Rack server, network configuration method thereof and server cabinet

Abstract

The application provides a rack server, a network configuration method thereof and a server cabinet. The rack server comprises a network card, a network interface module and at least two mainboards. The mainboard comprises a baseboard management controller, and the baseboard management controller comprises a MAC module; the network interface module comprises a network switching module, and the network switching module has a first port, a second port, a third port and at least two fourth ports, wherein the fourth ports are connected with the first port and the second port. The first interface of the MAC module of the at least two baseboard management controllers is connected with the at least two fourth ports correspondingly, the first interface of the network card is connected with the first port, and the second port is used for accessing a second network; the second interface of the MAC module of one of the baseboard management controllers is connected with the third port, and the fourth ports are configured to communicate with the first port and the second port alternatively. Therefore, the network communication of the baseboard management controllers of the multiple mainboards can be realized through a single network card.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of server technology, and in particular to a rack server, its network configuration method, and a server rack. Background Technology

[0002] A server is a type of computer that runs faster, handles higher loads, and is more expensive than a regular computer. Servers provide computing or application services to other client machines on a network (such as personal computers, smartphones, ATMs, and even large devices like train systems). Servers possess high-speed computing power, long-term reliable operation, powerful external data throughput capabilities, and better scalability.

[0003] Rack servers are installed in server racks to deploy more servers within a limited space. Rack servers come in various sizes, such as 1U (4.45cm high), 2U, 4U, 6U, and 8U. Typically, 1U rack servers are the most space-efficient and suitable for applications with relatively stable business operations. Dual-motherboard rack servers have independent motherboard management controllers for each motherboard, allowing them to operate independently without interference. Multi-host architectures equipped with standard network interface cards (NICs) offer a wider range of applications.

[0004] Therefore, how to enable network communication between a single network card and the baseboard management controller of multiple motherboards has become one of the key design points. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This application provides a rack server, its network configuration method, and a server cabinet, which can perform network communication with a multi-motherboard baseboard management controller through a single OCP network card.

[0006] In a first aspect, embodiments of this application provide a rack server, including: a network interface card (NIC), a network interface module, and at least two motherboards; the motherboards include a baseboard management controller (BMDC), and the BMDC includes a MAC module; the network interface module includes a network switching module, the network switching module having a first port, a second port, a third port, and at least two fourth ports, the fourth ports being connected to both the first port and the second port; the first interfaces of the MAC modules of at least two BMDCs are connected one-to-one with the at least two fourth ports, the first interface of the NIC is connected to the first port, and the second port is used to access a second network; the second interface of the MAC module of one of the BMDCs is connected to the third port, and the fourth port is configured to communicate with either the first port or the second port according to configuration requirements.

[0007] The rack server provided in this application includes a network interface card (NIC), a network interface module, and at least two motherboards. Each motherboard includes a baseboard management controller (BMC), which in turn includes a MAC module. The network interface module includes a network switching module, which has a first port, a second port, a third port, and at least two fourth ports. The fourth ports are connected to both the first and second ports. By configuring the first interfaces of the MAC modules of the at least two BMCs to be connected one-to-one with the at least two fourth ports, and the first interface of the NIC to be connected to the first port, and the second port used to access a second network, not only can the MAC modules of the at least two BMCs establish a connection channel with a single NIC, enabling the single NIC to perform network communication with the at least two BMCs, but also the MAC modules of the at least two BMCs can establish a connection channel with the second network, enabling the at least two BMCs to perform network communication with the second network.

[0008] In addition, by connecting the second interface of the MAC module of one of the baseboard management controllers to the third port, the baseboard management controller can be configured to communicate with either the first or second port via the fourth port according to configuration requirements. This allows the MAC module of the baseboard management controller to intelligently switch between network communication with the network card and network communication with the second network, thereby achieving cost savings while maintaining the efficiency of the rack server.

[0009] In one possible implementation, the network interface module has a second network interface for connecting to a second network switch; the second port is connected to the second network interface via a physical module.

[0010] In one possible implementation, the physical module is integrated on the second port.

[0011] In one possible implementation, the physical module is integrated on the second network interface.

[0012] In one possible implementation, the physical module is independently mounted on the network interface module, and both the second port and the second network interface are connected to the physical module.

[0013] In one possible implementation, the network interface module further includes a firmware configuration class memory connected to the network switching module; the firmware configuration class memory stores configuration firmware; the network switching module reads the configuration firmware and configures the channel from the fourth port to the first port, and the channel from the fourth port to the second port is isolated from each other.

