Computer system with flexible architecture

A method of configuring a computer system including a power distribution board, and first and second identical nodes, the first and second nodes each including a baseboard management controller (BMC), the method comprising:

• powering on each of the BMCs;
• each of the BMCs reading a configuration from a configuration identification strapping on the power distribution board via an internal communication channel;
• configuring each of the BMCs as a slave BMC or a master BMC based on the configuration identification strapping, wherein the configuration may be either a first configuration with the first and second nodes as independent devices and corresponding master BMCs;
• or a second configuration of a single device with the BMC of the first node as the master BMC and the BMC of the second node as the slave BMC;
• powering on a mother board including processors of the first and second nodes on command of the configured master BMC or BMCs;
• and
• performing a management function via the master BMC for the configuration.

A computer system comprising:

• a first node including a first processor and a first baseboard management controller (BMC);
• a second node identical to the first node, the second node including a second processor and a second BMC;
• a third node identical to the first node, the third node including a third processor and a third BMC;
• a fourth node identical to the first node, the fourth node including a fourth processor and a fourth BMC;
• a power distribution board providing power to the nodes and including a configuration identification strapping;
• a chassis holding the nodes and the power distribution board;
• and
• an internal communication channel allowing communication between the BMCs and the power distribution board, wherein the identification strap is readable by the BMCs to configure the computer system as:
• 1) four independent devices;
• 2) as a first device including the first node and the second node, and a second device including the third node and the fourth node, the first and second devices independent of each other;
• and 3) one device including the four nodes.