Server management system

Abstract

The invention discloses a server management system, and relates to the technical field of computers, the server management system comprises a target management substrate, a signal repeater and a firmware memory, the target management substrate is respectively connected with the signal repeater and the firmware memory, the signal repeater is also connected with the firmware memory, and the firmware memory is connected with the target management substrate. The server management system is connected with the host management board through the target management substrate, and the firmware memory is used for storing repeater firmware; the signal repeater is used for transmitting firmware loading parameters to the target management substrate in the process of loading the repeater firmware; the target management substrate is used for receiving and responding to a state detection request which is sent by the host management board and is used for requesting to detect the operation state of the signal repeater, detecting the access state of the signal repeater according to the firmware loading parameter, accessing the operation state of the signal repeater according to the access state, and obtaining the target operation state of the signal repeater; and transmitting the target running state to the host management board.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of computer technology, and more specifically, to a server management system. Background Technology

[0002] In related technologies, all devices (including signal repeaters) on the server management system are centrally managed by the host management board through a shared bus. This means that all management commands and data must be transmitted through this single bus. This centralized management scheme faces multiple technical challenges: First, the shared bus becomes overloaded when dealing with multiple devices, leading to low communication efficiency and signal problems; second, this management method is highly dependent on the host, and if the host system fails, it will be unable to effectively manage the underlying devices; the most critical problem is that in related technologies, the host management board usually directly accesses the signal repeaters on the server management system, and at this time, some signal repeaters may be in the firmware loading process, which can easily lead to firmware loading failure or even device crashes.

[0003] No effective solution has yet been proposed to address the technical issues, such as the high failure rate of server management systems in related technologies. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This application provides a server management system to at least solve the technical problem of high access failure rate in related technologies.

[0005] According to one embodiment of the present application, a server management system is provided, including: a target management board, a signal repeater, and a firmware memory. The target management board is connected to the signal repeater and the firmware memory respectively. The signal repeater is also connected to the firmware memory. The server management system is connected to a host management board through the target management board. The firmware memory is used to store repeater firmware.

[0006] The signal repeater is used to transmit firmware loading parameters to the target management board during the loading of the repeater firmware, wherein the firmware loading parameters are used to indicate the loading status of the repeater firmware.

[0007] The target management board is configured to receive and respond to a status detection request sent by the host management board for requesting detection of the operating status of the signal repeater, detect the access status of the signal repeater according to the firmware loading parameters, access the operating status of the signal repeater according to the access status, and obtain the target operating status of the signal repeater; and transmit the target operating status to the host management board, wherein the access status is used to indicate whether the signal repeater can be accessed.

[0008] This application proposes a server management system. A target management board, acting as the local management core of the server management system, is independent of the host management board and directly connected to a signal repeater and firmware memory. During firmware loading by the signal repeater, it transmits firmware loading parameters indicating the loading status to the target management board. The target management board uses these parameters to determine whether the signal repeater is currently accessible and decides whether to perform a status access operation based on this determination. The server management system proposed in this application solves the problem of "high access failure rate of server management systems" because it fundamentally addresses the core pain point in related technologies: device crashes caused by accidental access. By performing intelligent judgment before access, i.e., confirming that the signal repeater is in an accessible state based on firmware loading parameters before access is performed, this solution perfectly avoids conflicts caused by access during the sensitive firmware loading period, thereby greatly reducing the access failure rate and improving the reliability and stability of the entire system. Therefore, it solves the technical problem of high access failure rate in related technologies, achieving the technical effect of reducing the access failure rate of server management systems. Attached Figure Description

[0009] To more clearly illustrate the embodiments of this application, the accompanying drawings used in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0010] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a server management system according to an embodiment of this application;

[0011] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of a target management substrate according to an embodiment of this application;

[0012] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram showing the connection of a baseboard controller, a status controller, and a signal repeater according to an embodiment of this application;

[0013] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of an isolator according to an embodiment of this application;

[0014] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the device topology of a server management system according to an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0015] 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 some embodiments of this application, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this application, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort are within the protection scope of this application.