[0014] The network interface module also includes a firmware configuration memory, which is connected to the network switching module and stores configuration firmware. This allows the network switching module to read the configuration firmware after the rack server powers on and configure the channels from the fourth port to the first port, and the channels from the fourth port to the second port, to be mutually isolated. This ensures the reliability of network communication between the MAC module of the baseboard management controller and the network card, or between the second network.

[0015] In one possible implementation, the network interface module further includes an electronic tag storage device, and the baseboard management controller connected to the third port is connected to the electronic tag storage device; the electronic tag storage device is used to dynamically write the configuration requirements; the baseboard management controller connected to the third port reads the configuration requirements and configures the fourth port to communicate with either the first port or the second port according to the configuration requirements.

[0016] The network interface module also includes an electronic tag storage device. This device connects to the baseboard management controller connected to the third port and dynamically writes configuration requirements. This allows the baseboard management controller connected to the third port to read the configuration requirements and configure the fourth port to communicate with either the first or second port. This avoids the situation where, with DHCP servers existing on both the network card's network side and the second network side, the baseboard management controller's MAC module might probabilistically assign a dynamic IP address that contradicts the user's expectations. This ensures that the baseboard management controller's MAC module can communicate with the network card or the second network as expected by the user.

[0017] In one possible implementation, the network interface card is configured to retain at least two MAC addresses sent by the baseboard management controller and allow forwarding of all retained MAC addresses.

[0018] By configuring the network interface card (NIC) to retain MAC addresses sent by at least two baseboard management controllers and allowing forwarding of all retained MAC addresses, a single NIC can be guaranteed to perform network communication with at least two baseboard management controllers.

[0019] In one possible implementation, the network card is a network card compliant with the OCP specification, and the first interface of the network card is an NCSI interface.

[0020] By configuring the network card to conform to the OCP specification, with the network card's first interface being the NCSI interface, a network architecture can be established to enable NCSI communication between multiple baseboard management controllers and a single OCP network card.

[0021] In one possible implementation, the second interface of the network card is used to access the first network.

[0022] In one possible implementation, the first interface of the MAC module is an xMII interface, and the second interface of the MAC module is an MDIO interface.

[0023] In one possible implementation, the second network is an OOB management network.

[0024] By setting the second network as the OOB management network, the operational health status of the rack servers can be monitored via the OOB management network.

[0025] In one possible implementation, the motherboard and the network interface module are connected via an inter-board connector; the first interface and the second interface of the MAC module are both connected to the portion of the inter-board connector located on the motherboard; the fourth port and the third port are both connected to the portion of the inter-board connector located on the network interface module.

[0026] In one possible implementation, the motherboard and the network interface module are connected by a cable; the first interface and the second interface of the MAC module are both connected to the end of the cable that connects to the motherboard; the fourth port and the third port are both connected to the end of the cable that connects to the network interface module.

[0027] In one possible implementation, at least two of the motherboards are stacked or tiled.

[0028] In one possible implementation, the motherboard and the network interface module are stacked or tiled.

[0029] Secondly, embodiments of this application provide a network configuration method for a rack server, applied to the rack server as described in any of the preceding claims, the network configuration method for the rack server comprising:

[0030] Determine whether the first interface of the network card needs to be supported based on the configuration requirements of the rack server;

[0031] If so, close the channel from the fourth port of the rack server to the second port of the rack server; open the channel from the fourth port to the first port of the rack server, and load the first driver;

[0032] If not, close the channel from the fourth port to the first port; open the channel from the fourth port to the second port, and load the second driver.

[0033] The network configuration method for a rack server provided in this application involves setting the baseboard management controller to determine whether support for the first interface of the network interface card (NIC) is required based on the configuration needs of the rack server. When support for the first interface is required, the baseboard management controller closes the channel from the fourth port to the second port, opens the channel from the fourth port to the first port, and loads the first driver to ensure network communication via the NIC. When support for the first interface is not required, the baseboard management controller closes the channel from the fourth port to the first port, opens the channel from the fourth port to the second port, and loads the second driver to ensure network communication between the baseboard management controller and the second network. This ensures that the MAC module of the baseboard management controller can communicate with the NIC or the second network as expected by the user.

[0034] In one possible implementation, the step of determining whether to support the first interface of the network card based on the configuration requirements of the rack server further includes obtaining the configuration requirements.

[0035] Thirdly, embodiments of this application provide a server rack, including a rack and at least one rack server as described in any of the preceding claims, wherein the rack server is disposed in the rack.

