US 2016/0253203 A1Published application

System and method for virtualization aware server maintenance mode

AssigneeDell Products L.P.

InventorsKarthik Sethuramalingam, Rajashekhar T. Hamasagar, Sridhar Chakravarthy, Eric Kuzmack

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Abstract

In accordance with the present disclosure, a system and method are herein disclosed for providing a virtualization aware server maintenance mode. In one embodiment, an event is triggered in when a system action request is received by an information handling system. The event is processed and the hypervisor is placed in maintenance mode. The virtualization manager is notified that the mode of the hypervisor has changed and the virtualization manager stores the information associated with the mode status change. The virtualization manager may also notify other remote access consoles or virtualization managers of the mode status change of the hypervisor. A maintenance mode lock may be acquired when the hypervisor is placed in maintenance mode and released after the system action has been processed.

Claims20

Dependent claims

An information handling system for managing a maintenance operation, comprising:

a processor;
a memory communicatively coupled to the processor, wherein one or more variables associated with the information handling system are stored in the memory;
a hypervisor communicatively coupled to the processor;
a server management tool coupled to the hypervisor;
a user interface device, wherein the user interface device is coupled to the server management tool and to the hypervisor;
a remote access controller coupled to the server management tool, wherein the remote access controller is operable to place the server management tool in a maintenance mode and wherein upon placing the server management tool in the maintenance mode, the server management tool is operable to place the hypervisor in maintenance mode, wherein when the hypervisor is in maintenance mode the hypervisor stops running and accepting requests and the hypervisor is configurable and alterable;
one or more maintenance mode attributes associated with the maintenance mode, wherein the one or more maintenance mode attributes are maintained by the server management tool, and wherein the maintenance mode permits a maintenance operation to be performed on the information handling system, and wherein the maintenance operation comprises one of a firmware update and an upgrade;
a network interface controller, wherein the network interface controller is operable to communicate with the remote access controller;
a maintenance mode lock of the hypervisor, wherein the maintenance mode lock is operable to be set and released based, at least in part, on a system request, and wherein a virtualization manager is notified each time the maintenance mode lock is released.

6 more elements

An information handling system for managing a maintenance operation, comprising:

a processor;
and
a memory, wherein the memory includes executable instructions, that when executed, cause the processor to:
receive a system action from a requestor, wherein the system action is associated with a hypervisor;
and
determine if a maintenance mode lock is available for the hypervisor, wherein:
if the maintenance mode lock is available, then:
receive a triggered event, wherein the event is based, at least in part, on the system action;
process the event;
place the hypervisor in maintenance mode, wherein the hypervisor is operable to be placed in one or more modes, wherein the one or more modes comprises the maintenance, and wherein the maintenance mode permits a maintenance operation to be performed on the information handling system, and wherein the maintenance operation comprises one of a firmware update and an upgrade, and wherein placing the hypervisor in maintenance mode comprises stopping the hypervisor from running and accepting requests and allowing the hypervisor to be configured and altered;
set a timer with a timeout value, wherein the timeout value is associated with the amount of time required to perform the system action;
notify a virtualization manager associated with the hypervisor of the mode status of the hypervisor;
queue the system action;
process the system action;
notify the requestor of the maintenance mode lock;
release the maintenance mode lock;
and
notify the virtualization manager associated with the hypervisor each time the maintenance mode lock is released;
if the maintenance mode lock is not available, then notify the requestor of the mode status of the hypervisor.

16 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 15/151,636Filed 11 May 2016
Priority: 27 Feb 2013
Published: 1 Sep 2016
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification4 codes

G06F 9/45558
Hypervisors; Virtual machine monitors: hypervisor-specific management and integration aspects
G06F 8/65
Software deployment: updates
G06F 9/45533
Emulation; Interpretation; Software simulation, e.g. virtualisation or emulation of application or operating system execution engines:…
G06F
Computing and data processing

Family

Application13/778,121Continuation · filed 27 Feb 2013
Application15/151,636Continuation
US 2014/0245296 A1Published application
US 9,384,021 B2Related patent
US 9,652,281 B2Related patent
US 2016/0253203 A1This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

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