[0016] It should be noted that, in the description of this application, the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such a process, method, article, or apparatus. The terms "first," "second," etc., in this application are used to distinguish similar objects and are not used to describe a specific order or sequence.

[0017] The technical terms and concepts involved in this application are as follows:

[0018] OAM (OAM Open Accelerator Module) is an open acceleration module.

[0019] UBB (Universal Baseboard) is a type of board that can host a GPU.

[0020] Retimer: A signal re-timer, also known as a signal repeater in this application, is used in high-speed digital links to reshape and regenerate signals to ensure data transmission.

[0021] FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array): A type of logic chip that can be programmed by the user.

[0022] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand the present application, the present application will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0023] This embodiment provides a server management system. Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a server management system according to an embodiment of this application, such as... Figure 1 As shown, the server management system includes: a target management board, a signal repeater, and a firmware memory. The target management board is connected to the signal repeater and the firmware memory respectively. The signal repeater is also connected to the firmware memory. The server management system is connected to the host management board through the target management board. The firmware memory is used to store the repeater firmware.

[0024] The signal repeater is used to transmit firmware loading parameters to the target management board during the loading of the repeater firmware, wherein the firmware loading parameters are used to indicate the loading status of the repeater firmware.

[0025] The target management board is configured to receive and respond to a status detection request sent by the host management board for requesting detection of the operating status of the signal repeater, detect the access status of the signal repeater according to the firmware loading parameters, access the operating status of the signal repeater according to the access status, and obtain the target operating status of the signal repeater; and transmit the target operating status to the host management board, wherein the access status is used to indicate whether the signal repeater can be accessed.

[0026] This application proposes a server management system. A target management board, acting as the local management core of the server management system, is independent of the host management board and directly connected to a signal repeater and firmware memory. During firmware loading by the signal repeater, it transmits firmware loading parameters indicating the loading status to the target management board. The target management board uses these parameters to determine whether the signal repeater is currently accessible and decides whether to perform a status access operation based on this determination. The server management system proposed in this application solves the problem of "high access failure rate of server management systems" because it fundamentally addresses the core pain point in related technologies: device crashes caused by accidental access. By performing intelligent judgment before access, i.e., confirming that the signal repeater is in an accessible state based on firmware loading parameters before access is performed, this solution perfectly avoids conflicts caused by access during the sensitive firmware loading period, thereby greatly reducing the access failure rate and improving the reliability and stability of the entire system. Therefore, it solves the technical problem of high access failure rate in related technologies, achieving the technical effect of reducing the access failure rate of server management systems.

[0027] Optionally, in this embodiment, the server management system is equipped with a signal repeater and a firmware memory. The firmware memory pre-stores the repeater's operating program. The server management system also has a target management board, which has separate connections to both the signal repeater and the firmware memory. When a host management board (i.e., the management board on the server host) needs to obtain the operating status of the signal repeater, it sends a status detection request to the target management board on the board. Upon power-up, the signal repeater automatically loads the operating program from the firmware memory. During this loading process, the signal repeater continuously sends a firmware loading parameter to the target management board. This parameter is a binary value, such as "10," indicating that the firmware is being loaded. When loading is complete, the parameter changes to "11." After receiving the request from the host management board, the target management board first reads this firmware loading parameter to determine whether the signal repeater is currently in an accessible state. If the parameter is "11," it determines that the signal repeater is in an accessible state; if the parameter is "10," it determines that it is in an inaccessible state. The target management board will only perform status access operations on the signal repeater when access is granted, such as reading its temperature or error information. This information is then aggregated into the target operating status and sent back to the host management board. If access is denied, the target management board will wait for the firmware to finish loading.

[0028] The target management board is an independent management chip on the server management system, responsible for localized management. The signal repeater is a chip used to enhance high-speed signals. The firmware memory is a chip that stores the signal repeater's operating program. The host management board (also known as the HOST management board, which deploys the HOST BMC (Host Baseboard Management Controller, the central management unit of the entire server)) is the central management unit of the server. Firmware loading parameters are a signal emitted by the signal repeater, indicating the progress or status of firmware loading. Access status is determined by the target management board based on the firmware loading parameters, indicating whether the signal repeater is currently allowed to be accessed. Status access operation is the administrative access performed by the target management board on the signal repeater.