[0036] The server rack provided in this application includes a rack and at least one rack server as described above. By placing the rack server in the rack, the rack can not only protect the rack server, but also provide unified power supply and heat dissipation for the rack server. In addition, it is convenient to stack multiple rack servers to save space and ensure neatness.

[0037] Since the server rack provided in this application includes the rack server described above, the server rack in this application also has the same effects as the rack server described above, which will not be repeated here.

[0038] In addition to the technical problems solved by the embodiments of this application, the technical features constituting the technical solutions, and the beneficial effects brought about by the technical features of these technical solutions described above, other technical problems that can be solved by the rack server, the network configuration method of the rack server, and the server rack provided by the embodiments of this application, other technical features included in the technical solutions, and the beneficial effects brought about by these technical features will be further explained in detail in the specific implementation. Attached Figure Description

[0039] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0040] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a rack server provided in one embodiment of this application;

[0041] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of port isolation for a network switching module of a rack server provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0042] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of another rack server provided in one embodiment of this application;

[0043] Figure 4 A schematic diagram illustrating the input and reading of configuration requirements for a rack server provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0044] Figure 5 A flowchart illustrating a network configuration method for a rack server provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0045] Figure 6 A detailed flowchart illustrating the network configuration of a rack server provided in one embodiment of this application;

[0046] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a server rack provided in one embodiment of this application.

[0047] Figure label:

[0048] 100 - Motherboard; 101 - Motherboard substrate; 110 - Central processing unit; 120 - Substrate management controller; 121 - MAC module; 1211 - First interface of MAC module; 1212 - Second interface of MAC module; 130 - First inter-board connector;

[0049] 200 - Network interface module; 201 - Network interface substrate; 210 - Network switching module; 211 - First port; 212 - Second port; 213 - Fourth port; 214 - Third port; 220 - Second network interface; 230 - Firmware configuration memory; 240 - Electronic tag storage device; 250 - Second inter-board connector;

[0050] 300 - Network interface card; 310 - First interface of the network interface card; 320 - Second interface of the network interface card;

[0051] 10 - Server rack; 11 - Rack; 12 - Rack server. Detailed Implementation

[0052] The terminology used in the implementation section of this application is for the purpose of explaining specific embodiments of this application only, and is not intended to limit this application.

[0053] The Central Processing Unit (CPU) is the core of a computer system for computation and control, and is the final execution unit for information processing and program execution.

[0054] The Baseboard Management Controller (BMC) is a small, dedicated processor primarily used for the management and remote monitoring of motherboards in servers.

[0055] Media Access Control (MAC) defines how data frames are transmitted over the medium. In a link sharing the same bandwidth, access to the connection medium is on a "first-come, first-served" basis. Physical addressing is defined here, as is the logical topology (the path of signals through the physical topology). Line control, error notification (without correction), frame delivery order, and optional flow control are also implemented in this sublayer.

[0056] The xMII interface includes the MII interface (Media Independent Interface), the RMII interface (Reduced Media Independent Interface), and the RGMII interface (Reduced Gigabit Media Independent Interface).

[0057] The Management Data Clock (MDC) is one of the two pins of the standard management interface on the serial communication bus in Gigabit Ethernet. The Management Data Input / Output (MDIO) is the serial communication bus referred to as management data input / output in Gigabit Ethernet. MDC / MDIO is a dedicated serial interface bus in Gigabit Ethernet used for management between the MAC and PYH (Physical) layers. MDC is the bus clock signal, and MDIO is the data line. This interface is mainly used by the MAC module to read and set the status of the PYH layer, obtain link status, and control physical layer negotiation.

[0058] The Open Compute Project (OCP) is a collaborative community that aims to share more efficient server and data center designs with the broader internet technology industry. OCP network interface cards (NICs) are compliant with the OCP specification.

[0059] The Network Controller Sideband Interface (NCSI) of a network interface card (NIC) is a physical interface based on RMII. It is mainly used for filtering and unicasting the MAC address of the network interface of the BMC.

[0060] Out-of-band (OOB) data is used by transport layer protocols to send important data. If one party has important data that it needs to notify the other party, the protocol can quickly send this data to the other party.

[0061] Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory (EEPROM) is a type of memory chip that retains data even when power is off. It allows data to be erased and reprogrammed on a computer or dedicated device.

[0062] Inter-Integrated Circuit (I2C) is a synchronous, half-duplex communication bus.

[0063] RJ45 (Registered Jack 45) is a type of connector used in cabling systems for information outlets (i.e., communication leads). The connector consists of a plug (connector or crystal head) and a socket (module). The plug has eight grooves and eight contacts. In computer networks, RJ45 is the common name for a standard 8-pin modular interface.

