# US 11,307,871 B2 · Systems and methods for monitoring and validating server configurations > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,307,871 B2 - Document ID: US11307871B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/695,124 - Filed: 2019-11-25 - Published: 2021-05-27 - Granted: 2022-04-19 - Earliest claimed: 2019-11-25 - Assignees: Dell Products L.P. - Applicants: Dell Products, L.P. - Inventors: Naman Goel; Ravikanth Chaganti; Ravishankar Kanakapura N; Harsha Naik - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11307871B2 ## CPC - G06F 9/44505: {Configuring for program initiating, e.g. using registry, configuration files} - G06F 8/65: Updates (security arrangements therefor G06F21/57) - G06F 11/3006: {where the computing system is distributed, e.g. networked systems, clusters, multiprocessor systems (multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46; allocation of resources G06F9/50)} - G06F 11/302: {where the computing system component is a software system} - G06F 11/3044: {where the computing system component is the mechanical casing of the computing system} - G06F 11/3058: {Monitoring arrangements for monitoring environmental properties or parameters of the computing system or of the computing system component, e.g. monitoring of power, currents, temperature, humidity, position, vibrations (thermal management in cooling arrangements of a computing system G06F1/206)} - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) ## Abstract Method and systems support configuring components of a chassis comprising a plurality of IHSs (Information Handling Systems). A management controller of the chassis initiates a process for identifying a plurality of hardware and software capabilities of the chassis. Based on the identified capabilities, computing solutions, such as specialized computation and storage functions, supported by the chassis are determined. The computing solutions supported by the capabilities of the chassis are encoded, such as within a set of compatibility bits. Upon detecting updates to the hardware and software capabilities of the chassis, the encoded compatibility bits are used to determine compatibility of the updated capabilities with computing solutions supported by the chassis. The encoded solution compatibility information is transmitted to a solution manager that monitors compliance of multiple chassis within a datacenter and identifies chassis that are compatible with a particular computing solution without querying the individual chassis. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for configuring a plurality of replaceable IHSs (Information Handling Systems) installed in a chassis, the method comprising: collecting, by a solution monitor process operated by a management controller of the chassis, an inventory of hardware and software capabilities reported by the replaceable IHSs installed in the chassis, wherein the management controller manages sharing of resources of the chassis by the plurality of replaceable IHSs; determining a plurality of computing solutions supported by the chassis using the inventory of hardware and software capabilities reported by the replaceable IHSs installed in the chassis; encoding the computing solutions determined to be supported by the chassis, wherein the supported computing solutions are encoded within a plurality of capability bits that are maintained by the management controller of the chassis; detecting updates to the hardware and software capabilities of the replaceable IHSs installed in the chassis; and determining, based on the computing solutions encoded within the capability bits maintained by the management controller of the chassis, when the updated hardware and software capabilities reported by the replaceable IHSs installed in the chassis are incompatible with a computing solution supported by the chassis. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: transmitting the capability bits encoding the computing solutions supported by the chassis to a remote solution manager operable to monitor computing solutions supported by a plurality of chassis. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, further comprising: identifying, by the solution manager based on the capability bits, one or more of the plurality of chassis that are compatible with a first computing solution. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the chassis is configured to support a first computing solution based on the hardware and software capabilities reported by the replaceable IHSs installed in the chassis. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, further comprising: detecting, based on the computing solutions encoded in the capability bits maintained by the chassis management controller, when the updated hardware and software capabilities of the chassis are incompatible with the first computing solution. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, further comprising: determining, based on the computing solutions encoded in the capability bits maintained by the chassis management controller, a second computing solution supported by the updated hardware and software capabilities of the chassis. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: reporting the detected updates to the hardware and software capabilities of the chassis to a plurality of hardware components of the chassis that support a distributed hardware compatibility ledger. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, wherein a hardware compatibility ledger of a first hardware component specifies hardware components compatible with the first hardware component. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, further comprising: evaluating, by the first hardware component, the detected updates to the hardware and software capabilities against the hardware compatibility ledger; and signaling incompatibility of the first hardware component with the detected updates based on the evaluation. ### Claim 10 A chassis management controller configured as a component of a chassis comprising a plurality of replaceable IHSs (Information Handling Systems) installed in the chassis, wherein the chassis management controller manages sharing of resources of the chassis by the plurality of replaceable IHSs, the chassis management controller comprising: one or more processors; and a memory device coupled to the one or more processors, the memory device storing computer-readable instructions that, upon execution by the one or more processors, cause the chassis management controller to: identify a plurality of hardware and software capabilities reported by the replaceable IHSs installed in the chassis; determine a plurality of computing solutions supported by the chassis using the plurality of hardware and software capabilities reported by the replaceable IHSs installed in the chassis; encode the computing solutions determined to be supported by the chassis, wherein the supported computing solutions are encoded within a plurality of capability bits that are maintained by the management controller of the chassis; detect updates to the hardware and software capabilities of the replaceable IHSs installed in the chassis; and determine, based on the computing solutions encoded in the capability bits maintained by the chassis management controller, when the updated hardware and software capabilities reported by the replaceable IHSs installed in the chassis are incompatible with a computing solution supported by the chassis. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The chassis management controller of claim 10, wherein execution of the instructions further causes the chassis management controller to: transmit the capability bits encoding the computing solutions supported by the chassis to a remote solution manager operable to monitor computing solutions supported by a plurality of chassis and to identify one or more of the plurality of supported chassis that are compatible with a first computing solution. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The chassis management controller of claim 10, wherein the chassis is configured to support a first computing solution based on the hardware and software capabilities reported by the replaceable IHSs installed in the chassis. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The chassis management controller of claim 12, wherein execution of the instructions further causes the chassis management controller to: detect, based on the computing solutions encoded in the capability bits maintained by the chassis management controller, when the updated hardware and software capabilities of the chassis are incompatible with the first computing solution. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The chassis management controller of claim 13, wherein execution of the instructions further causes the chassis management controller to: determine, based on the computing solutions encoded in the capability bits maintained by the chassis management controller, a second computing solution supported by the updated hardware and software capabilities of the chassis. ### Claim 15 (depends on 10) The chassis management controller of claim 10, wherein execution of the instructions further causes the chassis management controller to: report the detected updates to the hardware and software capabilities of the chassis to a plurality of hardware components of the chassis that support a distributed hardware compatibility ledger used to evaluate compatibility of a respective hardware component with the detected updates. ### Claim 16 A memory device coupled to one or more processors of a chassis management controller that manages sharing of resources of a chassis by a plurality of replaceable IHSs installed in the chassis, the memory device storing computer-readable instructions that, upon execution by the one or more processors, cause the processors to: identify a plurality of hardware and software capabilities reported by the replaceable IHSs installed in the chassis; determine a plurality of computing solutions supported by the chassis using the plurality of hardware and software capabilities reported by the replaceable IHSs installed in the chassis; encode the computing solutions determined to be supported by the chassis, wherein the supported computing solutions are encoded within a plurality of capability bits that are maintained by the management controller of the chassis; detect updates to the hardware and software capabilities of the replaceable IHSs installed in the chassis; and determine, based on the computing solutions encoded in the capability bits maintained by the chassis management controller, when the updated hardware and software capabilities reported by the replaceable IHSs installed in the chassis are incompatible with a computing solution supported by the chassis. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The memory device of claim 16, wherein execution of the instructions further causes the processors to: transmit the capability bits encoding the computing solutions supported by the chassis to a remote solution manager operable to monitor computing solutions supported by a plurality of chassis and to identify one or more of the plurality of supported chassis that are compatible with a first computing solution. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The memory device of claim 16, wherein the chassis is configured to support a first computing solution based on the hardware and software capabilities reported by the replaceable IHSs installed in the chassis. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The memory device of claim 18, wherein execution of the instructions further causes the processors to: detect, based on the encoded computing solutions encoded in the capability bits maintained by the chassis management controller, when the updated hardware and software capabilities of the chassis are incompatible with the first computing solution. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The memory device of claim 19, wherein execution of the instructions further causes the processors to: determine, based on the computing solutions encoded in the capability bits maintained by the chassis management controller, a second computing solution supported by the updated hardware and software capabilities of the chassis.