US 8,898,349 B1Granted

IPMI over USB data transfer between host computer and baseboard management controller (BMC)

AssigneeAmerican Megatrends, Inc.

InventorsUmasankar Mondal, Jay Pancholi

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Abstract

Certain aspects direct to data transfer between a baseboard management controller (BMC) and a host computer. When the BMC is connected to the host computer via a universal serial bus (USB) interface, the BMC sends USB descriptors to the host computer such that the host computer recognizes the BMC as a specific human interface device (HID) device based on the USB descriptors. To transfer data to the host computer, the BMC converts the data to an Intelligent Platform Management Interface (IPMI) message, and generates a USB HID report containing the IPMI message as the report data. The BMC then sends the USB HID report to the host computer through the USB interface. When the BMC receives a USB HID report from the host computer, the BMC retrieves the report data, which is an IPMI message, from the USB HID report, and process the IPMI message to obtain the data.

Claims25

Dependent claims

A system, comprising:

a baseboard management controller (BMC), comprising a processor, a non-volatile memory and a universal serial bus (USB) interface, wherein the non-volatile stores firmware, a plurality of USB descriptors, and a USB human interface device (HID) device driver, wherein the firmware, when executed at the processor, is configured to
when the BMC is connected to a host computer via the USB interface, send the plurality of USB descriptors to the host computer through the USB interface such that the host computer recognizes the BMC as a specific HID device based on the plurality of USB descriptors;
instruct the USB HID device driver to generate a first USB HID report in a predefined format based on the USB descriptors, wherein the predefined format comprises a USB header, report data, and a USB footer;
generate a first Intelligent Platform Management Interface (IPMI) message as the report data of the first USB HID report;
send the first USB HID report generated by the USB HID device driver to the host computer through the USB interface;
receive a second USB HID report in the predefined format from the host computer through the USB interface;
instruct the USB HID device driver to retrieve the report data from the second USB HID report, wherein the retrieved report data is a second IPMI message;
and
process the second IPMI message.

6 more elements

A method of transferring data between a baseboard management controller (BMC) and a host computer, comprising:

sending, from the BMC, a plurality of universal serial bus (USB) descriptors to the host computer through a USB interface such that the host computer recognizes the BMC as a specific human interface device (HID) device based on the plurality of USB descriptors, wherein the BMC is connected to the host computer via the USB interface;
instructing, at the BMC, a USB HID device driver to generate a first USB HID report in a predefined format based on the USB descriptors, wherein the predefined format comprises a USB header, report data, and a USB footer;
generating, at the BMC, a first Intelligent Platform Management Interface (IPMI) message as the report data of the first USB HID report;
sending, from the BMC, the first USB HID report generated by the USB HID device driver to the host computer through the USB interface;
receiving, at the BMC, a second USB HID report in the predefined format from the host computer through the USB interface;
instructing, at the BMC, the USB HID device driver to retrieve the report data from the second USB HID report, wherein the retrieved report data is a second IPMI message;
and
processing, at the BMC, the second IPMI message.

5 more elements

A non-transitory computer readable medium storing computer executable codes, wherein the codes, when executed at a processor, are configured to

send, from a baseboard management controller (BMC), a plurality of universal serial bus (USB) descriptors to a host computer through a USB interface such that the host computer recognizes the BMC as a specific human interface device (HID) device based on the plurality of USB descriptors, wherein the BMC is connected to the host computer via the USB interface;
instruct, at the BMC, a USB HID device driver to generate a first USB HID report in a predefined format based on the USB descriptors, wherein the predefined format comprises a USB header, report data, and a USB footer;
generate, at the BMC, a first Intelligent Platform Management Interface (IPMI) message as the report data of the first USB HID report;
send, from the BMC, the first USB HID report generated by the USB HID device driver to the host computer through the USB interface;
receive, at the BMC, a second USB HID report in the predefined format from the host computer through the USB interface;
instruct, at the BMC, the USB HID device driver to retrieve the report data from the second USB HID report, wherein the retrieved report data is a second IPMI message;
and
process, at the BMC, the second IPMI message.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.