[0064] Multihost architecture, in this application, refers to an architecture where a single OCP network card corresponds to multiple server motherboards.

[0065] Flash memory is a type of non-volatile memory that can retain data for a long time without a power supply, and its storage characteristics are similar to those of a hard drive.

[0066] Printed circuit boards (PCBs) are important electronic components. They serve as the support for electronic components and the carrier for the electrical interconnection of these components.

[0067] Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) is used to dynamically assign network configuration parameters such as IP addresses (Internet Protocol addresses) to network devices.

[0068] As described in the background section, multi-host architectures equipped with standard network cards will have a wider range of applications in the future. However, in the current technology, the motherboard's baseboard management controller and the network card are connected one-to-one. Therefore, to realize a multi-host architecture, it is necessary to solve the problem of network communication between a single network card and the baseboard management controllers of multiple motherboards.

[0069] In view of this, embodiments of this application provide a rack server, including: a network interface card (NIC), a network interface module, and at least two motherboards. Each motherboard includes a baseboard management controller (BMDC), and the BMDC includes a MAC module. The network interface module includes a network switching module, which has a first port, a second port, a third port, and at least two fourth ports, with the fourth ports connected to both the first and second ports. By configuring the first interfaces of the MAC modules of the at least two BMDCs to be connected one-to-one with the at least two fourth ports, and the first interface of the NIC to be connected to the first port, and the second port used to access a second network, not only can the MAC modules of the at least two BMDCs establish a connection channel with a single NIC, enabling the single NIC to perform network communication with the at least two BMDCs, but also the MAC modules of the at least two BMDCs can establish a connection channel with the second network, enabling the at least two BMDCs to perform network communication with the second network.

[0070] In addition, by connecting the second interface of the MAC module of one of the baseboard management controllers to the third port, the baseboard management controller can be configured to communicate with either the first or second port via the fourth port according to configuration requirements. This allows the MAC module of the baseboard management controller to intelligently switch between network communication with the network card and network communication with the second network, thereby achieving cost savings while maintaining the efficiency of the rack server.

[0071] To make the above-mentioned objectives, features, and advantages of the embodiments of this application more apparent and understandable, the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of this application, and not all of them. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of this application without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0072] Reference Figure 1 As shown, this application embodiment provides a rack server 12, which can be installed in a server rack or used independently. The specifications of the rack server 12 include, but are not limited to, 1U (4.45cm high), 2U, 4U, 6U, and 8U. The number of motherboards 100 in the rack server 12 can be set to two, three, four, or more according to actual needs. Typically, a 1U rack server 12 is the most space-efficient; this application embodiment uses a 1U dual-motherboard rack server 12 as an example for illustration.

[0073] The rack server 12 in this embodiment may include a network interface card (NIC) 300, a network interface module 200, and at least two motherboards 100. The NIC 300 may be an OCP NIC conforming to the OCP NIC (Network Interface Card) 3.0 standard specification. The NIC 300 has a first interface 310 and a second interface 320. For example, the first interface 310 is an NCSI interface, and the second interface 320 may be an SPF+ (Small Form Pluggable) interface or a QSFP (Quad Small Form-factor Pluggable) interface, etc. The second interface 320 can be used to access a first network. For example, the second interface 320 is connected to a first network switch via a cable to access the first network, which may be, for example, a service network.

[0074] At least two motherboards 100 operate independently, and their structures may be identical. A motherboard 100 may include a motherboard substrate 101, which may be a printed circuit board. A motherboard 100 may also include a substrate management controller 120, which is mounted on the motherboard substrate 101. The networks of the substrate management controllers 120 of the at least two motherboards 100 are not interconnected. A motherboard 100 may also include a central processing unit 110, memory, programmable logic devices, or slots, all of which may be mounted on the motherboard substrate 101. The substrate management controller 120, central processing unit 110, memory, programmable logic devices, and slots may be electrically connected via traces on the printed circuit board, as required by the design.

[0075] The baseboard management controller 120 includes a MAC module 121, which has a first interface 1211 and a second interface 1212. The first interface 1211 can be an xMII interface, which includes, but is not limited to, a MII interface, an RMII interface 320, or an RGMII interface. In this embodiment, the first interface 1211 is an RGMII interface. The second interface 1212 can be an MDIO interface, which transmits MDC and MDIO signals.

[0076] The network interface module 200 may include a network interface substrate 201, which may be a printed circuit board. The network interface module 200 may also include a network switching module 210, which is disposed on the network interface substrate 201. The network switching module 210 may be a Layer 2 network switching module. The network switching module 210 has a first port 211, a second port 212, a third port 214, and at least two fourth ports 213. The fourth ports 213 are connected to both the first port 211 and the second port 212, so that the fourth port 213 can communicate with the first port 211, or with the second port 212.

