Service processor gateway system and appliance
AssigneeAvocent Fremont Corp.
InventorMarcio Saito
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system for physically consolidating and securing access to service processors and management modules in computer, telecommunication and networking equipment is provided that isolates the management ports from the data network. The system converts low-level management protocols into higher-level network protocols suitable for secure transport over the data network. The system may encrypt the common format management data. The system may also authenticate each user that attempts to access the management interfaces.
Claims13
An out-of-band management system for computer networks, the system comprising:
- one or more network nodes equipped with a service processor and a management port accessible externally through a dedicated management interface other than a data transmission interfaces wherein the dedicated management interface further comprises an Ethernet-type interface;
- a service processor gateway management appliance, directly connected to an Ethernet Switching System via a first Ethernet port and directly connected to the management ports of the network nodes via corresponding point-to-point Ethernet connections different from the first Ethernet port, that isolates the management ports of the network nodes from direct access by a data network;
- the service processor gateway management appliance being connected to a separate network management system via a direct out-of-band connection;
- and
- the service processor gateway further comprising a processor and a software application, executed by the processor, that provides one or more of a command line interface, a web interface and a protocol-based interface for access by one of a human operator and a network management system.
A service processor gateway appliance, comprising:
- a processor;
- a memory connected to the processor;
- a plurality of Ethernet interfaces, wherein each interface is configured to establish a point to point connection directly with a management port of a network node having a service processor, that isolates the management port of the network node from direct access by a data network;
- an interface for a connection to an Ethernet Switching System;
- an interface for a direct out-of-band connection to a separate network management system;
- a software application, stored in the memory and executed by the processor, comprising one or more portions with each portion having a plurality of lines of computer instructions;
- and
- the one or more portions further comprising a connectivity portion that converts a management interface of each service processor into a common protocol to generate common management data, a service portion that interfaces with one or more management protocols from an external source and exchanges commands and data with the external source, and an application portion that manipulates the common management data based on the commands from the external source and generates management output data to the one or more management protocols.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.