Method and apparatus for secure remote system management

A method, comprising:

• transmitting a request for hardware component information to a service processor disposed in a hardware component as an open session request from a requesting client application;
• receiving from the service processor a challenge string at the requesting client application, the challenge string including a session identification assigned by the service processor, wherein the session identification is unique to each session;
• transmitting to the service processor a challenge response from the requesting client application, the challenge response including the session identification and a first hash number that comprises a function of at least one of the challenge string, the session identification, a sequence number, and a password;
• receiving from the service processor an authentication response to the requesting client application based on a comparison of the challenge response from the requesting client application and an expected challenge response calculated in the service processor, wherein the comparison includes verifying the session identification in the challenge response transmitted to the service processor against the session identification received in the challenge string;
• and
• receiving at the service processor a direct platform control (DPC) message from the client application, the DPC message including a second hash number to verify the integrity of the DPC message, wherein the DPC message is to perform one or more of connecting to Basic Input Output System (BIOS), rebooting, resetting, and shutting down of the service processor.

An apparatus, comprising:

• a remote access port;
• and
• a service processor coupled to the remote access port, wherein the service processor including a machine-readable medium, having stored thereon a set of instructions which, when executed, cause the service processor to:
• in response to a remote request for information about a component received as an open session request through the remote access port external to a host operating system of the apparatus, transmit a challenge string to a requesting client application, the challenge string including session identification assigned by the service processor, wherein the session identification is unique to each session;
• compare a challenge response received from the requesting client application with an expected response, the challenge response including the session identification and a first hash number that comprises a function of at least one of the challenge string, the session identification, a sequence number, and a password, wherein the comparing includes verifying the session identification received in the challenge response against the session identification transmitted in the challenge string;
• transmit an authentication response to the requesting client application based on the comparison;
• and
• receiving at the service processor a direct platform control (DPC) message from the client application, the DPC message including a second hash number to verify the integrity of the DPC message, wherein the DPC message is to perform one or more of connecting to Basic Input Output System (BIOS), rebooting, resetting, and shutting down of the service processor.

A system, comprising:

• a processor;
• a memory;
• and
• a client application stored on a machine-readable medium, the client application including a set of instructions which, when executed, cause the client application to:
• transmit a request for hardware component information to a service processor disposed in a hardware component as an open session request;
• receive from the service processor a challenge string at the requesting client application, the challenge string including a session identification assigned by the service processor, wherein the session identification is unique to each session;
• transmit to the service processor a challenge response from the requesting client application, the challenge response including the session identification and a first hash number that comprises a function of at least one of the challenge string, the session identification, a sequence number, and a password;
• receive from the service processor an authentication response to the requesting client application based on a comparison of the challenge response from the requesting client application and an expected challenge response calculated at the service processor, wherein the comparison includes verifying the session identification received in the challenge response against the session identification in the challenge string;
• and
• receiving at the service processor a direct platform control (DPC) message from the client application, the DPC message including a second hash number to verify the integrity of the DPC message, wherein the DPC message is to perform one or more of connecting to Basic Input Output System (BIOS) rebooting, resetting, and shutting down of the service processor.

A machine-readable medium having stored thereon data representing sets of instructions which, when executed by a machine, causes the machine to:

• receive a request for hardware component information to a service processor disposed in a hardware component as an open session request;
• transmit from the service processor a challenge string at the requesting client application, the challenge string including a session identification assigned by the service processor, wherein the session identification is unique to each session;
• receive at the service processor a challenge response from the requesting client application, the challenge response including the session identification and a first hash number that comprises a function of at least one of the challenge string, the session identification, a sequence number, and a password;
• compare the challenge response to an expected response to the challenge string, wherein the comparing includes verifying the session identification received in the challenge response against the session identification transmitted in the challenge string;
• transmit the hardware component information to the requesting client application;
• and
• receiving at the service processor a direct platform control (DPC) message from the client application, the DPC message including a second hash number to verify the integrity of the DPC message, wherein the DPC message is to perform one or more of connecting to Basic Input Output System (BIOS), rebooting, resetting, and shutting down of the service processor.