Self discovery and deployment in edge devices

Abstract

The invention relates to self-discovery and deployment in edge devices. Specifically, an information handling system cluster may include a chassis, a chassis manager (CM); and nodes, each node including a host processor and a baseboard management controller (BMC). Each node may be configured to: determine a set of operational information about the node; transmitting the set of operational information from the host processor of the node to the BMC of the node; and transmitting the set of operation information from the BMC of the node to the CM. A master node may be configured to: receive, at the BMC of the master node, operational information about other nodes of the plurality of nodes from the CM; transmitting the operation information about the other nodes from the BMC of the master node to the host processor of the master node; and initializing the information handling system cluster based on the operation information about the other nodes.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure generally relates to information processing systems, and more specifically to the discovery and deployment of edge nodes when setting up computing clusters. Background Technology

[0002] As the value and use of information continue to grow, individuals and businesses seek additional ways to process and store information. One option available to users is an information processing system. Information processing systems typically process, compile, store, and / or communicate information or data for business, personal, or other purposes, allowing users to leverage the value of information. Because technologies and information processing needs and requirements vary between different users or applications, information processing systems may also vary regarding: what information is processed, how it is processed, how much information is processed, stored, or communicated, and how quickly and efficiently it can be processed, stored, or communicated. Variations in information processing systems allow them to be general-purpose or configured for specific users or purposes (such as financial transaction processing, airline ticketing, enterprise data storage, or global communications). Furthermore, information processing systems may include a variety of hardware and software components that can be configured to process, store, and communicate information, and may include one or more computer systems, data storage systems, and networking systems.

[0003] Hyperconverged infrastructure (HCI) is an IT framework that combines storage, compute, and networking into a single system in an attempt to reduce data center complexity and improve scalability. A hyperconverged platform may include hypervisors for virtualized compute, software-defined storage, and virtualized networking, and these typically run on standard off-the-shelf servers. One HCI solution is Dell EMC VxRail. TM Systems. Some examples of HCI systems can be found in various environments (e.g., HCI management systems, such as...). ESXi TM This can be done in an environment, or any other HCI management system. Some examples of HCI systems can be as software-defined storage (SDS) cluster systems (e.g., such as...). vSAN TM This refers to the operation of SDS cluster systems (such as the system itself, or any other SDS cluster system).

[0004] In HCI environments (and other environments), information processing systems can run virtual machines (VMs) for various purposes. A VM can typically include any program or collection of executable instructions, configured to run a guest operating system on a hypervisor or host operating system. This allows the hypervisor / host operating system, or a combination thereof, to manage and / or control the allocation and use of hardware resources such as memory, central processing unit time, disk space, and input / output devices, and to provide an interface between these hardware resources and the applications hosted by the guest operating system.

[0005] Automatic discovery of new HCI nodes is crucial during the setup of a new cluster. However, existing service discovery protocols, such as zero-configuration networking (zeroconf), typically rely on broadcast or multicast capabilities over IP networks. In some cases, such as edge environments, using such tools can be challenging because broadcast and / or multicast may be limited or unavailable. Furthermore, edge environments may lack dedicated on-site support personnel, necessitating a fully automated solution.

[0006] It should be noted that the discussion of the technology in the background section of this disclosure does not constitute an admission of the state of the prior art. No such admission is made herein unless it is clearly and explicitly stated as such. Summary of the Invention

[0007] Based on the teachings of this disclosure, the disadvantages and problems associated with edge deployment can be reduced or eliminated.

[0008] According to embodiments of this disclosure, an information processing system cluster may include a chassis, a chassis manager (CM), and nodes, each node including a host processor and a baseboard management controller (BMC). Each node may be configured to: determine a set of operational information about the node; transmit the set of operational information from the host processor of the node to the BMC of the node; and transmit the set of operational information from the BMC of the node to the CM. A master node may be configured to: receive operational information about other nodes among a plurality of nodes from the CM at the master node's BMC; transmit the operational information about other nodes from the master node's BMC to the master node's host processor; and initialize the information processing system cluster based on the operational information about other nodes.

