American Megatrends, Inc.

American Megatrends International, LLC

Umasankar Mondal

Shibu Abraham

Stefano Righi

Sanjoy Maity

Jay Pancholi

Roger Smith

Clas Gerhard Sivertsen

Jacob Narey

Dingguo Zou

Timothy Bouda

Technologies are described herein for providing a Baseboard Management Controller ('BMC')-based security processor. The disclosed BMC-based security processor can provide a hardware Root of Trust (“RoT”) for a computing platform without the addition of specialized silicon to the platform and while minimizing the number of attack points. The disclosed BMC-based security processor can also provide functionality for securely filtering requests made on certain buses in a computing platform. Through implementations of the features identified briefly above, and others described herein, various technical benefits can be achieved such as, but not limited to, increased security as compared to previous computing systems that utilize a BMC to provide a hardware RoT and reduced complexity and cost as compared to previous computing systems that utilize a separate hardware device, such as a Field Programmable Gate Array (“FPGA”) or a microcontroller, to provide a hardware RoT.

Baseboard Management Controller (BMC)-based security processor

Technologies are described herein for providing a Baseboard Management Controller ('BMC') -based security processor. The disclosed BMC-based security processor can provide a hardware Root of Trust ('RoT') for a computing platform without the addition of specialized silicon to the platform and while minimizing the number of attack points. The disclosed BMC-based security processor can also provide functionality for securely filtering requests made on certain buses in a computing platform. Through implementations of the features identified briefly above, and others described herein, various technical benefits can be achieved such as, but not limited to, increased security as compared to previous computing systems that utilize a BMC to provide a hardware RoT and reduced complexity and cost as compared to previous computing systems that utilize a separate hardware device, such as a Field Programmable Gate Array (&#x201c;FPGA&#x201d;) or a microcontroller, to provide a hardware RoT.

Baseboard management controller (BMC)-based security processor

In an aspect of the disclosure, an apparatus, a computer-readable medium, and a method are provided. The apparatus may be a service processor. The service processor receives, a first command or data of a UBM protocol from a UBM host running on a host of the service processor. The UBM protocol is a first protocol supported by the service processor. The first command or data instructs a backplane controller of the host to perform a first task. The service processor generates a second command or data of a second protocol supported by the service processor. The second command or data instructs the backplane controller to perform the first task. The service processor sends the second command or data to the backplane controller.

UBM implementation inside BMC

Systems and methods for detecting types of storage drives connected to a controller, which performs backplane or enclosure management. The controller has multiple pins, which includes N analog pins, such as the PRSNT# pins. Each of the N analog pins is electrically connected to a corresponding detecting circuits. Further, 2*N storage drives may be connected to and controlled by the controller in a way such that each analog pin may be connected to two storage drives via a corresponding detecting circuit for detecting a drive type of each storage drive. Each storage drive may be a SATA/SAS storage drive, or a NVMe storage drive. In operation, the controller receives a voltage from each of the N analog pins, and determines the drive type of each of the two of the 2*N storage drives based on the voltage received from each of the N analog pins.

System and method for detecting types of storage drives connected to backplane controller or enclosure management controller

Systems and methods providing a downloadable custom light emitting diode (LED) blinking pattern for a controller, which performs backplane or enclosure management. The controller has a memory, which stores data of a standard LED blinking pattern. When no custom LED blinking pattern data is available in the memory, the controller controls the LEDs to perform a standard blinking pattern based on the standard LED blinking pattern data to indicate the of the storage drives. A user may generate a custom pattern file, which contains custom LED blinking pattern data, and then use a downloading tool to download the custom pattern file to the controller, such that the memory of the controller may store the custom LED blinking pattern data. Instead of using the standard LED blinking pattern, the controller may then control the LEDs to perform a custom blinking pattern based on the custom LED blinking pattern data.

System and method for providing downloadable custom LED blinking pattern for backplane controller or enclosure management controller

Aspects of direct to systems and methods for controlling LEDs by a backplane or enclosure management controller. A controller has multiple output ports, including M ports connecting to M row control lines and N ports connecting to N column control lines. At least (M*N) LEDs respectively connected to the M row control lines and N column control lines to form a virtual LED matrix. In operation, the controller monitors N storage drives of the system, and determines at least M states for each storage drive. Based on the M states for each storage drive, the controller determines a state of each LED being ON or OFF, and outputs control signals to the at least M row control lines and the at least N column control lines through the output ports based on the state of each LED, such that the LEDs display the states of the storage drives.