[0077] At least two motherboards 100 have their baseboard management controllers 120's MAC modules' first interfaces 1211 connected to at least two fourth ports 213 in a one-to-one correspondence. In some examples, there can be two motherboards 100, and there can also be two fourth ports 213, with the first interfaces 1211 of the two motherboards 100's baseboard management controllers 120 respectively connected to the two fourth ports 213 (e.g., ...). Figure 1 (As shown). In other examples, the number of motherboards 100 can be three, and the number of fourth ports 213 can also be three, with the first interface 1211 of the MAC module of the baseboard management controller 120 of the three motherboards 100 respectively connected to the three fourth ports 213. Optionally, the number of fourth ports 213 can be equal to or greater than the number of motherboards 100.

[0078] The first interface 310 of the network card is connected to the first port 211. In one possible implementation, the first interface 310 and the first port 211 of the network card can be connected by a cable. In another possible implementation, the network card 300 can be disposed on the network interface substrate 201, and the first interface 310 and the first port 211 of the network card can be electrically connected by traces on the network interface substrate 201.

[0079] The second port 212 is used to access a second network. For example, the second network can be an OOB management network to monitor the operational health status of the rack server; alternatively, the second network can be other networks through which administrators or other operators can manage the rack server. Optionally, the network interface module 200 may include a second network interface 220, which is disposed on the network interface substrate 201. For example, the second network interface 220 can be an RJ45 interface. The second network interface 220 is used to connect to a second network switch. For example, when the second network is an OOB management network, the second network switch is an OOB network switch; when the second network is another network, the second network switch is the other network switch corresponding to that other network. The second port 212 is connected to the second network interface 220 through a physical module to enable the second port 212 to access the second network through the second network switch. The physical module can be a PHY chip.

[0080] In a first possible implementation, the physical module can be integrated onto the second port 212. The MDI (Medium Dependent Interface) on the physical module is connected to the second network interface 220. For example, the MDI on the physical module and the second network interface 220 can be connected via traces on the network interface substrate 201. In a second possible implementation, the physical module can be integrated onto the second network interface 220, and the second port 212 can be connected to the physical module via traces on the network interface substrate 201. In a third possible implementation, the physical module can be independently mounted on the network interface substrate 201. Both the second port 212 and the second network interface 220 can be connected to the physical module via traces on the network interface substrate 201, thereby achieving the purpose of connecting the second port 212 to the second network interface 220 through the physical module.

[0081] It should be noted that the network card 300 in this embodiment is configured to retain MAC addresses sent by at least two baseboard management controllers 120 and allow forwarding of all retained MAC addresses, so as to ensure that a single network card 300 can perform network communication with at least two baseboard management controllers 120.

[0082] The rack server 12 of this embodiment can, on the one hand, enable the MAC modules 121 of the baseboard management controllers 120 of at least two motherboards 100 to establish a connection channel with a single network interface card 300, so that the single network interface card 300 can perform network communication with the baseboard management controllers 120 of at least two motherboards 100. On the other hand, it can enable the MAC modules 121 of the baseboard management controllers 120 of at least two motherboards 100 to establish a connection channel with a second network, so that the baseboard management controllers 120 of at least two motherboards 100 can perform network communication with the second network.

[0083] In the rack server 12 of this application embodiment, the second interface 1212 of the MAC module of one of the baseboard management controllers 120 is connected to the third port 214, and the fourth port 213 can be configured to communicate with either the first port 211 or the second port 212 according to configuration requirements, so that the MAC module 121 of the baseboard management controller 120 can intelligently switch between network communication with the network card 300 and network communication with the second network, thereby achieving cost savings while taking into account the efficiency of the rack server 12.

[0084] Continue to refer to Figure 1 As shown in the embodiment of this application, the motherboard 100 and the network interface module 200 can be connected via an inter-board connector. Optionally, the inter-board connector may include a first inter-board connector 130 and a second inter-board connector 250. The first inter-board connector 130 may be disposed on the motherboard substrate 101, and the second inter-board connector 250 may be disposed on the network interface substrate 201. The first inter-board connector 130 and the second inter-board connector 250 are mutually mated and connected. For example, one of the first inter-board connector 130 and the second inter-board connector 250 may be a male connector, and the other may be a female connector. The male connector and the female connector are mutually plugged in.