[0009] According to these and other embodiments of this disclosure, a method may include operating in an information processing system cluster including a chassis, a chassis manager (CM), and a plurality of nodes within the chassis, each node including a host processor and a baseboard management controller (BMC), the operation being: each of the plurality of nodes determining a set of operational information about the node; each node transmitting the set of operational information from its host processor to its BMC; each node transmitting the set of operational information from its BMC to the CM; a master node among the plurality of nodes receiving operational information about other nodes from the CM at its BMC; the master node transmitting operational information about other nodes from its BMC to its host processor; and the master node initializing the information processing system cluster based on the operational information about other nodes.

[0010] According to these and other embodiments of this disclosure, an article of manufacture may include a non-transitory computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions executable by an information processing system cluster including a chassis, a chassis manager (CM), and a plurality of nodes within the chassis, each node including a host processor and a baseboard management controller (BMC), wherein the instructions are executable to perform the following operations: each of the plurality of nodes determines a set of operational information about the node; each node transmits the set of operational information from its host processor to its BMC; each node transmits the set of operational information from its BMC to the CM; a master node among the plurality of nodes receives operational information about other nodes from the CM at its BMC; the master node transmits operational information about other nodes from its BMC to its host processor; and the master node initializes the information processing system cluster based on the operational information about other nodes.

[0011] The technical advantages of this disclosure will likely be apparent to those skilled in the art from the accompanying drawings, specification, and claims included herein. The objectives and advantages of the embodiments will be realized and achieved, at least by means of the elements, features, and combinations specifically pointed out in the claims.

[0012] It should be understood that the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are both illustrative and explanatory, and not limiting of the claims set forth in this disclosure. Attached Figure Description

[0013] A more complete understanding of the embodiments and advantages of the present invention can be obtained by referring to the following description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals indicate like features, and in the drawings:

[0014] Figure 1 A block diagram of an exemplary information processing system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown; and

[0015] Figure 2 An exemplary process flow method according to an embodiment of this disclosure is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0016] refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2 To best understand the preferred embodiments and their advantages, the same reference numerals are used to indicate similar and corresponding parts.

[0017] For the purposes of this disclosure, the term "information processing system" can include any tool or set of tools capable of operating to calculate, classify, process, transmit, receive, retrieve, create, switch, store, display, exhibit, detect, record, reproduce, dispose of, or utilize information, intelligence, or data of any form for commercial, scientific, control, entertainment, or other purposes. For example, an information processing system can be a personal computer, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a consumer electronics device, a network storage device, or any other suitable device, and can vary in size, shape, performance, functionality, and price. An information processing system can include memory, one or more processing resources, such as a central processing unit ("CPU") or hardware or software control logic. Additional components of an information processing system can include one or more storage devices, one or more communication ports for communicating with external devices, and various input / output ("I / O") devices (such as a keyboard, mouse, and video display). An information processing system may also include one or more buses capable of operating to transmit communication between various hardware components.

[0018] For the purposes of this disclosure, when two or more elements are referred to as being “coupled” to each other, such a term indicates that the two or more elements are communicating electronically or mechanically, as applicable, whether they are directly or indirectly connected, with or without intervening elements.

[0019] When two or more components are referred to as “coupleable” to each other, such a term indicates that they are capable of being coupled together.

[0020] For the purposes of this disclosure, the term "computer-readable medium" (e.g., temporary or non-temporary computer-readable medium) may include any tool or set of tools that can retain data and / or instructions for a period of time. Computer-readable media may include, but is not limited to: storage media such as direct access storage devices (e.g., hard disk drives or floppy disks), sequential access storage devices (e.g., magnetic tape drives), optical discs, CD-ROMs, DVDs, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), and / or flash memory; communication media such as wires, optical fibers, microwaves, radio waves, and other electromagnetic and / or optical carrier waves; and / or any combination of the foregoing.

[0021] For the purposes of this disclosure, the term "information processing resource" may be used broadly to refer to any component system, apparatus or device of an information processing system, including but not limited to processors, service processors, basic input / output systems, buses, memory, I / O devices and / or interfaces, storage resources, network interfaces, motherboards and / or any other components and / or elements of the information processing system.