[0029] Optionally, in this embodiment, the target management substrate may be, but is not limited to, a UBB substrate.

[0030] Among them, the UBB substrate is a substrate that can be equipped with a GPU module. By building on the GPU, a complete GPU platform is formed, enabling direct connection of GPU acceleration modules and providing a channel for high-speed data transmission and exchange. This helps to achieve multi-GPU collaboration to cope with computationally intensive tasks in AI fields such as image recognition and machine learning.

[0031] Optionally, in some embodiments, the UBB substrate can also provide power management, heat dissipation and other support for modules such as GPUs, ensuring the stable operation of the relevant modules.

[0032] Optionally, in some embodiments, the UBB substrate may also support multiple GPUs (e.g., eight OAM modules operating in various wiring and interconnect topologies).

[0033] This embodiment achieves the following: (1) Hierarchical management, reducing the burden on the host bus: The management work of the lower layer is offloaded to the target management board, so that the host management board does not need to communicate directly with the lower layer devices, thereby improving the management efficiency and scalability of the entire system. (2) Intelligent access, avoiding hang-ups: By judging the access status before access, the problem of device hang-ups caused by erroneous access is fundamentally solved, greatly reducing the access failure rate. (3) Fault isolation: Even if the host system fails, the target management board can still independently manage the signal repeater, realize the isolation of the fault domain, and facilitate fault diagnosis.

[0034] As an alternative solution, Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of a target management substrate according to an embodiment of this application, as shown below. Figure 2 As shown, the target management baseboard includes a baseboard controller and a status controller. The baseboard controller and the status controller are connected via a first communication link. The status controller is also connected to the signal repeater via a second communication link. The signal repeater is used to send the firmware loading parameters to the status controller via the second communication link during the loading of the repeater firmware.

[0035] The status controller is used to transmit the firmware loading parameters to the baseboard controller via the first communication link after receiving the firmware loading parameters.

[0036] The baseboard controller is used to detect the access status of the signal repeater based on the received firmware loading parameters.

[0037] Optionally, in this embodiment, Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram showing the connection of a baseboard controller, a state controller, and a signal repeater according to an embodiment of this application. Figure 3As shown, in the server management system, the target management board (which may be, but is not limited to, a UBB board) is not a single chip, but rather consists of a board controller (e.g., UBB BMC (UBB Baseboard Management Controller)) and a status controller (e.g., CPLD) working together. The board controller is deployed on the UUB management board. The board controller and the status controller are connected via a first communication link (e.g., an I2C (Inter-Integrated Circuit, a serial communication bus) / I3C (Improved Inter-Integrated Circuit, an improved version of I2C, a serial communication protocol) bus). The signal repeater (RETIMER) is connected via a second communication link (e.g., GPIO (General-purpose I / O)). The signal repeater (GPIO pin, a programmable digital input / output pin) connects to the status controller. When the repeater begins loading firmware from the firmware memory, it sends a high-level signal to the status controller via its GPIO pin as a firmware loading parameter, indicating that firmware loading is in progress. Upon receiving this signal, the status controller immediately converts this information into a digital signal via the first communication link and transmits it to the baseboard controller. Upon receiving this information, the baseboard controller immediately updates its internal database to indicate that the repeater is loading firmware, enabling subsequent access status checks. This hierarchical communication method ensures that the firmware loading status can be reliably transmitted from the repeater to the baseboard controller without traversing a potentially blocked or incompatible I2C bus.

[0038] The baseboard controller is the part of the target management baseboard responsible for high-level management logic. The state controller is the part of the target management baseboard responsible for low-level signal conversion and coordination. The first communication link is the communication channel (such as I2C) between the baseboard controller and the state controller. The second communication link is the communication channel (such as GPIO) between the signal repeater and the state controller, typically used to transmit simple status signals.

