Dell Products Inc.

Dell USA L.p.

Dell & Products L.p.

Dell Computer Corporation

Abeye Teshome

Adolfo Sandor Montero

Bassem El-Azzami

Rajaravi Chandra Kollarapu

Vinodkumar Vasudev Ottar

Richard Martin Tonry

Mohit Arora

Luis Antonio Valencia Reyes

Alok Pant

Joseph Kozlowski

Liam B Quinn

Suresh K Ramasamy

Julius Mueller

Ricardo Luis Martinez

Girish S Dhoble

Charles D Robison

Carlton A Andrews

Anantha K Boyapalle

Srinivas Kamepalli

Aaron Merkin

Nicholas Diciurcio Grobelny

David Konetski

Srikanth Kondapi

Dirie N Herzi

Gokul Thiruchengode Vajravel

Yuan-Chang Lo

Andrew T Fausak

Amy Christine Nelson

Nathan Francis Martell

Lan Zhang

Venkata S Prayaga

Michael S Gatson

Nikhil Manohar Vichare

Mohammed K Hijazi

Jon Robert Hass

Claude Lano Cox

Cynthia M Merkin

Douglas Elmer Wallace, Jr

Sinem K Gulbay

Vaibhav Soni

Mario Anthony Limonciello

Stuart D Caffey

Richard M Tonry

Methods and systems for managing a data processing system are disclosed. To manage the data processing system, a management controller of the data processing system may obtain location data for the data processing system via an out-of-band communication channel. The location data for the data processing system may include different types of location data obtained via different location generation sources. The management controller may identify whether the different types of location data are consistently reporting location status of the data processing system. If the location data is determined to be consistent, then the management controller may provide a location report based on the location data using the out-of-band communication channel to a server to update a location status of the data processing system.

Obtaining location data for data processing systems using out-of-band components

Methods and systems for updating a data processing system are disclosed. To update the data processing system, an out of band communication channel may be used by a management controller of the data processing system to: obtain a command, and based on the command, obtain an update package from a remote entity for updating the data processing system. The management controller may store the update package in a partition using local side band communication channels. After the update package is stored, the management controller may initiate a restart of the data processing system. During the restart, if the update package is determined to be in the partition, a startup management entity may use the update package to update operation of a component to obtain an updated component. After completion of the restart, the updated component may be used to provide desired computer implemented services.

Managing out of band software updates

Methods and systems for managing policies for data processing systems are disclosed. A management controller for the data processing system may utilize an out of band communication channel to obtain a set of policies for the data processing system from a remote management system. The management controller may monitor a state of the data processing system and may identify when a condition is met for any policy of the set of the policies. If the condition is met, the management controller may select one or more actions based on the state and the policy for which the condition was met. The management controller may perform the one or more actions to update operation of the data processing system to obtain an updated data processing system.

Policy management for data processing systems using a management controller

Systems and methods for flash arbitration in heterogeneous computing platforms. In some embodiments, an Information Handling System (IHS) may include a heterogeneous computing platform having a plurality of devices, and a flash memory external to the heterogeneous computing platform and coupled to the plurality of devices via a Serial Peripheral Interface (SPI) controller, where the heterogeneous computing platform comprises a flash arbitration circuit coupled between the SPI controller and the plurality of devices, and where the flash arbitration circuit is configured to arbitrate access to the flash memory among the plurality of devices.

Flash arbitration in heterogeneous computing platforms

Methods and systems for registering a management controller of a data processing system with a server and an orchestrator are disclosed. To do so, a key pair may be generated by the management controller and a private key of the key pair may be kept secret by the management controller. Previously established trust between a trusted platform module of the data processing system and a manufacturer of the data processing system may be leveraged to register the management controller with the server. Hardware resources of the data processing system may register a public key of the key pair with the server and may request registration of the management controller with the orchestrator. The management controller may obtain a challenge from an internet of things hub associated with the orchestrator and may respond to the challenge, via an out of band communication channel, to complete the registration of the management controller.

Managing data processing systems in a distributed environment using a management controller

Systems and methods for network connectivity for Out-of-Band (OOB) processors in heterogeneous computing platforms. In some embodiments, an Information Handling System (IHS) may include an OOB Microcontroller Unit (MCU) integrated into a heterogeneous computing platform and a network device coupled to the heterogeneous computing platform, where the OOB MCU is configured to communicate with the network device via a high-speed bus.

Network connectivity for out-of-band processors in heterogeneous computing platforms

Methods and systems for managing a data processing system are disclosed. To manage the data processing system, a management controller may be included in the data processing system. The management controller may perform managerial functions for the data processing system regardless of whether in band components are compromised, depowered, and/or otherwise non-functional. In addition, to communicate with remote entities, the management controller may utilize a network module of the data processing system. The network module may direct network traffic between in band and out of band communication channels and may operate independently from hardware resources of the data processing system.

