Management Processor Emulates Storage Across Pathways
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Solution Overview
Problem
Server computer systems in rack-mounted configurations, such as blade servers, often lack directly coupled keyboard, mouse, or mass storage devices, leading to inefficiencies in remote administration tasks due to limited bandwidth during remote terminal sessions.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a management processor that emulates keyboard, mouse, and mass storage devices over multiple communication pathways, allowing for efficient data transfer and administration by selecting optimal bus configurations for different data streams.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a remote terminal session is established for server administration, then administrative access is enabled, but data transfer speed deteriorates due to limited bandwidth
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the data transfer pathway by introducing a management processor as an intermediate node that receives data over the narrow-band terminal session and redistributes it through multiple wide-band communication pathways to the main processor, effectively dividing the transfer task to overcome bandwidth limitations
Solution Approach 2:
The management processor acts as an intermediary between the terminal session interface and the main processor, receiving data through the limited-bandwidth terminal connection and forwarding it through multiple high-bandwidth communication pathways, thereby mediating the bandwidth mismatch between remote access and data transfer requirements
2Speed
If multiple communication pathways are used for data transfer, then transfer speed improves, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the complexity of managing multiple communication pathways from the main system by implementing it in a dedicated management processor, allowing the main processor to focus on data processing while the management processor handles the complexity of pathway selection and data distribution
Solution Approach 2:
The management processor autonomously manages the multiple communication pathways, performing self-service by automatically selecting optimal pathways and distributing data without requiring complex external control, thereby reducing overall system complexity while maintaining high transfer speeds
Data Source
AI summary
Emulating devices across selected communication pathways by way of a terminal session. At least some of the illustrative embodiments are methods including establishing a terminal session between a first computer system and a second computer system (the second computer system distinct from the first computer system, and the second computer system having a management processor with a plurality of communication pathways to a main processor of the second computer system), configuring the management processor to send data regarding emulation of a first mass storage device across a first selected pathway of the plurality of communication pathways to the main processor (the configuring by way of the terminal session), and emulating (by the management processor) the first mass storage device across the first selected pathway.