[0039] This embodiment achieves the following: (1) Enhanced communication reliability: It solves the problem that some signal repeaters do not support I2C access during firmware loading. By using a simpler GPIO signal as the second communication link, it ensures that firmware loading status information can be reliably transmitted. (2) Division of labor and cooperation: The responsibilities of the baseboard controller and the status controller are clarified. One is responsible for high-level management logic, and the other is responsible for low-level signal coordination, which improves the efficiency and stability of the entire management system.

[0040] As an optional solution, the baseboard controller is configured as follows:

[0041] The loading progress of the repeater firmware is detected based on the firmware loading parameters.

[0042] If the loading progress is detected to be greater than or equal to the preset loading progress, the access status of the signal repeater is determined to be an access-allowed status, wherein the access-allowed status is used to indicate that the signal repeater is allowed to be accessed;

[0043] If the loading progress is detected to be less than the preset loading progress, the access status of the signal repeater is determined to be a prohibited access status, wherein the prohibited access status is used to indicate that the signal repeater is prohibited from being accessed.

[0044] Optionally, in this embodiment, after receiving the firmware loading parameters from the status controller, the baseboard controller will begin executing the judgment logic. Assume the baseboard controller presets a firmware loading progress threshold, such as 95%. The "firmware loading parameter" can be a percentage value or a status code indicating completion. When the baseboard controller detects that the firmware loading parameter is 80% (less than 95%), it will mark the access status of the signal repeater as prohibited. If it receives the firmware loading parameter again, showing that the loading progress has reached 98% (greater than 95%), it will immediately update the access status to permitted. This logic allows the baseboard controller to accurately grasp the access permissions of each signal repeater.

[0045] Here, loading progress refers to the completion degree of firmware loading. Preset loading progress is a threshold set internally by the baseboard controller. Access allowed state is the state in which the signal repeater can be safely accessed. Access prohibited state is the state in which the signal repeater should not be accessed.

[0046] This embodiment enables: (1) Fine-grained access control: Fine-grained access control based on firmware loading progress is implemented, avoiding access to signal repeaters that are performing critical operations, and further reducing the failure rate. (2) Access timing judgment: Enables the baseboard controller to intelligently determine the best access timing, ensuring the successful execution of management operations.

[0047] As an optional solution, the baseboard controller is configured as follows:

[0048] When the access state is an allowed access state, access the operating state of the signal repeater, wherein the allowed access state is used to indicate that the signal repeater is allowed to be accessed;

[0049] When the access status is a prohibited access status, the prohibited access duration of the signal repeater is obtained; and after the prohibited access duration, the operating status of the signal repeater is accessed, wherein the allowed access status is used to indicate that the signal repeater is allowed to be accessed, and the prohibited access duration is the duration for which the signal repeater needs to remain in the prohibited access status.

[0050] Optionally, in this embodiment, it is assumed that the host management board sends a status detection request to the baseboard controller. The baseboard controller first checks its internal database and finds that the access status of a certain signal repeater is prohibited. The baseboard controller does not immediately perform a status access operation, but first calculates the prohibited access duration, for example, 2 seconds. The baseboard controller waits for these 2 seconds, and then tries to access the signal repeater again after 2 seconds. If the access status of the signal repeater has been updated to the allowed access status, the baseboard controller will perform the status access operation normally and collect its operating status. If the baseboard controller finds another signal repeater currently in the allowed access status, it will not wait at all, but will immediately perform a status access operation. This process ensures that even if an obstacle is encountered during the initial access attempt, the system can eventually complete the task through an intelligent waiting mechanism.

[0051] The access-deprivation duration refers to the length of time the signal repeater needs to remain in the access-deprivation state. This duration indicates how long the board controller must wait before attempting access again.

[0052] This embodiment achieves the following: (1) Improved robustness of the management system: Even if the device is temporarily inaccessible, the system can intelligently wait and eventually complete the task instead of immediately reporting an error, thus improving the system's fault tolerance and stability. (2) Guaranteed task completion rate: Ensures that the status detection requests issued by the host management board can eventually be executed, thus improving the overall task completion rate.