[0022] For the purposes of this disclosure, the term "management controller" can be broadly used to refer to an information processing system that provides management functionality (typically out-of-band management functionality) to one or more other information processing systems. In some embodiments, the management controller may be a service processor, a baseboard management controller (BMC), a chassis management controller (CMC), or a remote access controller (e.g., a Dell Remote Access Controller (DRAC) or an integrated Dell Remote Access Controller (iDRAC)) (or may be an integral part thereof).

[0023] Figure 1 A block diagram of an exemplary information processing system 102 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. In some embodiments, the information processing system 102 may include a server chassis configured to house multiple servers or "blades". In other embodiments, the information processing system 102 may include a personal computer (e.g., a desktop computer, laptop computer, mobile computer, and / or notebook computer). In still other embodiments, the information processing system 102 may include a storage rack configured to house multiple physical disk drives and / or other computer-readable media for storing data (which may generally be referred to as "physical storage resources"). Figure 1 As shown, the information processing system 102 may include a processor 103, a memory 104 communicatively coupled to the processor 103, a BIOS 105 (e.g., UEFI BIOS) communicatively coupled to the processor 103, a network interface 108 communicatively coupled to the processor 103, and a management controller 112 communicatively coupled to the processor 103.

[0024] In operation, processor 103, memory 104, BIOS 105, and network interface 108 may constitute at least a part of the host system 98 of information processing system 102. In addition to the elements explicitly shown and described, information processing system 102 may also include one or more other information processing resources.

[0025] Processor 103 may include any system, apparatus, or device configured to interpret and / or execute program instructions and / or process data, and may include, but is not limited to, a microprocessor, microcontroller, digital signal processor (DSP), application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or any other digital or analog circuit configured to interpret and / or execute program instructions and / or process data. In some embodiments, processor 103 may interpret and / or execute program instructions and / or process data stored in memory 104 and / or another component of information processing system 102.

[0026] Memory 104 is communicatively coupled to processor 103 and may include any system, apparatus, or device (e.g., computer-readable medium) configured to retain program instructions and / or data for a period of time. Memory 104 may include RAM, EEPROM, PCMCIA card, flash memory, magnetic storage device, opto-magnetic storage device, or any suitable choice and / or array of volatile or non-volatile memory that retains data after power to information processing system 102 is cut off.

[0027] like Figure 1 As shown, an operating system 106 may be stored on memory 104. Operating system 106 may include any program (or a collection of programs with executable instructions) configured to manage and / or control the allocation and use of hardware resources (such as memory, processor time, disk space, and input / output devices) and provide an interface between such hardware resources and applications hosted by operating system 106. Additionally, operating system 106 may include all or part of a network stack for network communication via a network interface (e.g., network interface 108 for communication over a data network). Although operating system 106 in Figure 1 The operating system 106 is shown as being stored in memory 104, but in some embodiments, the operating system 106 may be stored in a storage medium accessible to the processor 103, and active portions of the operating system 106 may be transferred from such storage medium to memory 104 for execution by the processor 103.

[0028] Network interface 108 may include one or more suitable systems, devices, or apparatuses capable of operating as an interface between information processing system 102 and one or more other information processing systems via an in-band network. Network interface 108 enables information processing system 102 to communicate using any suitable transport protocol and / or standard. In these and other embodiments, network interface 108 may include a network interface card or “NIC”. In these and other embodiments, network interface 108 may be enabled as a motherboard local area network (LAN) (LOM) card.

[0029] Management controller 112 can be configured to provide management functions for managing information processing system 102. This management can be performed by management controller 112 even when information processing system 102 and / or host system 98 are powered off or powered to standby. Management controller 112 may include processor 113, memory, and a network interface 118 that is separate from and physically isolated from network interface 108.

[0030] like Figure 1 As shown, the processor 113 of the management controller 112 is communicatively coupled to the processor 103. This coupling can be made via a Universal Serial Bus (USB), a System Management Bus (SMBus), and / or one or more other communication channels.

[0031] Network interface 118 may be coupled to a management network, which may be separate from and physically isolated from the data network, as shown. Network interface 118 of management controller 112 may include any suitable system, device, or apparatus capable of operating via an out-of-band management network as an interface between management controller 112 and one or more other information processing systems. Network interface 118 enables management controller 112 to communicate using any suitable transport protocol and / or standard. In these and other embodiments, network interface 118 may include a network interface card or “NIC”. Network interface 118 may be a device of the same type as network interface 108, or in other embodiments, it may be a different type of device.

