Systems and methods for smart network interface card-initiated server management

A method comprising, in an information handling system comprising a host processor, a baseboard management controller communicatively coupled to the host processor and configured for out-of-band management of the information handling system, and a smart network interface card communicatively coupled to the host processor and the baseboard management controller:

• obtaining, by the smart network interface card, a secret, randomly generated by the baseboard management controller, for authenticating the smart network interface card to the baseboard management controller;
• requesting, by the smart network interface card, an access token reference from the baseboard management controller, the request including the secret and an identifier of the smart network interface card in order to authenticate the smart network interface card to the baseboard management controller;
• in response to the request for the access token reference, receiving, by the smart network interface card, the access token reference;
• and
• communicating, by the smart network interface card, a management task request to the baseboard management controller using the access token reference;
• wherein the secret is invalidated in response to removal of the smart network interface card.

An article of manufacture comprising:

• a non-transitory computer-readable medium;
• and
• computer-executable instructions carried on the computer-readable medium, the instructions readable by a processor of a smart network interface card of an information handling system comprising a host processor communicatively coupled to the smart network interface card and a baseboard management controller communicatively coupled to the host processor and the smart network interface card and configured for out-of-band management of the information handling system, the instructions, when read and executed, for causing the processor to:
• obtain a secret, randomly generated by the baseboard management controller, for authenticating the smart network interface card to the baseboard management controller;
• request an access token reference from the baseboard management controller, the request including the secret and an identifier of the smart network interface card in order to authenticate the smart network interface card to the baseboard management controller;
• in response to the request for the access token reference, receive the access token reference;
• and
• communicate a management task request to the baseboard management controller using the access token reference;
• wherein the secret is invalidated in response to removal of the smart network interface card.