[0053] As an optional solution, the baseboard controller is configured as follows:

[0054] The loading progress of the repeater firmware is detected based on the firmware loading parameters.

[0055] The remaining loading progress is generated based on the preset loading progress and the loading progress, wherein the remaining loading progress is the progress that the signal repeater still needs to load before reaching the preset loading progress;

[0056] The remaining loading time of the signal repeater is generated based on the remaining loading progress and loading speed, wherein the loading speed is the speed at which the signal repeater loads the repeater firmware, and the remaining loading time is the time that the signal repeater still needs to load to reach the preset loading progress;

[0057] The remaining loading time is determined as the access-restricted time.

[0058] Optionally, in this embodiment, when the baseboard controller detects that a signal repeater is in an inaccessible state, it needs to calculate the inaccessibility duration. Assuming the preset firmware loading progress is 95%, the currently detected firmware loading progress is 80%, and the firmware loading speed is 10% / second, the baseboard controller first calculates the remaining loading progress: 95% - 80% = 15%. Then, based on this remaining progress and loading speed, it calculates the remaining loading duration: 15% ÷ 10% / second = 1.5 seconds. Finally, the baseboard controller determines this 1.5-second remaining loading duration as the inaccessibility duration and begins waiting. This dynamic calculation ensures that the waiting time is optimal, neither reducing efficiency due to excessive waiting nor causing access failure due to insufficient waiting.

[0059] The remaining loading progress refers to the amount of loading required before the signal repeater reaches the preset loading progress. Loading speed refers to the speed at which the signal repeater loads the firmware. Remaining loading time refers to the time required for the signal repeater to reach the preset loading progress.

[0060] This embodiment can achieve the following: (1) Precise control of waiting time: The system can dynamically adjust the waiting time according to the actual situation of firmware loading, avoiding unnecessary long waiting time and improving management efficiency. (2) Optimized resource utilization: The system can arrange resources and tasks more reasonably, and will not waste computing power during the waiting process, making the overall operation more efficient.

[0061] As an optional solution, accessing the operating status of the signal repeater includes:

[0062] The baseboard controller collects at least one of the following information from the signal repeater: operating information, temperature information, and error information, wherein the operating information is used to indicate the functional operation status of the signal repeater, the temperature information is used to indicate the operating temperature of the signal repeater, and the error information is used to indicate the error status of the signal repeater during operation.

[0063] Based on the operational information, at least one of the temperature information and the error information is used to generate the operational status of the signal repeater, thereby obtaining the target operational status.

[0064] Optionally, in this embodiment, after gaining access, the baseboard controller will begin performing a status access operation. This operation specifically includes reading a series of data from the registers of the signal repeater via the I2C bus. For example, it can read operating information indicating whether the signal repeater is currently functioning correctly; read temperature information indicating its operating temperature; and read any error messages that occur during operation. The baseboard controller integrates and analyzes this data, and then generates a comprehensive operating status report. For example, the report might include: "Functional normal, temperature 55°C, no errors." This final report, representing the target operating status, will be sent back to the host management board.

[0065] Among them, operating information, temperature information, and error information are the three key data dimensions constituting the operating status. The target operating status is the final operating report derived by the baseboard controller after comprehensively analyzing various information.

[0066] This embodiment enables: (1) Comprehensive status monitoring: ensuring that the host management board can obtain comprehensive and detailed operating data about the signal repeater, not just a simple "whether it is normal" judgment. (2) Efficient fault diagnosis: providing detailed error information, making remote fault diagnosis possible without physical disassembly, saving a lot of time and maintenance costs.

[0067] As an optional solution, the target management substrate is also used for:

[0068] Perform firmware adjustment operations on the repeater firmware stored in the firmware memory;

[0069] The signal repeater is controlled to prevent access to the firmware memory during the execution of the firmware adjustment operation;

[0070] The signal repeater is controlled to restore access to the firmware memory after the firmware adjustment operation is completed.

[0071] Optionally, in this embodiment, the target management board can not only manage signal repeaters but also independently operate the firmware memory. When it is necessary to upgrade or downgrade the firmware of a signal repeater, the target management board can initiate a firmware adjustment operation, directly writing new firmware data to the firmware memory without going through the signal repeater. During this firmware adjustment operation, the target management board issues a command to the signal repeater to prohibit it from accessing the firmware memory. After the firmware adjustment operation is completed, the target management board will lift the prohibition and restore the signal repeater's access to the firmware memory. This design ensures the reliability of firmware updates; even if the signal repeater itself fails, it can still be remotely repaired through this channel.

[0072] Firmware adjustment operations refer to the writing and updating operations performed by the target management board on the firmware memory. Control signal repeater access restriction refers to restricting the repeater's access to the firmware memory at the software or hardware level.

[0073] This embodiment enables: (1) Out-of-band firmware update: It enables firmware updates that do not depend on the state of the signal repeater itself, and can be remotely repaired even if the device is abnormal. (2) Ensure update security: It avoids damage to the firmware memory caused by accidental access of the signal repeater during the firmware update process, and ensures the success rate of the update operation.

[0074] As an alternative solution, Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of an isolator according to an embodiment of this application, as shown below. Figure 4 As shown, an isolator is also deployed on the communication link between the signal repeater and the firmware memory. The target management board is connected to the isolator, wherein the isolator is used to control the disconnection or connection of the communication link.

[0075] The target management board is used to control the isolator to disconnect the communication link between the signal repeater and the firmware memory during the execution of the firmware adjustment operation; and to control the isolator to connect the communication link between the signal repeater and the firmware memory after the execution of the firmware adjustment operation is completed.

[0076] Optionally, in this embodiment, to more reliably achieve exclusive access to the firmware memory, an isolator (e.g., a 9306 chip) is deployed on the communication link between the signal repeater and the firmware memory. This isolator is a controllable physical switch, controlled by the target management board. When the target management board performs a firmware adjustment operation, it sends a signal to the isolator, controlling it to disconnect the communication link between the signal repeater and the firmware memory. After the firmware adjustment operation is completed, the target management board sends a signal to the isolator again, controlling it to reconnect the communication link and restore normal data transmission. This design physically ensures that the signal repeater cannot perform any operation on the firmware memory during firmware adjustment, thereby completely eliminating access conflicts.

[0077] The isolator is a hardware chip whose function is to disconnect or connect a communication link under software control. Disconnecting or connecting a link refers to severing or restoring the physical connection between two devices through hardware control.

[0078] This embodiment achieves the following: (1) Physical isolation: It fundamentally eliminates access conflicts during firmware updates, provides the highest level of security, and ensures the success rate of firmware updates. (2) Unaffected by software failures: This hardware isolation mechanism is not affected by software failures. Even if there are problems with the internal software of the signal repeater, it cannot interfere with firmware updates.

[0079] As an optional solution, the target management board includes a board controller and a status controller. The board controller is connected to the status controller, and the status controller is also connected to the isolator. The status controller is used to send a link disconnect signal to the isolator during the execution of the firmware adjustment operation and to send a link reconnect signal to the isolator after the execution of the firmware adjustment operation is completed.

[0080] The isolator is used to disconnect the communication link when it receives the link disconnection signal, and to connect the communication link when it receives the link connection signal.

[0081] Optionally, in this embodiment, the target management board does not communicate directly with the isolator when controlling it, but instead uses a state controller as an intermediate layer. The board controller (as part of the target management board) is connected to the state controller. When it is necessary to disconnect the link, the board controller sends a command to the state controller. Upon receiving the command, the state controller sends a link disconnect signal to the isolator (e.g., the control pin of the 9306 chip goes low). Upon receiving this signal, the isolator immediately disconnects the link. When it is necessary to reconnect the link, the board controller sends a command to the state controller again, and the state controller sends a link reconnect signal to the isolator (e.g., the control pin goes high), restoring communication. This process ensures that the logic of the underlying hardware control is centralized in the state controller, allowing the board controller to focus on higher-level management tasks.

[0082] Among them, the link disconnection signal and the link connection signal are control signals sent by the state controller to the isolator to control its physical state.

