Agentless BMC OS Action Initiation via Virtual Serial Device
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing information handling systems with baseboard management controllers (BMCs) require complex and time-consuming agent software to initiate operating system actions, especially for open-source host OS like Linux, which adds proprietary overhead and management costs.
Innovation Solution
Implementing lightweight, scripted user-space utilities that leverage existing OS infrastructure to trigger OS actions without the need for proprietary host agents, using virtual resources and existing kernel infrastructure, such as udev rules, to associate events with predetermined values and execute OS actions directly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If agent software is used to initiate OS actions from BMC, then OS actions can be executed, but software complexity and proprietary overhead increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the polling mechanism from proprietary agent software and relocates it to the open-source udev event system. The BMC pushes events through a virtual serial device, and the udev system handles event processing, eliminating the need for complex agent software while maintaining OS action initiation capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a virtual serial device as an intermediary between the BMC and the host OS. This virtual device translates BMC push events into a format that the udev event system can process, enabling communication without requiring proprietary agent software on the host.
2Extent of automation
If polling mechanism is implemented, then BMC can receive and execute OS actions, but CPU cycles are consumed and complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of the BMC polling the host OS for actions (traditional approach), the patent inverts the communication direction: the host OS event system (udev) pushes events to the BMC when hardware changes occur. This event-driven approach eliminates continuous polling and reduces CPU cycle consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The udev event system automatically processes hardware change events and triggers appropriate OS actions without requiring BMC intervention or polling. The system serves itself by leveraging existing open-source infrastructure to handle event processing and action execution.
3Adaptability or versatility
If proprietary agent software is used for open source OS, then BMC integration is achieved, but software management costs and overhead increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent leverages the universal udev event system that already exists in Linux distributions to handle BMC integration. By making the virtual serial device and event processing rules open-source and distribution-agnostic, the solution achieves broad compatibility without requiring proprietary agent software for each vendor.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a virtual serial device that copies the behavior of physical serial devices, allowing the BMC to communicate through standard serial protocols that udev already supports. This abstraction layer enables BMC integration using existing open-source infrastructure rather than requiring proprietary software implementations.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed methods utilize existing OS infrastructure to act as a low speed interface that a BMC can access and invoke to trigger operating system actions, thereby eliminating the need for a proprietary host agent. Disclosed features include light weight, scripted user-space utilities that utilize existing kernel infrastructure to trigger user space actions based on system hardware changes. Such utilities may be included within popular Linux distributions to reduce software management costs for OEMs, eliminate delays in new code inclusion, block dependencies, and provide customers with one source for all operating system software packages.