# US 2014/0195704 A1 · Chassis management implementation by management instance on baseboard management controller managing multiple computer nodes > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0195704 A1 - Document ID: US20140195704A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 13/736,233 - 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/US20140195704A1 ## 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 and a memory having firmware. The firmware includes a master management instance and a plurality of assisting management instances. When the firmware is executed at the processor, the master management instance is configured to manage a chassis of a computer system, and each of the assisting management instances is configured to manage at least one health or performance related aspect a respective different computer node of a plurality of computer nodes of the computer system. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A baseboard management controller, comprising: a processor; and a memory having firmware, the firmware including a master management instance and a plurality of assisting management instances, wherein, when the firmware is executed at the processor, the master management instance is configured to manage a chassis of a computer system, and each of the assisting management instances is configured to manage at least one health or performance related aspect a respective different computer node of a plurality of computer nodes of the computer system. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The baseboard management controller of claim 1, wherein the firmware further comprises a message interface; wherein the master management instance is configured to receive an IPMI message from the message interface; determine whether the IPMI message contains a chassis management command; and in response to determining that the IPMI message contains a chassis management command, perform a management action or operation on a first chassis management device of the computer system in accordance with the chassis management command. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The baseboard management controller of claim 2, wherein the IPMI message further contains a first indication to a first chassis management device, and wherein the master management instance is configured to determine the first chassis management device from a plurality of chassis management devices of the computer system based on the first indication. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The baseboard management controller of claim 2, wherein the master management instance is configured to perform at least one of: controlling and monitoring chassis fan speeds, reading system identification (ID) PROMs, monitoring voltage levels and reporting failures, monitoring a On/Off power sequence, monitoring system resets, and applying a preset voltage to a control board of the computer system. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The baseboard management controller of claim 2, wherein the master management instance is configured to perform the management action or operation in accordance with at least one of the following IPMI commands: Get Chassis Capabilities, Get Chassis Status, Chassis Control, Chassis Reset, Chassis Identify, Set Front Panel Button Enables, Set Chassis Capabilities, Set Power Restore Policy, Set Power Cycle Interval, Get System Restart Cause, Set System Boot Options, Get System Boot Options, and Get POH counter. ### Claim 6 (depends on 2) The baseboard management controller of claim 2, wherein the IPMI message further contains first data for constructing an IPMB message, wherein the master management instance is configured to determine whether the first data contains the chassis management command, and wherein the master management instance is configured to, in response to determining that the first data contains a chassis management command, not transfer the first data to any of the assisting management instance. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The baseboard management controller of claim 6, wherein the master management instance is configured to, in response to determining that the first data do not contain a chassis management command, transfer the first data to one of the assisting management instance. ### Claim 8 (depends on 2) The baseboard management controller of claim 2, wherein the master management instance and the plurality of assisting management instances each are configured to run on a respective different process. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The baseboard management controller of claim 8, wherein the master management instance communicates with each of the plurality of assisting management instances through an inter-process communication mechanism. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The baseboard management controller of claim 9, wherein the message interface is a system interface or network interface. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The baseboard management controller of claim 1, wherein the firmware is configured to associate each of the plurality of computer nodes with a respective protocol address in accordance with a first communication protocol, maintain a record of the association of the protocol addresses and the computer nodes, and determine a target computer node by examining the record with a given protocol address. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The baseboard management controller of claim 9, wherein the first communication protocol is IPMB protocol and, the protocol addresses are IPMB addresses. ### Claim 13 A baseboard management controller (BMC) implemented method, comprising: executing, at a processor of the BMC, a master management instance and a plurality of assisting management instances; managing, by the master management instance, a chassis of a computer system; and managing, by each of the assisting management instances, at least one health or performance related aspect a respective different computer node of a plurality of computer nodes of the computer system. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The BMC implemented method of claim 13, comprising: executing, at a processor of the BMC, a message interface; receiving, by the master management instance, an IPMI message from the message interface; determining, the master management instance, whether the IPMI message contains a chassis management command; in response to determining that the IPMI message contains a chassis management command, performing, by the master management instance, a management action or operation on a first chassis management device of the computer system in accordance with the chassis management command; and determining, by the master management instance, a first chassis management device from a plurality of chassis management devices of the computer system based on a first indication contained in the IPMI message. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The BMC implemented method of claim 14, wherein the IPMI message further contains first data for constructing an IPMB message, the method comprising: determining, by the master management instance, whether the first data contains the chassis management command; in response to determining that the first data contains a chassis management command, not transferring, by the master management, the first data to any of the assisting management instance; and in response to determining that the first data do not contain a chassis management command, transferring, by the master management, the first data to one of the assisting management instance. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The BMC implemented method of claim 14, comprising executing the master management instance and the plurality of assisting management instances each on a respective different process of the processor; and the master management instance communicating with each of the plurality of assisting management instances through an inter-process communication mechanism. ### Claim 17 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 and a plurality of assisting management instances; manage, at the master management instance, a chassis of a computer system; and manage, at each of the assisting management instances, at least one health or performance related aspect a respective different computer node of a plurality of computer nodes of the computer system. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The non-transitory computer storage medium of claim 17, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the processor to execute a message interface; receive, at the master management instance, an IPMI message from the message interface; determine, at the master management instance, whether the IPMI message contains a chassis management command; in response to determining that the IPMI message contains a chassis management command, perform, at the master management instance, a management action or operation on a first chassis management device of the computer system in accordance with the chassis management command; and determine, at the master management instance, a first chassis management device from a plurality of chassis management devices of the computer system based on a first indication contained in the IPMI message. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The non-transitory computer storage medium of claim 18, wherein the IPMI message further contains first data for constructing an IPMB message, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the processor to: determine, at the master management instance, whether the first data contains the chassis management command; in response to determining that the first data contains a chassis management command, not transfer, at the master management, the first data to any of the assisting management instance; and in response to determining that the first data do not contain a chassis management command, transfer, at the master management, the first data to one of the assisting management instance. ### Claim 20 (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 and the plurality of assisting management instances each on a respective different process of the processor; and communicate the master management instance with each of the plurality of assisting management instances through an inter-process communication mechanism.