# US 2014/0195657 A1 · Implementation on baseboard management controller of single out-of-band communication access to multiple managed computer nodes > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0195657 A1 - Document ID: US20140195657A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 13/736,150 - Filed: 2013-01-08 - Published: 2014-07-10 - Earliest claimed: 2013-01-08 - Assignees: American Megatrends, Inc. - Applicants: American Megatrends, Inc. - Inventors: Anurag Bhatia; Winston Thangapandian - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140195657A1 ## CPC - G06F 11/3055: {Monitoring arrangements for monitoring the status of the computing system or of the computing system component, e.g. monitoring if the computing system is on, off, available, not available (error or fault processing without redundancy G06F11/0703; error detection or correction by redundancy in data representation G06F11/08; error detection or correction of the data by redundancy in operations G06F11/14; error detection or correction by redundancy in hardware G06F11/16)} - G06F 11/3003: {Monitoring arrangements specially adapted to the computing system or computing system component being monitored} - 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 11/3031: {where the computing system component is a motherboard or an expansion card} - 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 11/3068: {where the reporting involves data format conversion} - G06F 13/42: Bus transfer protocol, e.g. handshake; Synchronisation - H04L 41/0213: Standardised network management protocols, e.g. simple network management protocol [SNMP] - H04L 41/04: Network management architectures or arrangements - H04L 41/20: {Network management software packages} - H04L 41/344: Out-of-band transfers - H04L 43/0817: by checking functioning - H04L 61/5038: for local use, e.g. in LAN or USB networks, or in a controller area network [CAN] - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) ## Abstract Certain aspects of the present disclosure are directed to a baseboard management controller (BMC). The BMC includes: a processor; a network interface controller assigned with a network address; and a memory having firmware. The firmware is configured to be, when executed at the processor, in communication with a plurality of computer nodes, and to receive, through the same network interface controller, management requests each for performing a management operation at one of the plurality of computer nodes and addressed to the same network address, the management requests being directed to at least two of the plurality of computer nodes. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A baseboard management controller, comprising: a processor; a network interface controller assigned with a network address; and a memory having firmware, wherein the firmware configured to be, when executed at the processor, in communication with a plurality of computer nodes, and to receive, through the same network interface controller, management requests each for performing a management operation at one of the plurality of computer nodes and addressed to the same network address, the management requests being directed to at least two of the plurality of computer nodes. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The baseboard management controller of claim 1, wherein the firmware is configured to provide a single out-of-band communication access for communicating with all of the plurality of computer nodes. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The baseboard management controller of claim 2, wherein the firmware is configured to allow all out-of-band communication messages directed to the plurality of computer nodes to be addressed to the same network address and handled by the same network interface controller. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The baseboard management controller of claim 2, wherein each of the management requests includes data for constructing a protocol message in accordance with a first communication protocol, the protocol message including a management command, the first communication protocol being capable of directing communication among the plurality of computer nodes. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The baseboard management controller of claim 4, wherein each of the management requests is an IMPI message encapsulated in at least one network packet addressed to the network address; and wherein the firmware is configured to receive the network packet through the network interface controller and retrieve the IPMI message from the network packet. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The baseboard management controller of claim 4, wherein the firmware is configured to determine a target computer node from the plurality of computer nodes based on a first protocol address in accordance with the first communication protocol and included in the protocol message. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The baseboard management controller of claim 6, wherein the firmware is configured to associate each of the plurality of computer nodes with a respective protocol address in accordance with the first communication protocol, maintain a record of the association of the protocol addresses and the computer nodes, and determine the target computer node by examining the record with the first protocol address. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The baseboard management controller of claim 7, wherein the first communication protocol is IPMB protocol and, the protocol addresses are IPMB addresses. ### Claim 9 (depends on 4) The baseboard management controller of claim 4, wherein the firmware further comprises: a master management instance; a plurality of assisting management instances, each configured to managing at least one health or performance related aspect of a respective one of the plurality of computer nodes; wherein the master management instance is configured to determine, based on an indication included in a management request, a target computer node targeted by the management request from the plurality of computer nodes, and transfer the management request to an assisting management instance managing the target computer node. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The baseboard management controller of claim 9, wherein the firmware further comprises a message interface in communication with the network interface controller; wherein the master management instance is configured to receive an IPMI message from the message interface, the IPMI message containing first data for constructing an IPMB message, the first dada including a first IPMB address; identify the target first assisting management instance from the assisting management instances based on the first IPMB slave address; and transfer the data to an assisting management instance selected from the plurality of the assisting management instance in accordance with the 1st data. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The baseboard management controller of claim 10, wherein each of the plurality of assisting management instances does not have a network address assigned specifically for that assisting management instance. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The baseboard management controller of claim 9, wherein each of the master management instance and the plurality of assisting management instance is configured to run on a respective different process. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The baseboard management controller of claim 12, wherein the master management instance communicates with each of the first and the second assisting management instances through inter-process communication mechanism. ### Claim 14 A baseboard management controller (BMC) implemented method, comprising: executing, at a processor of the BMC, a program to be in communication with a plurality of computer nodes; and receiving, at the program and through a network interface controller of the BMC assigned with a network address, management requests each for performing a management operation at one of the plurality of computer nodes and addressed to the same network address, wherein the management requests are directed to at least two of the plurality of computer nodes. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The BMC implemented method of claim 14, comprising; receiving, at the program, all out-of-band communication messages directed to the plurality of computer nodes through network packets addressed to the same network address; and handling the network packets addressed to the same network address by the same network interface controller. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The BMC implemented method of claim 15, wherein each of the management requests includes data for constructing a protocol message in accordance with a first communication protocol, the protocol message including a management command, the first communication protocol being capable of directing communication among the plurality of computer nodes, wherein each of the management requests is an IMPI message encapsulated in at least one network packet addressed to the network address; the method comprising receiving, at the program, the network packet through the network interface controller; and retrieving the IPMI message from the network packet. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The BMC implemented method of claim 15, comprising associating each of the plurality of computer nodes with a respective protocol address in accordance with the first communication protocol; maintaining a record of the association of the protocol addresses and the computer nodes; and determining, at the program, a target computer node from the plurality of computer nodes based on a first protocol address in accordance with the first communication protocol and included in the protocol message as well as by examining the record with the first protocol address. ### Claim 18 A non-transitory computer storage medium having computer-executable instructions stored thereon which, when executed by a processor of a baseboard management controller (BMC), cause the processor to: execute a program to be in communication with a plurality of computer nodes; and receive, through a network interface controller of the BMC and assigned with a network address, management requests each for performing a management operation at one of the plurality of computer nodes and addressed to the same network address, wherein the management requests are directed to at least two of the plurality of computer nodes. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The non-transitory computer storage medium of claim 18, wherein each of the management requests includes data for constructing a protocol message in accordance with a first communication protocol, the protocol message including a management command, the first communication protocol being capable of directing communication among the plurality of computer nodes, wherein each of the management requests is an IMPI message encapsulated in at least one network packet addressed to the network address; wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the processor to receive, at the program, the network packet through the network interface controller; and retrieve the IPMI message from the network packet. ### Claim 20 (depends on 18) The non-transitory computer storage medium of claim 18, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the processor to associate each of the plurality of computer nodes with a respective protocol address in accordance with the first communication protocol; maintain a record of the association of the protocol addresses and the computer nodes; and determine target computer node from the plurality of computer nodes based on a first protocol address in accordance with the first communication protocol and included in the protocol message as well as by examining the record with the first protocol address.