[0032] As discussed above, the embodiments of this disclosure provide improvements in setting up nodes (e.g., edge nodes in an HCI deployment) of the information processing system 102. Edge devices are typically physical devices deployed at the network edge, such as Internet of Things (IoT) devices, edge gateways, edge servers, etc. It should be noted that while edge deployment scenarios have been discussed in detail herein for specific purposes, other embodiments are also specifically envisioned within the scope of this disclosure.

[0033] In some cases, the information processing system 102 may include more than one management controller 112. For example, when multiple host systems reside within a single chassis, each host may include a Baseboard Management Controller (BMC) that provides management at the host or node level. The chassis itself may include a Chassis Manager (CM) separate from the host, which provides chassis-level management. For example, the CM may control chassis-related hardware such as power supplies and fans.

[0034] At a higher level, embodiments of this disclosure may rely on the host itself, as well as a CM, BMC, and HCI cloud management platform that can run on one or more nodes of the HCI cluster. When each host powers on, it may report certain critical information about itself (e.g., its IP address) to its BMC, which may then report that information to the CM. Hosts may also have the ability to query the CM for information about other hosts in the chassis (e.g., again through the BMC). Once the CM has collected information from all nodes, it can use that information to build the cluster.

[0035] Turn now Figure 2 An exemplary sequence diagram method according to some implementation schemes is shown.

[0036] When the server is first powered on, each host 204 can report its critical information (e.g., its IP address) to its BMC 206. The BMC 206 can then pass this information to the CM 208. In some implementations, the host 204 can communicate with its BMC via an in-band management interface (e.g., Keyboard Controller Style (KCS), Bluetooth, or an internal USB NIC). In some implementations, the BMC 206 and CM 208 can communicate via the I2C Intelligent Platform Management Bus (IPMB).

[0037] In some implementations, a master node can be selected to manage the cluster initialization process. In some cases, the master node can be the node with the smallest sequence number, and so on. Other master node selection methods are also used in some implementations.

[0038] Once the master node of the HCI cluster is selected, and the master host 204 is started, the HCI cloud management software 202 can run on the master host 204 (e.g., within a VM). The HCI cloud management software 202 can query the master node's BMC 206 for the IP addresses of all other discovered nodes in the chassis. The BMC 206 can communicate with the CM 208 in response to the query.

[0039] Based on the IP address information returned from this query, the HCI cloud management software 202 can directly query any other necessary information from other nodes to continue building the cluster. In some implementations, this process can be performed using the node's link-local IPv6 address without the need for a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) server, etc.

[0040] After the HCI cloud management software 202 receives all the other information required to build the cluster, the new cluster can be completed using the existing cluster initialization process.

[0041] Those skilled in the art who will benefit from this disclosure will understand that, for Figure 2 The preferred initialization point of the described method and the order of the steps constituting the method may depend on the chosen implementation. In these and other embodiments, these methods can be implemented as hardware, firmware, software, applications, functions, libraries, or other instructions. Furthermore, although... Figure 2 The disclosure specifies a particular number of steps to be taken in the disclosed method, but the method can be performed with more or fewer steps than depicted. Any of the various components disclosed herein (such as...) can be used. Figure 1 The method can be implemented by components thereof and / or any other system capable of operating to implement the method.

[0042] This disclosure covers all changes, substitutions, variations, alterations, and modifications to the exemplary embodiments herein that will be understood by those skilled in the art. Similarly, where appropriate, the appended claims cover all changes, substitutions, variations, alterations, and modifications to the exemplary embodiments herein that will be understood by those skilled in the art. Furthermore, references in the appended claims to a device, system, or component adapted to, arranged to, capable of, configured to, enabled to, or operable to perform a particular function cover said device, system, or component, whether or not it or said particular function is activated, turned on, or unlocked, provided that said device, system, or component is so adapted, arranged, capable of, configured, enabled, operable, or operable.

