Systems and methods for extension of server management functions

A computing system, comprising:

• a host information handling system that comprises:
• at least one processing device internal to the host information handling system,
• at least one external input/output (I/O) interface,
• a remote access controller coupled between the one or more external I/O interfaces and the at least one processing device via an internal communication bus,
• persistent storage coupled to the remote access controller with the remote access controller being coupled between the persistent storage and the at least one processing device and one or more external I/O interfaces, the remote access controller being programmed to manage the persistent storage and the remote access controller and the persistent storage each being internal components of the information handling system, and
• a host server management framework present on the persistent storage, the server management framework including one or more server management functions that each include a configuration layer, the remote access controller being programmed to execute the server management framework to load the one or more server management functions on the at least one processing device of the information handling system;
• and
• one or more remote external devices coupled to the one or more external I/O interfaces of the host information handling system;
• wherein the remote access controller is further programmed to execute the host server management framework to access a remote configuration plug-in from the one or more remote external devices across the one or more external I/O interfaces, the remote configuration plug-in including a configuration layer;
• wherein the remote access controller is further programmed to execute the host server management framework to extend the configuration layer of the host server management framework across the one or more external I/O interfaces to include the configuration layer of the remote configuration plug-in;
• wherein the remote access controller is further programmed to execute the host server management framework to then load the one or more server management functions on the at least one processing device with the one or more server management functions extended to include the configuration layer of the remote configuration plug-in;
• wherein the host server management framework includes a plug-in registration service, the remote access controller being further programmed to execute the plug-in registration service to access a plug-in registration of the remote configuration plug-in from one or more remote external devices across the one or more external I/O interfaces to extend the configuration layer of the host server management framework across the one or more external I/O interfaces to include the configuration layer of the remote configuration plug-in;
• and
• wherein the one or more server management functions comprise a graphical user interface (“GUI”) XML profile and GUI processing module that allow a user to control enablement and disablement of other server management functions.

A method of extending server management functions in an information handling system comprising:

• providing a host information handling system that comprises:
• at least one processing device internal to the host information handling system,
• at least one external input/output (I/O) interface,
• a remote access controller coupled between the one or more external I/O interfaces and the at least one processing device via an internal communication bus,
• persistent storage coupled to the remote access controller with the remote access controller being coupled between the persistent storage and the at least one processing device and one or more external I/O interfaces, the remote access controller being programmed to manage the persistent storage and the remote access controller and the persistent storage each being internal components of the information handling system, and
• a host server management framework present on the persistent storage, the host server management framework including one or more server management functions that each include a configuration layer;
• coupling the one or more external I/O interfaces to one or more remote devices that are external to the host information handling system;
• using the host server management framework to load the one or more server management functions on the at least one processing device of the host information handling system;
• using the host server management framework to access a remote configuration plug-in across the one or more external I/O interfaces from the one or more remote external devices, the remote configuration plug-in including a configuration layer;
• using the host server management framework to extend the configuration layer of the host server management framework across the one or more external I/O interfaces to include the configuration layer of the remote configuration plug-in;
• and
• using the host server management framework to then load the one or more server management functions on the at least one processing device with the host one or more server management functions extended to include the configuration layer of the remote configuration plug-in;
• wherein the host server management framework includes a plug-in registration service;
• and wherein the method further comprises using the plug-in registration service to:
• access a plug-in registration of the remote configuration plug-in from the one or more remote external devices across the one or more external I/O interfaces, and
• extend the configuration layer of the host server management framework across the one or more external I/O interfaces to include the configuration layer of the remote configuration plug-in;
• and
• wherein the one or more server management functions comprise a graphical user interface (“GUI”) XML profile and GUI processing module;
• and
• wherein the method further comprises using the GUI XML profile to enable or disable other server management functions.