[0083] This embodiment achieves the following: (1) Separation of duties and simplified design: The underlying hardware control (executed by the state controller) is separated from the high-level management logic (executed by the baseboard controller), which simplifies the design of the baseboard controller. (2) Improved system stability: It ensures that the underlying physical control logic is stable and controllable and is not easily affected by changes in the high-level management logic.

[0084] As an alternative solution, Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the device topology of a server management system according to an embodiment of this application, as shown below. Figure 5As shown, the signal repeaters in the server management system are multiple (Retimer0 to Retimer7 (partially not shown in the figure)). Retimer0 to Retimer7 each correspond to a firmware memory (EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory, used to store the firmware of the Retimer)). Each Retimer and EEPROM are connected via an isolator (9306 (9306 I2C busswitch, an I2C bus switch used for physical isolation in this solution)). The isolator is connected to the state controller (which may be, but is not limited to, a CPLD (Complex Programmable Logic Device, used to control the logic of the underlying hardware in this solution), or the I2C shown in the figure). (Switch), each of the signal repeaters is connected to the target management board, wherein the target management board is used to access multiple reference signal repeaters whose access status is allowed among the multiple signal repeaters in parallel, to obtain the reference signal repeaters and reference operating status with corresponding relationships; and to transmit the reference signal repeaters and reference operating status with corresponding relationships to the host management board, wherein the allowed access status is used to indicate that the signal repeater is allowed to be accessed.

[0085] Optionally, in this embodiment, on a large server management system with multiple signal repeaters, the target management board manages all signal repeaters simultaneously. When the host management board requests the status of all signal repeaters, the target management board first identifies which signal repeaters are currently in an accessible state. Then, it sends status detection requests in parallel to these "accessible" signal repeaters. For example, if there are 8 signal repeaters, 5 of which are in an accessible state, the target management board will initiate access requests to these 5 signal repeaters simultaneously, instead of polling them one by one. After all requests are responded to, it transmits the corresponding reference signal repeaters and reference operating states (e.g., Retimer 3 is normal, Retimer 5 is overheating) to the host management board.

[0086] Parallel access refers to the target management board simultaneously initiating access operations to multiple signal repeaters. The reference signal repeater is the signal repeater currently in an access-allowed state and being accessed. The reference operating state is the operating state of these accessed signal repeaters.

[0087] This embodiment enables: (1) Large-scale parallel management: It realizes the parallel management of multiple signal repeaters, greatly shortens the polling time, and significantly improves the management efficiency of the large-scale server management system. (2) Fast response: It enables the host management board to obtain the operating status of all signal repeaters more quickly, improving the overall response speed of the system.

[0088] The server management system provided in this application has been described in detail above. Specific examples have been used to illustrate the principles and implementation methods of this application. The descriptions of the embodiments above are only intended to help understand the method and core ideas of this application. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various improvements and modifications to this application without departing from its principles, and these improvements and modifications also fall within the protection scope of the claims of this application.

Claims

1. A server management system, characterized in that, include: The system comprises a target management board, a signal repeater, and a firmware memory. The target management board is connected to both the signal repeater and the firmware memory. The signal repeater is also connected to the firmware memory. The server management system is connected to the host management board via the target management board. The firmware memory is used to store the repeater firmware; The signal repeater is used to transmit firmware loading parameters to the target management board during the loading of the repeater firmware, wherein the firmware loading parameters are used to indicate the loading status of the repeater firmware. The target management board is configured to receive and respond to a status detection request sent by the host management board for requesting detection of the operating status of the signal repeater, detect the access status of the signal repeater according to the firmware loading parameters, access the operating status of the signal repeater according to the access status, and obtain the target operating status of the signal repeater; and transmit the target operating status to the host management board, wherein the access status is used to indicate whether the signal repeater can be accessed.

2. The server management system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The target management board includes a board controller and a status controller, which are connected via a first communication link. The status controller is also connected to the signal repeater via a second communication link. The signal repeater is used to send the firmware loading parameters to the status controller via the second communication link during the loading of the repeater firmware. The status controller is used to transmit the firmware loading parameters to the baseboard controller via the first communication link after receiving the firmware loading parameters. The baseboard controller is used to detect the access status of the signal repeater based on the received firmware loading parameters.