[0085] Both the first interface 1211 and the second interface 1212 of the MAC module can be connected to the first inter-board connector 130 through traces on the motherboard substrate 101. Both the fourth port 213 and the third port 214 can be connected to the second inter-board connector through traces on the network interface substrate 201. When the first inter-board connector and the second inter-board connector 250 are matched and connected, the first interface 1211 of the MAC module is connected to the fourth port 213, and the second interface 1212 of the MAC module is connected to the third port 214.

[0086] In other possible implementations, the motherboard 100 and the network interface module 200 can be connected via a cable, with one end of the cable connected to the motherboard substrate 101 and the other end connected to the network interface substrate 201. The first interface 1211 and the second interface 1212 of the MAC module are both connected to the end of the cable connected to the motherboard substrate 101, and the fourth port 213 and the third port 214 are both connected to the end of the cable connected to the network interface module 200, so that the first interface 1211 of the MAC module is connected to the fourth port 213, and the second interface 1212 of the MAC module is connected to the third port 214.

[0087] Continue to refer to Figure 1 As shown in the embodiments of this application, at least two motherboards 100 can be arranged in a flat layout. In other possible implementations, at least two motherboards 100 can be stacked.

[0088] Continue to refer to Figure 1 As shown in the embodiment of this application, the motherboard 100 and the network interface module 200 can be arranged in a flat layout. In other possible implementations, the motherboard 100 and the network interface module 200 can be stacked.

[0089] Continue to refer to Figure 1 As shown, the network interface module 200 may further include a firmware configuration memory 230, which is disposed on the network interface substrate 201. For example, the firmware configuration memory 230 may be an EEPROM, or it may be other memory known to those skilled in the art. The firmware configuration memory 230 and the network switching module 210 can be connected via I2C. The firmware configuration memory 230 stores configuration firmware, which may be VLAN (Virtual Local Area Network) firmware. The network switching module 210 can read the configuration firmware from the firmware configuration memory 230 via I2C and configure the channel from the fourth port 213 to the first port 211, and the channel from the fourth port 213 to the second port 212 to be mutually isolated, such as... Figure 2 As shown.

[0090] In application, after the rack server 12 is powered on, the network switching module 210 can read the configuration firmware and configure the channels from the fourth port 213 to the first port 211 and from the fourth port 213 to the second port 212 to isolate each other, so as to ensure the reliability of the MAC module 121 of the baseboard management controller 120 to communicate with the network card 300 and the second network.

[0091] Reference Figure 3As shown, the network interface module 200 may further include an electronic tag storage device 240, which is disposed on the network interface substrate 201. Exemplarily, the electronic tag storage device 240 includes, but is not limited to, EEPROM and Flash. The substrate management controller 120 connected to the third port 214 and the electronic tag storage device 240 can be connected via I2C. Exemplarily, the substrate management controller 120 connected to the third port 214 can be connected to the first inter-board connector 130 via traces on the motherboard substrate 101, and the electronic tag storage device 240 can be connected to the second inter-board connector 250 via traces on the network interface substrate 201. When the first inter-board connector 130 and the second inter-board connector 250 are mated and connected, the substrate management controller 120 connected to the third port 214 can be connected to the electronic tag storage device 240. The substrate management controller 120, which is not connected to the third port 214, can also be connected to the electronic tag storage device 240. The specific connection method can be referred to the connection method between the substrate management controller 120 connected to the third port 214 and the electronic tag storage device 240, which will not be repeated here.

[0092] The electronic tag storage device 240 is used for dynamically writing configuration requirements. The baseboard management controller 120 can read the configuration requirements in the electronic tag storage device 240 via I2C, such as... Figure 4 As shown.

[0093] The baseboard management controller 120 connected to the third port 214 can be configured to communicate with either the first port 211 or the second port 212, depending on configuration requirements. This avoids the situation where, in the presence of DHCP servers on both the network side of the network card 300 and the second network side, the MAC module 121 of the baseboard management controller 120 might probabilistically assign a dynamic IP address that contradicts the user's expectations from one side. This ensures that the MAC module 121 of the baseboard management controller 120 can communicate with either the network card 300 or the second network as expected by the user. The baseboard management controller 120 not connected to the third port 214 can also be configured according to configuration requirements.

[0094] Reference Figure 5 As shown, this application embodiment also provides a network configuration method for a rack server, which can be applied to the rack server 12 described above. The execution entity of this rack server network configuration method can be the baseboard management controller 120 connected to the third port 214 of the rack server 12. The rack server network configuration method may include:

[0095] S200: Determine whether the first interface of the network card needs to be supported based on the configuration requirements of the rack server.

