System management via session initiation protocol

A Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) proxy device, comprising:

• at least one communications interface;
• and
• a controller electrically coupled to the at least one communications interface wherein the controller is configured to:
• receive, in a SIP format, a system management command from a management device, the management device configured to manage a system component of the computer system;
• confirm an association between the management device and the system component of the computer system;
• and
• in response to confirming the association between the management device and the system component of the computer system, provide a system management response to the management device in the SIP format,
• wherein the SIP proxy device is configured as a first SIP proxy device and in the SIP format, the controller of the first SIP proxy device configured to:
• detect a correspondence between the system management command and a second SIP proxy device disposed in electrical communication with the first SIP proxy device, the second SIP proxy device being arranged hierarchically beneath the first SIP proxy device;
• transmit, in the SIP format, the system management command to the second SIP proxy device;
• receive, in the SIP format, the system management response from the second SIP proxy device;
• and
• transmit, in the SIP format, the system management response to the management device.

A computer program product having a non-transitory computer-readable medium including computer program logic encoded thereon that, when performed on a controller of an SIP proxy device causes the SIP proxy device to:

• receive, in a SIP format, a system management command from a management device, the management device configured to manage a system component of the computer system;
• confirm an association between the management device and the system component of the computer system;
• and
• in response to confirming the association between the management device and the system component of the computer system, provide a system management response to the management device in the SIP format,
• wherein the SIP proxy device is configured as a first SIP proxy device and in the SIP format, the controller of the first SIP proxy device configured to:
• detect a correspondence between the system management command and a second SIP proxy device disposed in electrical communication with the first SIP proxy device, the second SIP proxy device being arranged hierarchically beneath the first SIP proxy device;
• transmit, in the SIP format, the system management command to the second SIP proxy device;
• receive, in the SIP format, the system management response from the second SIP proxy device;
• and
• transmit, in the SIP format, the system management response to the management device.

In a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) proxy device associated with a computer system, a method for providing system management, comprising:

• receiving, by the SIP proxy device and in a SIP format, a system management command from a management device, the management device configured to manage a system component of the computer system;
• confirming, by the SIP proxy device, an association between the management device and the system component of the computer system;
• and
• in response to confirming the association between the management device and the system component of the computer system, providing, by the SIP proxy device, a system management response to the management device in the SIP format;
• wherein the SIP proxy device includes a registration database having a set of registration database entries, each registration database entry including a respective management device identity and a corresponding list of system component identifiers to identify a list of system components associated with that management device identity;
• wherein the management device is a computerized user device residing at a location remote from the SIP proxy device, the computerized user device having a particular management device identity to distinguish that computerized user device from other computerized user devices;
• wherein the SIP proxy device is constructed and arranged to operate as a front end to multiple management devices on behalf of multiple system components of the computer system;
• wherein receiving the system management command from the management device includes obtaining (i) the particular management device identity and (ii) a particular system component identifier from the computerized user device residing at the location remote from the SIP proxy device;
• and
• wherein confirming, by the SIP proxy device, the association between the management device and the system component of the computer system includes:
• finding, in the registration database, a particular registration entry which includes the particular management device identity, and
• verifying that the particular system component identifier is in the corresponding list of system component identifiers of the particular registration entry to manage access to a particular system component identified by the particular system component identifier.

In a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) proxy device associated with a computer system, a method for providing system management, comprising:

• receiving, by the SIP proxy device and in a SIP format, a system management command from a management device, the management device configured to manage a system component of the computer system;
• confirming, by the SIP proxy device, an association between the management device and the system component of the computer system;
• and
• in response to confirming the association between the management device and the system component of the computer system, providing, by the SIP proxy device, a system management response to the management device in the SIP format;
• the method of further including:
• physically separating the management device from the SIP proxy device and the system component;
• transmitting the system management command from the management device securely to the SIP proxy device;
• forwarding the system management command to an indicated system component of the computer system configured to respond to the system management command by at least one of storing a value in a memory location, retrieving a value from a memory location, performing a mathematical operation, performing a logical operation, and incrementing a counter;
• transmitting the system response from the system component to the SIP proxy device;
• and
• transmitting the system response securely to the management device, the system response including at least one of the result of a memory operation, the result of a mathematical operation, the result of a logical operation and a system status.