3. The server management system according to claim 2, characterized in that, The baseboard controller is configured as follows: The loading progress of the repeater firmware is detected based on the firmware loading parameters. If the loading progress is detected to be greater than or equal to the preset loading progress, the access status of the signal repeater is determined to be an access-allowed status, wherein the access-allowed status is used to indicate that the signal repeater is allowed to be accessed; If the loading progress is detected to be less than the preset loading progress, the access status of the signal repeater is determined to be a prohibited access status, wherein the prohibited access status is used to indicate that the signal repeater is prohibited from being accessed.

4. The server management system according to claim 3, characterized in that, The baseboard controller is configured as follows: When the access state is an allowed access state, access the operating state of the signal repeater, wherein the allowed access state is used to indicate that the signal repeater is allowed to be accessed; When the access status is a prohibited access status, the prohibited access duration of the signal repeater is obtained; and after the prohibited access duration, the operating status of the signal repeater is accessed, wherein the allowed access status is used to indicate that the signal repeater is allowed to be accessed, and the prohibited access duration is the duration for which the signal repeater needs to remain in the prohibited access status.

5. The server management system according to claim 4, characterized in that, The baseboard controller is configured as follows: The loading progress of the repeater firmware is detected based on the firmware loading parameters. The remaining loading progress is generated based on the preset loading progress and the loading progress, wherein the remaining loading progress is the progress that the signal repeater still needs to load before reaching the preset loading progress; The remaining loading time of the signal repeater is generated based on the remaining loading progress and loading speed, wherein the loading speed is the speed at which the signal repeater loads the repeater firmware, and the remaining loading time is the time that the signal repeater still needs to load to reach the preset loading progress; The remaining loading time is determined as the access-restricted time.

6. The server management system according to claim 4, characterized in that, The access to the operating status of the signal repeater includes: The baseboard controller collects at least one of the following information from the signal repeater: operating information, temperature information, and error information, wherein the operating information is used to indicate the functional operation status of the signal repeater, the temperature information is used to indicate the operating temperature of the signal repeater, and the error information is used to indicate the error status of the signal repeater during operation. Based on the operational information, at least one of the temperature information and the error information is used to generate the operational status of the signal repeater, thereby obtaining the target operational status.

7. The server management system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The target management substrate is also used for: Perform firmware adjustment operations on the repeater firmware stored in the firmware memory; The signal repeater is controlled to prevent access to the firmware memory during the execution of the firmware adjustment operation; The signal repeater is controlled to restore access to the firmware memory after the firmware adjustment operation is completed.

8. The server management system according to claim 7, characterized in that, An isolator is also deployed on the communication link between the signal repeater and the firmware memory, and the target management board is connected to the isolator. The isolator is used to control the disconnection or connection of the communication link it is connected to; The target management board is used to control the isolator to disconnect the communication link between the signal repeater and the firmware memory during the execution of the firmware adjustment operation; and to control the isolator to connect the communication link between the signal repeater and the firmware memory after the execution of the firmware adjustment operation is completed.

9. The server management system according to claim 8, characterized in that, The target management board includes a board controller and a status controller. The board controller is connected to the status controller, and the status controller is also connected to the isolator. The state controller is configured to send a link disconnect signal to the isolator during the execution of the firmware adjustment operation, and send a link reconnect signal to the isolator after the execution of the firmware adjustment operation is completed. The isolator is used to disconnect the communication link when it receives the link disconnection signal, and to connect the communication link when it receives the link connection signal.

10. The server management system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The server management system comprises multiple signal repeaters, each connected to the target management baseboard. The target management board is used to access multiple reference signal repeaters in parallel, where the access status is "allowed access," to obtain a corresponding relationship between the reference signal repeaters and a reference operating status; the corresponding relationship between the reference signal repeaters and the reference operating status is transmitted to the host management board, wherein the "allowed access" status is used to indicate that the signal repeater is allowed to be accessed.

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