Computer system management apparatus and method
AssigneeIntel Corporation
InventorEdward L. Davis
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system management controller may record and/or modify the state of the computer system's host processor if it fails to execute user level program instructions (e.g., is hung). The system management controller may also be commanded, from a site remote from the computer system, to acquire and/or modify the state of the host processor. The system management controller may also acquire and/or modify the state of the other components coupled to the computer system such as, for example, a modem, a network interface card, a memory, and a bus-to-bus bridge circuit.
Claims33
A computer system comprising:
- a main computing unit including a host processor, and a host bus coupled to the host processor;
- a storage storing an operating system;
- and
- a system management controller coupled to the main computing unit to determine an operational state of the main computing unit when the main computing unit is being controlled by the operating system and, based on the determination, selectively regulate the main computing unit.
A method to manage a computer system having a host processor, a bus coupled to the host processor, and a device coupled to the bus, said computer system being controlled by its own operating system, the method comprising:
- receiving a signal indicative of an operating mode of the computer system being controlled by its own operating system;
- and
- determining if the signal indicates the computer system is operating in a normal mode and, if it is not, then regulating the computer system independently of the host processor.
A program storage device, readable by a processor-based system, comprising:
- instructions stored thereon for causing the processor-based system to:
- receive a signal indicative of an operating mode of a computer system being controlled by its own operating system;
- and
- determine if the signal indicates the computer system is operating in a normal mode and, if it is not, then regulate the computer system independently of a host processor of the computer system.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.