Communications system for multiple computer system management circuits

A computer system comprising:

• a management circuit, the management circuit obtaining operating information on at least one operating condition of the computer system, the management circuit including communications bus circuitry for proving the operating information on a communications bus to a connector circuit to provide to a management system;
• a first communications bus connector;
• a second communications bus connector;
• wherein the first bus connector is capable of receiving a first communications bus cable coupled to an upstream computer system on the communications bus and the second communications bus connector is capable of receiving a second communications bus cable operably connected to a downstream computer system so as to operably couple the management circuit to the communications bus in a daisy chain configuration;
• and
• wherein the management circuit operates independently of an operating system of the computer system.

A computer system comprising:

• a remote connector circuit comprising:
• a network connector circuit for operably coupling the remote connector circuit to a remote management system via a communications network;
• communications bus connector circuit for operably coupling the remote connector circuit to a communications bus operably coupled to a plurality of computer system management circuits, each management circuit obtaining operating information on at least one operating condition of a computer system associated with the each management circuit;
• a controller;
• and
• a memory storing code wherein the controller, executing the code, assigns a communications bus address to each management circuit operably coupled to the communications bus, wherein the bus address assigned to each management circuit is dependent upon an identifier number unique to each management circuit, wherein the bus addresses are assigned in a collision detection/back off/retry scheme wherein an amount of time before retry for each management circuit is based upon the identifier number unique to each management circuit;
• wherein the remote connector circuit receives the operating information from the management circuits via the communications bus and provides the operating information to the remote management system via the communications network.

A remote connector circuit comprising:

• a network connector circuit for operably coupling the remote connector circuit to a remote management system via a communications network;
• communications bus connector circuit for operably coupling the remote connector circuit to a communications bus operably coupled to a plurality of management circuits, each management circuit obtaining operating information on at least one operating condition of a computer system associated with each management circuit;
• a controller;
• a memory storing code wherein the controller, executing the code, assigns a communications bus address to each management circuit operably coupled to the communications bus, wherein the bus address assigned to each management circuit is dependent upon an identifier number unique to each management circuit, wherein the bus addresses are assigned in a collision detection/back off/retry scheme wherein an amount of time before retry for each management circuit is based upon the identifier number unique to each management circuit;
• wherein the remote connector circuit receives the operating information from the management circuits via the communications bus and provides the operating information to the remote management system via the communications network.