Expansion Chassis Sideband Control for Power and Cooling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Managing power and cooling in expansion chassis of information handling systems without a local management controller poses a significant challenge, as existing solutions lack efficient control mechanisms.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a host interface card system with sideband signals to communicate control signals between the main chassis and expansion chassis, enabling power and cooling management through external cables with in-band and sideband channels, thereby eliminating the need for a baseboard management controller within the expansion chassis.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If an expansion chassis is designed without a local management controller to reduce hardware complexity and cost, then device complexity is reduced, but the ability to manage power and cooling in the expansion chassis is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the management functionality previously distributed across multiple controllers by consolidating power and cooling control capabilities into the host system motherboard. The host motherboard's management controller now handles both main chassis and expansion chassis power/cooling management, eliminating the need for a separate BMC in the expansion chassis while maintaining full management capability through unified control.
2Ease of manufacture
If a local management controller is removed from the expansion chassis to simplify the system, then ease of manufacture is improved, but control capability over expansion chassis resources is degraded
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary communication mechanism using existing PCIe communication channels between the host system and expansion chassis. Management commands and status information are transmitted through these established channels, allowing the host motherboard to act as an intermediary that relays control signals to expansion chassis components without requiring a local BMC.
Solution Approach 2:
The host system motherboard's management controller is designed to perform multiple functions: managing both the main chassis and expansion chassis power and cooling subsystems. This universal management approach allows a single controller to handle diverse management tasks across different chassis types, eliminating the need for specialized local controllers in expansion units.
3Adaptability or versatility
If expansion chassis are designed as motherboard-less units to increase adaptability and flexibility, then adaptability is improved, but the ability to implement local management and control is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the management controller from the expansion chassis and relocates it to the host system motherboard. This extraction allows expansion chassis to be designed as simpler, motherboard-less units that can be more easily adapted to different configurations, while the host system retains full management capability through its centralized controller.
Data Source
AI summary
An information handling system may include a main chassis and a motherboard-less expansion chassis. The main chassis may include a host system motherboard and a first host interconnect card. The motherboard-less expansion chassis may include a second host interconnect card communicatively coupled to the first interconnect card via an external cable having one or more in-band signal channels and one or more sideband signal channels, a first information handling resource configured to communicate data with the host system motherboard via the one or more in-band signal channels, and a second information handling resource configured to communicate control signals with the host system motherboard via the one or more sideband signal channels.