[0096] If so, S300: Close the channel from the fourth port of the rack server to the second port of the rack server; open the channel from the fourth port to the first port of the rack server, and load the first driver.

[0097] If not, S400: Close the channel from the fourth port to the first port; open the channel from the fourth port to the second port and load the second driver.

[0098] The first driver can be an NCSI driver; loading the first driver enables the motherboard's baseboard management controller to communicate with the network card. The second driver can be an xMII driver; loading the second driver enables the motherboard's baseboard management controller to communicate with a second network.

[0099] The configuration requirement can be either a first interface that supports a network interface card (NIC) or a first interface that does not support a NIC. In one possible implementation, the configuration requirement can be pre-configured in the baseboard management controller, allowing the baseboard management controller to directly determine whether a first interface supporting a NIC is required based on the configuration requirement.

[0100] In another possible implementation, before S200: determining whether support for the first interface of the network card is required based on the configuration requirements of the rack server, the following step may be included: S100: obtaining the configuration requirements. For example, the baseboard management controller may read the configuration requirements from an electronic tag-type storage device of the network interface module, or the baseboard management controller may read the configuration requirements from an electronic tag-type storage device located in another location on the rack server.

[0101] The network configuration method for a rack server provided in this application involves setting the baseboard management controller to determine whether NCSI interface support is required based on the rack server's configuration needs. When NCSI interface support is required, the baseboard management controller closes the channel from port 4 to port 2, opens the channel from port 4 to port 1, and loads the NCSI driver to ensure network communication via the OCP network card. When NCSI interface support is not required, the baseboard management controller closes the channel from port 4 to port 1, opens the channel from port 4 to port 2, and loads the xMII driver to ensure network communication between the baseboard management controller and the OOB management network. This ensures that the MAC module of the baseboard management controller can communicate with the OCP network card or the OOB management network as expected by the user.

[0102] The workflow of the rack server 12 provided in this embodiment can be as follows: Figure 6 As shown, combined with Figure 1 and Figure 3As shown, after the rack server 12 is powered on, the network switching module 210 first reads and loads the configuration firmware from the firmware configuration class memory 230 to isolate the channels from the fourth port 213 to the first port 211 and from the fourth port 213 to the second port 212 (e.g., Figure 2 (As shown). Then, the baseboard management controller 120 determines whether to support the NCSI interface 310 according to the configuration requirements. If the NCSI interface 310 needs to be supported, it closes the channel from the fourth port 213 to the second port 212, opens the channel from the fourth port 213 to the first port 211, and loads the NCSI driver to connect to the BMC network through the NCSI interface 310 of the OCP network card 300. If the NCSI interface 310 does not need to be supported, it closes the channel from the fourth port 213 to the first port 211, opens the channel from the fourth port 213 to the second port 212, and loads the xMII driver to connect to the BMC network through the OOB-RJ45 port.

[0103] Reference Figure 7 As shown in the figure, this application embodiment also provides a server rack 10, which includes a rack 11 and at least one rack server 12 as described above, the rack server 12 being disposed in the rack 11.

[0104] For example, the rack 11 can be a standard 19-inch rack, or the rack 11 can be designed in other sizes according to actual needs, as long as it meets the requirements of this application embodiment. A door can be provided on the front of the rack 11, and a viewing window can be provided on the door. The viewing window can be covered with a transparent material, including but not limited to glass, plastic, and acrylic. This not only facilitates viewing the equipment inside the rack 11 through the viewing window of the door, but also prevents dust, impurities, etc., from entering the rack 11 through the viewing window, thus protecting the equipment inside the rack 11. Horizontally extending support structures can be provided on the opposite inner walls of the rack 11, and the rack servers 12 can be supported on the support structures. The number of rack servers 12 installed in the rack 11 can be one, two, or more, and the two or more rack servers 12 can be arranged along the height direction of the rack 11.

[0105] The server rack 10 provided in this application embodiment includes a rack 11 and at least one rack server 12 as described above. By placing the rack server 12 in the rack 11, the rack 11 can not only protect the rack server 12, but also provide unified power supply and heat dissipation for the rack server 12. In addition, it is convenient to stack multiple rack servers 12 to save space and ensure neatness.

[0106] Since the server rack 10 provided in this application embodiment includes the rack server 12 described above, the server rack 10 in this application embodiment also has the same effects as the rack server 12 described above, and will not be described again here.

[0107] In the description of the embodiments of this application, it should be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," and "linking" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, an indirect connection through an intermediate medium, or the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in the embodiments of this application according to the specific circumstances.

