System and method for system surveillance using firmware progress code

An information handling system comprising:

• one or more host processors;
• a service processor;
• a shared memory accessible by the host processors and the service processor;
• an surveillance tool for monitoring initialization of the information handling system, the surveillance tool including:
• means for initializing a timer within the service processor;
• means for reading the shared memory from the service processor, wherein the shared memory is accessible by a host computer and the service processor;
• means for determining whether updated progress data is included in the shared memory based on the reading;
• and
• means for performing host error processing by the service processor in response to determining that no updated progress data is included in the shared memory and that the timer has expired.

A computer program product stored in a computer operable media for monitoring host computer initialization, said computer program product comprising:

• means for initializing a timer within a service processor;
• means for reading a shared storage area from the service processor, wherein the shared storage area is accessible by a host computer and the service processor;
• means for determining whether updated progress data is included in the shared storage area based on the reading;
• and
• means for performing host error processing by the service processor in response to determining that no updated progress data is included in the shared storage area and that the timer has expired.