Managing operation of a data processing system using a management controller and a network module

Methods and systems for managing data processing systems are disclosed. To manage a data processing of the data processing systems, the data processing system may be placed in a first operating state. To do so, first log in credentials may be obtained from a first user and may be used to obtain a first user persona from a server. The first user persona may be obtained via an out of band communication channel and may include a first set of configurations for the data processing system. The first set of the configurations may indicate preferences for operation of the data processing system associated with the first user. At least a portion of the first set of the configurations may be implemented by hardware resources of the data processing system and, therefore, computer-implemented services may be more likely to be provided as desired by the first user.

Managing user personas using a management controller

Systems and methods for Out-of-Band (OOB) networking for heterogeneous computing platforms in low-power states. In some embodiments, an Information Handling System (IHS) may include a heterogeneous computing platform and a network device integrated into or coupled to the heterogeneous computing platform, and the network device may be configured to: wake up from a low-power state while a host processor of the heterogeneous computing platform remains in the low-power state, and access a cloud service through an OOB channel to check a status of an OOB command buffer while the host processor remains in the low-power state.

Out-of-band networking for heterogeneous computing platforms in low-power states

Methods and systems for managing operations of a data processing system are disclosed. To manage operations of the data processing system, a management controller of the data processing system may obtain data to be provided to a remote device. The management controller may obtain a characteristic of the data. Based on at least the characteristic and a rule set for determining transmission paths for data, a determination may be made regarding a transmission path for the data. In a first instance of the determination in which the transmission path includes a broker, the data may be provided to the broker via an out-of-band communication channel using a broker communication protocol. In a second instance of the determination in which the transmission path does not include the broker, the data may be provided to the remote device via an out-of-band communication channel using a hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP).

Selecting a communication method using a management controller of a data processing system

Methods and systems for managing a data processing system are disclosed. The data processing system may provide computer-implemented services and may include in-band hardware resources that operate as specified by operation data of the data processing system while providing the services. However, if the operation data becomes unavailable to the data processing system, then the data processing system may be unable to provide the desired services. Therefore, to increase the likelihood of providing the desired services, the operation data may be managed using distributed backup and recovery processes. To decrease security risk associated with operation data backup and recovery, the distributed processes may be performed using out-of-band components of the data processing system, bypassing in-band hardware components that may be more vulnerable to being compromised (e.g., by a malicious party). The out-of-band management of the operation data may reduce the likelihood of interruptions in providing the desired services.

Data recovery using out-of-band communications

Methods and systems for managing operations of a data processing system are disclosed. To manage operations of the data processing system, a management controller of the data processing system may obtain diagnostic data from hardware resources of the data processing system. The management controller may provide the diagnostic data to a device operation manager. The management controller may obtain a response from the device operation manager indicating a level of anomalousness of the diagnostic data with respect to a baseline for the data processing system. In a first instance of the obtaining where the level of anomalousness meets criteria, the management controller may obtain an action set for updating the operation of the data processing system. The management controller may perform the action set to update an existing operating state of the data processing system to reduce a likelihood that a hardware resource becomes impaired.

Device health management using a management controller of a data processing system

Methods and systems for managing a data processing system for shared wireless connection operation are disclosed. The method may include establishing wireless connection profiles for use in wireless communications by hardware resources of the data processing system. The wireless connection profiles may be securely synchronized with a cache hosted by a management controller of the data processing system. To do so, wireless connection profiles may be securely transmitted by an operating system agent to the management controller using a key pair controlled by the management controller. The wireless connection profiles may also be securely synchronized with a second data processing system to utilize a shared wireless connection profile with the first data processing system in operation.

Managing operation of a data processing system for shared wireless connection

Methods and systems for managing data processing systems are disclosed. The data processing systems may be managed by verifying the integrity of the data processing systems. The integrity may be verified as a prerequisite to use of the data processing systems. The integrity may be verified, at least in part, by verifying that the hardware component loadout of a data processing system is as expected. If the actual hardware component loadout diverges from an expected hardware component loadout, then remedial activity may be performed to address the differences between the actual and expected hardware component loadout.

Out of band component validation

Methods and systems for registering a management controller of a data processing system with a server are disclosed. To register a management controller, an identifier for the management controller may be cryptographically signed using a private key of a public private key pair kept secret by a trusted platform module (TPM). The signed identifier may be provided to the server and the sever may utilize a public key of the public private key pair to verify the signed identifier was signed by a trusted entity. If the signed identifier is verified by the server, the server may register the management controller as associated with the data processing system and as a trusted entity to manage operation of hardware resources of the data processing system. The management controller may subsequently utilize an out of band communication channel to interact with the server to manage the operation of the data processing system.

Management controller registration using a trusted platform module

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Austin, TX, United States of America

Abeye Teshome