[0108] The devices or elements referred to in the embodiments of this application or implied herein must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as limiting the embodiments of this application. In the description of the embodiments of this application, "a plurality of" means two or more, unless otherwise precisely specified.

[0109] The terms "first," "second," "third," "fourth," etc. (if present) in the specification, claims, and accompanying drawings of this application are used to distinguish similar objects and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that such data can be interchanged where appropriate so that embodiments of the present application described herein can be implemented, for example, in orders other than those illustrated or described herein. Furthermore, the terms "may include" and "have," and any variations thereof, are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion; for example, a process, method, system, product, or apparatus that includes a series of steps or units is not necessarily limited to those steps or units explicitly listed, but may include other steps or units not explicitly listed or inherent to such processes, methods, products, or apparatus.

[0110] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, and are not intended to limit them. Although the embodiments of this application have been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some or all of the technical features. Such modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application.

Claims

1. A rack server, comprising: The network interface module comprises a network switch module, the network switch module has a first port, a second port, a third port and at least two fourth ports, the fourth ports are connected with the first port and the second port; The first interface of the MAC module of at least two of the baseboard management controllers is connected with the fourth ports one by one, the first interface of the network card is connected with the first port, and the second port is used for accessing a second network; the second interface of the network card is used for accessing a first network; The second interface of the MAC module of one of the baseboard management controllers is connected with the third port, and the fourth ports are configured to communicate with the first port and the second port alternatively according to configuration requirements. The network interface module has a second network interface, and the second network interface is used for connecting a second network switch; The second port is connected with the second network interface through a physical module. The physical module is integrated on the second port; 2. The rack server of claim 1, wherein, Or, the physical module is integrated on the second network interface; Or, the physical module is independently arranged on the network interface module, and the second port and the second network interface are both connected with the physical module.

3. The rack server of claim 2, wherein, The network interface module further comprises a firmware configuration class storage device, and the firmware configuration class storage device is connected with the network switch module; The firmware configuration class storage device stores configuration firmware, the network switch module reads the configuration firmware, and the fourth ports to the first port and the fourth ports to the second port are isolated from each other. The network interface module further comprises an electronic tag class storage device, and the baseboard management controller connected with the third port is connected with the electronic tag class storage device; 4. The rack server of claim 1, wherein, The electronic tag class storage device is used for dynamically writing the configuration requirements, and the baseboard management controller connected with the third port reads the configuration requirements and configures the fourth ports to communicate with the first port and the second port alternatively according to the configuration requirements. The network card is configured to reserve MAC addresses sent by at least two baseboard management controllers and allow forwarding of all reserved MAC addresses.

5. The rack server of any of claims 1-4, wherein, The network card is an OCP-compliant network card, and the first interface of the network card is an NCSI interface. The first interface of the MAC module is an xMII interface, and the second interface of the MAC module is an MDIO interface; 6. The rack server of any of claims 1-4, wherein, And / or, the second network is an OOB management network.

7. The rack server of any of claims 1-4, wherein, The baseboard and the network interface module are connected through an inter-board connector; 8. The rack server of any of claims 1-4, wherein, The first interface of the MAC module and the second interface of the MAC module are both connected to the part of the inter-board connector located on the baseboard; and the fourth port and the third port are both connected to the part of the inter-board connector located on the network interface module. The baseboard and the network interface module are connected through a cable.

9. The rack server of any of claims 1-4, wherein, ​ ​ 10. The rack server of any of claims 1-4, wherein, ​ The first interface of the MAC module and the second interface of the MAC module are both connected to one end of the cable connected with the mainboard; the fourth port and the third port are both connected to one end of the cable connected with the network interface module.

11. The rack server of any of claims 1-4, wherein, At least two of the mainboards are arranged in a stack or in a tile. And / or, the mainboard and the network interface module are arranged in a stack or in a tile.

12. A network configuration method of a rack server, characterized by, The network configuration method of the rack server according to any one of claims 1-11 comprises: determining whether the first interface of the network card needs to be supported according to the configuration requirement of the rack server; if yes, closing the channel from the fourth port to the second port of the rack server, opening the channel from the fourth port to the first port of the rack server, and loading the first driver; if no, closing the channel from the fourth port to the first port, opening the channel from the fourth port to the second port, and loading the second driver.

13. The network configuration method of rack servers according to claim 12, wherein, Before determining whether the first interface of the network card needs to be supported according to the configuration requirement of the rack server, the method further comprises: obtaining the configuration requirement.

14. A server cabinet characterized by The rack server according to any one of claims 1-11 is arranged in the cabinet.

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