System and method for controlling light emitting diodes using backplane controller or enclosure management controller

A vehicle display system and methods of controlling the same. In certain embodiments, an image processing module receives video signals from a video camera and generates first video data in a first format. A system management mode (SMM) program is stored in a memory. When executed at a processor, the SMM program reads the first video data from a first area of the memory, converts the first video data to second video data in a second format, and writes the second video data to a second area of the memory. A PCI express switch forwards the first video data in the first format to a memory controller for storing in the first area of the memory, and forwards the second video data in the second format from the second area of the memory to the graphic controller.

Vehicle video display system

One aspect of the present disclosure relates to a backplane initiator for testing enclosure management controller. The backplane initiator includes: an initiator board and an initiator control application. The initiator board includes initiator controller, at least one SGPIO interface, at least one SMBus interface, and a first communication interface. The initiator controller is configured to transmit control commands and data according to enclosure management protocol through the SGPIO interface and the SMBus interface to an EMC. The initiator control application, when executed on a computing device having a second communication interface in communication with the first communication interface, is configured to establish a communication channel with the initiator controller through the first and second communication interfaces, and instruct the initiator controller to transmit a first control command and first control data according to enclosure management protocol through the SGPIO interface and the SMBus interface to the EMC.

Techniques for testing enclosure management controller using backplane initiator

Certain aspects direct to data transfer between a baseboard management controller (BMC) and a host computer. When the BMC is connected to the host computer via a universal serial bus (USB) interface, the BMC sends USB descriptors to the host computer such that the host computer recognizes the BMC as a specific human interface device (HID) device based on the USB descriptors. To transfer data to the host computer, the BMC converts the data to an Intelligent Platform Management Interface (IPMI) message, and generates a USB HID report containing the IPMI message as the report data. The BMC then sends the USB HID report to the host computer through the USB interface. When the BMC receives a USB HID report from the host computer, the BMC retrieves the report data, which is an IPMI message, from the USB HID report, and process the IPMI message to obtain the data.

IPMI over USB data transfer between host computer and baseboard management controller (BMC)

According to one aspect, a communications system is disclosed. In one embodiment, the communications system includes a managed communications module that is executable on a personal communications device. The managed communications module is operative to, when executed by a processor, receive input data associated with sound from a user of the personal communications device and to cause the personal communications device to send audio output data including the input data over a local wireless network link. A management module that is executable on a management computer is operative to, when executed by a processor, receive the audio output data and to perform at least one audio data processing function to generate processed audio data. The management module is also operative to, when executed, cause the management computer to send the processed audio data to the managed communications module over the local wireless network link.

Audio communications system and methods using personal wireless communication devices

Methods, systems, apparatus, and computer-readable media for providing a redundant power solution for an expansion card installed within a host computer. The expansion card has a hardware device and a power control mechanism. The power control mechanism provides power to the hardware device from a conditional power source when available, and from computer system standby power when the conditional power source is unavailable. The power control mechanism may comprise a power sensing mechanism to determine when conditional power source output decreases below a threshold level and a switching mechanism to switch from the conditional power source to computer system standby power when this happens. The hardware device may enter a low power mode upon receiving computer system standby power.

Redundant power solution for computer system expansion cards

The present invention provides systems and methods for monitoring a host computing system from a maintenance computing system located at a remote location. The system of the present invention includes a frame grabber that is connected the digital output of a video controller associated with the host computing system and collects sets of data output in digital form from the video controller independent of an analog to digital converter. Each collected digital data set represents a frame of data displayed on a terminal of the host computing system by the video controller and is stored in a storage device associated with the frame grabber. Successive sets of data are also compared to each other, and the differences between the data are also stored in the storage device. During a maintenance session, a first data set representing the data currently displayed on the terminal of the host computing system is transmitted to the maintenance computing system, and thereafter, only changes between successive data sets are transmitted to update the maintenance computing system.

Systems and methods for capturing screen displays from a host computing system for display at a remote terminal

A method, apparatus, and computer-readable medium for compressing and decompressing an input data stream utilizing multiple dictionaries is provided. According the method for compressing data, a string and a character are read from the input data stream. A determination is made as to whether the string plus character are contained in a first or second dictionary. If the string plus character is in either dictionary, a next character is added to the string. If the string plus character is not in either dictionary, a code or character is output. A determination is then made as to whether the input word and string is a two character word. If so, a new code is added to the first dictionary corresponding to the two character word. Otherwise, a new code is added to the second dictionary for the string and character.

Growing community of inventors

Snellville, GA, United States of America

Umasankar Mondal