[0043] Furthermore, the statement in the appended claims that a structure is “configured” or “operable to” perform one or more tasks is not expressly intended to invoke 35 U.S.SC §112(f) on that claim element. Therefore, none of the claims in this application are intended to be construed as having a component plus a functional element. If the applicant wishes to invoke §112(f) during the period of suit, the applicant will use the structure “component for [performing a function]” to state the claim element.

[0044] All examples and conditional language used herein are intended for pedagogical purposes to aid the reader's understanding of the invention and the concepts contributed by the inventors to advance the art, and are to be construed as not being limited to the examples and conditions specifically stated herein. Although embodiments of the invention have been described in detail, it should be understood that various changes, substitutions, and modifications may be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of this disclosure.

Claims

1. An information processing system cluster, comprising: Chassis; Chassis Manager (CM); as well as Multiple nodes are located within the chassis, each node including a host processor and a baseboard management controller (BMC); Each of the plurality of nodes is configured as follows: Determine a set of operational information regarding the node; The set of operational information is transmitted from the host processor of the node to the BMC of the node; as well as Transmit the set of operational information from the BMC of the node to the CM; and The master node among the plurality of nodes is configured as follows: At the BMC of the master node, the operation information of other nodes among the plurality of nodes is received from the CM. The operational information regarding the other nodes is transmitted from the BMC of the master node to the host processor of the master node; as well as The information processing system cluster is initialized based on the operational information about the other nodes.

2. The information processing system cluster as described in claim 1, wherein the set of operational information includes Internet Protocol (IP) addresses.

3. The information processing system cluster as described in claim 2, wherein the IP address is an IPv6 link-local address.

4. The information processing system cluster as described in claim 3, wherein the information processing system cluster is not communicatively coupled to a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) server.

5. The information processing system cluster as described in claim 1, wherein the information processing system cluster is a hyperconverged infrastructure (HCI) cluster.

6. The information processing system cluster as described in claim 1, wherein the information processing system cluster is deployed at the edge.

7. A method comprising operating within an information processing system cluster, the information processing system cluster including a chassis, a chassis manager (CM), and a plurality of nodes within the chassis, each node including a host processor and a baseboard management controller (BMC), the operation being: Each of the plurality of nodes determines a set of operational information about the node; Each node transmits the set of operational information from the host processor of the node to the BMC of the node; Each node transmits the set of operational information from the BMC of the node to the CM; The master node among the plurality of nodes receives operational information about the other nodes among the plurality of nodes from the CM at the BMC of the master node; The master node transmits the operational information about the other nodes from the master node's BMC to the master node's host processor; as well as The master node initializes the information processing system cluster based on the operational information about the other nodes.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the set of operational information includes Internet Protocol (IP) addresses.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the IP address is an IPv6 link-local address.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the information processing system cluster is not communicatively coupled to a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) server.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the information processing system cluster is a hyperconverged infrastructure (HCI) cluster.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein the information processing system cluster is deployed at the edge.

13. An article of manufacture comprising a non-transitory computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions executable by an information processing system cluster, the information processing system cluster including a chassis, a chassis manager (CM), and a plurality of nodes within the chassis, each node including a host processor and a baseboard management controller (BMC), wherein the instructions are executable to perform the following operations: Each of the plurality of nodes determines a set of operational information about the node; Each node transmits the set of operational information from the host processor of the node to the BMC of the node; Each node transmits the set of operational information from the BMC of the node to the CM; The master node among the plurality of nodes receives operational information about the other nodes among the plurality of nodes from the CM at the BMC of the master node; The master node transmits the operational information about the other nodes from the master node's BMC to the master node's host processor; as well as The master node initializes the information processing system cluster based on the operational information about the other nodes.

14. The article of manufacture as claimed in claim 13, wherein the set of operational information includes an Internet Protocol (IP) address.

15. The article of manufacture as claimed in claim 14, wherein the IP address is an IPv6 link-local address.

16. The article of manufacture as claimed in claim 15, wherein the information processing system cluster is not communicatively coupled to a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) server.

17. The article of manufacture as claimed in claim 13, wherein the information processing system cluster is a hyperconverged infrastructure (HCI) cluster.

18. The article of manufacture as claimed in claim 13, wherein the information processing system cluster is deployed at the edge.

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