# US 2014/0195669 A1 · Emulated communication between master management instance and assisting management instances on baseboard management controller > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0195669 A1 - Document ID: US20140195669A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 13/736,120 - 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/US20140195669A1 ## CPC - 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 11/3055: {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 11/3058: {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 11/3065: {Monitoring arrangements determined by the means or processing involved in reporting the monitored data (error or fault reporting or logging G06F11/0766)} - H04L 43/0817: by checking functioning - 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, and a memory having firmware including a message interface, a master management instance, and first and second assisting management instances. The first and second assisting management instances monitor at least one health or performance related aspect of first and second computer nodes, respectively. The master management instance can receive an IPMI message from the message interface, the IPMI message containing first data for constructing an IPMB message, the first data including a first IPMB slave address. The master management instance can identify the first assisting management instance from the assisting management instances based on the first IPMB slave address. The master management instance can transfer the first data to the first assisting management instance. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A baseboard management controller, comprising: a processor; and a memory having firmware, the firmware including a message interface; a master management instance; and first and second assisting management instances, configured to monitor at least one health or performance related aspect of first and second computer nodes, respectively; wherein, when the firmware is executed at the processor, 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 data including a first IPMB slave address; identify the first assisting management instance from the assisting management instances based on the first IPMB slave address; and transfer the first data to the first assisting management instance. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The baseboard management controller of claim 1, wherein the master management instance, the first assisting management instance, and the second assisting management instance each are configured to run on a respective different process. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The baseboard management controller of claim 2, wherein the master management instance communicates with each of the first and the second assisting management instances through inter-process communication mechanism. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The baseboard management controller of claim 1, wherein the message interface is a system interface or network interface. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The baseboard management controller of claim 1, wherein the first assisting management instance is identified by the first IPMB slave address, wherein the second assistant management instance is identified by a second IPMB slave address. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The baseboard management controller of claim 5, wherein the IPMI message is encapsulated in at least one network packet having a network address associated with the master management instance; and wherein the message interface is a network interface, the master management instance is configured to receive the network packet through the network interface and then retrieve the IPMI message from the network packet. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The baseboard management controller of claim 6, wherein the first and second assisting management instances do not have a network address assigned specifically for the first and second assisting management instances, respectively. ### Claim 8 (depends on 5) The baseboard management controller of claim 5, wherein the first assisting management instance has a first communication interface that is coupled to a first communication bus, wherein the first assisting management instance is configured to communicate with a first managed device of the first managed computer node and that is coupled to the first communication bus. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The baseboard management controller of claim 8, wherein the first assisting management instance is configured to receive the first data from the master management instance, determine a request to the first managed device based on an indication in the first data, send the request to the first managed device through the first communication interface and the first communication bus, and receives a response from the first managed device. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The baseboard management controller of claim 8, wherein the second assisting management instance has a second communication interface that is coupled to a second communication bus; wherein the second assisting management instance is configured to communicate with a sensor of the second managed computer node and that is coupled to the second communication bus; wherein the first and second communication buses use different protocols. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The baseboard management controller of claim 10, wherein the first and the second communication buses each do not use IPMB protocol. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The baseboard management controller of claim 10, wherein the first communication bus is a system management bus, wherein the second communication bus is an I2C bus. ### Claim 13 (depends on 9) The baseboard management controller of claim 9, wherein the first data includes data for constructing an IPMB request to get a reading from a temperature sensor of the first managed computer node, wherein the first assisting management instance is configured to send a request to the temperature sensor through the first communication interface and the first communication bus, and receives the response including a reading from the temperature sensor through the first communication interface and the first communication bus. ### Claim 14 A baseboard management controller (BMC) implemented method, comprising: executing, at a processor of the BMC, a master management instance; executing first and second assisting management instances that monitor at least one health or performance related aspect of first and second computer nodes, respectively; receiving an IPMI message from a message interface of the BMC, the IPMI message containing first data for constructing an IPMB message, the first data including a first IPMB slave address; identifying the first assisting management instance from the assisting management instances based on the first IPMB slave address; and transferring the first data to the first assisting management instance. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The BMC implemented method of claim 14, comprising executing the master management instance, the first assisting management instance, and the second assisting management instance each on a respective different process executed by the processor. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The BMC implemented method of claim 15, comprising the master management instance communicating with each of the first and the second assisting management instances through inter-process communication mechanism. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The BMC implemented method of claim 15, wherein the first assisting management instance is identified by the first IPMB slave address, wherein the second assistant management instance is identified by a second IPMB slave address, wherein the IPMI message is encapsulated in at least one network packet having a network address associated with the master management instance, and wherein the message interface is a network interface; the method further comprising receiving, at the master management instance, the network packet through the network interface and then retrieving the IPMI message from the network packet. ### 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 master management instance; execute first and second assisting management instances that monitor at least one health or performance related aspect of first and second computer nodes, respectively; receive an IPMI message from a message interface of the BMC, the IPMI message containing first data for constructing an IPMB message, the first data including a first IPMB slave address; identify the first assisting management instance from the assisting management instances based on the first IPMB slave address; and transfer the first data to the first assisting management instance. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The non-transitory computer storage medium of claim 18, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the processor to execute the master management instance, the first assisting management instance, and the second assisting management instance each on a respective different process; and communicate the master management instance with each of the first and the second assisting management instances through inter-process communication mechanism. ### Claim 20 (depends on 18) The non-transitory computer storage medium of claim 18, wherein the first assisting management instance is identified by the first IPMB slave address, wherein the second assistant management instance is identified by a second IPMB slave address, wherein the IPMI message is encapsulated in at least one network packet having a network address associated with the master management instance, and wherein the message interface is a network interface, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the processor to receive, at the master management instance, the network packet through the network interface and then to retrieve the IPMI message from the network packet.