Computer system console
AssigneeDigital Equipment Corporation
InventorGerhard K. Heider
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A process for providing access to the console functionality of a computer system in response to console function requests. A console server computer system and a console client computer system are in a network, and console functions requests are included in data packets transmitted from the console client to the console server on a standard network interconnection. A console server computer system operating in an ON state is able to interrupt access to the operating system in response to the receipt of a data packet including a remote reset request, and can respond to console function requests without entering the console state.
Claims43
A method of providing access to the console functionality of a computer system in response to console function requests which comprises the following steps:
- switching the computer system from an off state to a console state;
- bootstrap loading the operating system of the computer system when the computer system is in the console state to switch the computer system to an ON state;
- accessing the operating system when the computer system is in the ON state;
- switching the computer system from the ON state to the console state, at times when the computer system is prevented from accessing the operating system without bootstrap loading the operating system;
- providing a console function request to request execution of a specified console function;
- and
- executing the specified console function, without accessing the operating system, both at times when the computer system is in the console state and at times when the computer system is in the ON state, in response to the providing of the console function request.
A method of providing access to the console functionality of a console server computer system in response to console function requests of a console client computer system, wherein the console server computer system and the console client computer system are in a computer network and are coupled to a standard network interconnection for transferring data packets among a plurality of computer systems, the method comprising the following steps:
- providing the console functionality of the console server computer system without accessing an operating system in response to console function requests, the steps performed by the console server computer system including:
- coupling the console server computer system to the standard network interconnection to transmit and receive data packets on the network,
- switching the console server computer system from an off state to a console state,
- bootstrap loading the operating system when the console server computer system is in the console state to switch the console server computer system to an ON state,
- accessing the operating system when the console server computer system is in the ON state,
- switching the console server computer system from the ON state to the console state, at times when the console server computer system is prevented from accessing the operating system without bootstrap loading the operating system,
- determining whether a console function request requesting execution of a specified console function is included in a data packet received by the console server computer system, and
- executing the specified console function, without accessing the operating system, at times when the console server computer system is in the console state and at times when the console server computer system is in the ON state, in response to the receipt of a data packet including the console function request;
- and
- managing the console server computer system from the console client computer system by accessing the console functionality of the console server computer system, the steps performed by the console client computer system including:
- coupling the console client computer system to the standard network interconnection to transmit and receive data packets on the network,
- generating a console function request in order to request execution of a specified console function by the console server computer system, and
- generating a data packet including the console function request to be transmitted on the standard network interconnection.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.