US 11,899,831 B2 · Managing security of enclosure based on a task status and geographical location of the enclosure

Abstract

Examples described herein relate to a method for managing hardware changes at an enclosure and a server. The enclosure includes a server and multiple hardware devices connected to the enclosure. A chassis manager in the enclosure is communicatively coupled to a manageability controller of the server and the multiple hardware devices. On enabling tamper detection, the manageability controller and the chassis manager monitor the hardware devices for determining changes in the hardware devices. A change in a hardware device is compared with a permissible hardware change to determine whether the change in the hardware device is unauthorized. The permissible hardware changes include changes in hardware devices that are permitted by a customer. Security actions are performed at the server and the enclosure if unauthorized changes in the hardware device are detected by the manageability controller and chassis manager.

Claims18

Dependent claims

A method comprising:

determining, by a manageability controller of a server, whether a tamper detection is enabled, wherein the tamper detection is enabled to monitor changes in a set of hardware devices that are separate from the server and connected to an enclosure hosted in the server;
in response to determining that the tamper detection is enabled, determining, by the manageability controller, whether there is a change in a hardware device of the set of hardware devices by comparing a current hardware configuration of the set of hardware devices with a baseline hardware configuration of the set of hardware devices;
in response to determining that there is a change in the hardware device, determining, by the manageability controller, whether the change in the hardware device is authorized based on a permissible hardware change for the hardware device;
and
transmitting, in response to determining that the change in the hardware device is authorized, information associated with the change in the hardware device to a chassis manager for the chassis manager to update an inventory database, wherein the chassis manager is communicatively coupled to the manageability controller and the set of hardware devices in an enclosure.

2 more elements

A manageability controller of a server for managing hardware changes, the manageability controller comprising:

a processor;
and
a non-transitory machine-readable storage medium coupled to the processor, the non-transitory machine-readable storage medium storing instructions that when executed by the processor causes the processor to:
determine whether a tamper detection is enabled, wherein the tamper detection is enabled to monitor changes in a set of hardware devices that are separate from the server and connected to an enclosure hosting the server;
in response to determining that the tamper detection is enabled, determine whether there is a change in a hardware device by comparing a current hardware configuration of the set of hardware devices with a baseline hardware configuration of the set of hardware devices;
in response to determining that there is change in the hardware device,
determine whether the change in the hardware device is unauthorized based on a permissible hardware change for the hardware device;
perform a security action in response to determining that the change in the hardware device is unauthorized;
and
enable the tamper detection at the server automatically based on a geographical location received from a chassis manager, wherein the geographical location is received by the chassis manager from a receiver in the enclosure.

7 more elements

A chassis manager within an enclosure for managing hardware changes, the chassis manager comprising:

a processing resource;
and
a non-transitory machine-readable storage medium coupled to the processing resource, the non-transitory machine-readable storage medium storing instructions that when executed by the processing resource causes the processing resource to:
determine a status of presence pins in slots of an enclosure, wherein a plurality of hardware devices are connected to the slots in the enclosure, wherein the status of presence pins indicates presence of the plurality of hardware devices, and wherein the chassis manager is communicatively coupled to the plurality of hardware devices;
determine whether a hardware device is removed and a new hardware device is inserted at a slot of the enclosure based on the status of presence pins;
determine, in response to determining that the hardware device is removed and the new hardware device is inserted in the slot, whether the new hardware device is unauthorized by comparing the new hardware device with a permissible hardware change for the hardware device;
perform a security action in response to determining that the new hardware device is unauthorized;
and
enable a tamper detection at the enclosure based on a geographical location received from a receiver in the enclosure.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Managing security of enclosure based on a task status and geographical location of the enclosure

Life of this patent

Managing security of enclosure based on a task status and geographical location of the enclosure

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims18