPMI compliant operating system.

17. The data processing system of claim 15, wherein a baseboard manager controller included in the computer system receives the alert and converts the alert into the IPMI event.

18. The data processing system of claim 15, wherein the processor further executes the computer-usable program code to receive the IPMI event by a host management controller;

and store the IPMI event in an internal log of the host controller, wherein the internal log of the host management controller is accessible by a user through a user interface.

19. The data processing system of claim 18, wherein the processor further executes the computer-usable program code to send the IPMI event to another host management controller.

20. The data processing system of claim 15, wherein the IPMI compliant sensor is configured to detect and to receive operating system faults, and wherein the IPMI compliant sensor converts the alert for the operating system fault into the IPMI event.