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US 9,003,001 B2Granted
Bios parameter virtualization via BIOS configuration profiles
AssigneeCisco Technology, Inc.
InventorsMichael V. Dvorkin, Tao Wang, Dmitry Barsky, Krishna Mohan, Chidananda Satya Kumar Patchava
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Techniques presented herein provide approaches for generating a markup language object that describes a variety of BIOS setup variables and which allow the markup language object to be passed to the management system, as well as allow retrieval of a normalized BIOS from the management system. Doing so allows the management system to be used to easily and efficiently control a large number of server systems within a data center.
Claims17
A method for setting a BIOS parameter on a remote computing system:
- abstracting, based on a normalized BIOS definition, a BIOS parameter setting to create a normalized BIOS parameter setting, wherein the BIOS parameter setting is not compatible with a BIOS of the remote computing system, wherein the normalized BIOS definition provides a grammar to create the normalized BIOS parameter setting based on the BIOS parameter setting;
- receiving, over a data communications network, the normalized BIOS parameter setting to be applied to the BIOS on the remote computing system;
- translating the normalized BIOS parameter setting into an actual BIOS parameter setting compatible with the BIOS on the remote computing system, wherein the actual BIOS parameter setting includes a value corresponding to the normalized BIOS parameter setting;
- storing the actual BIOS parameter setting in the BIOS on the remote computing system;
- and
- applying the actual BIOS parameter setting to the operation of the remote computing system by rebooting the remote computing system.
3 more elements
A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, containing a program, which, when executed on a processor, performs an operation for managing BIOS parameter settings on a remote computing system, the operation comprising:
- abstracting, based on a normalized BIOS definition, a BIOS parameter setting to create a normalized BIOS parameter setting, wherein the BIOS parameter setting is not compatible with a BIOS of the remote computing system, wherein the normalized BIOS definition provides a grammar to create the normalized BIOS parameter setting based on the BIOS parameter setting;
- receiving the normalized BIOS parameter setting to be applied to the remote computing system;
- transmitting, over a data communications network, the normalized BIOS parameter setting to the remote computing system, wherein the remote computing system is configured to:
- receive the normalized BIOS parameter setting,
- translate the normalized BIOS parameter setting into an actual BIOS parameter setting compatible with the BIOS on the remote computing system, wherein the actual BIOS parameter setting includes a value corresponding to the normalized BIOS parameter setting,
- store the actual BIOS parameter setting in the BIOS on the remote computing system, and
- apply the actual BIOS parameter setting to the operation of the remote computing system by rebooting the remote computing system.
4 more elements
A method for configuring a BIOS on a remote computing system, comprising:
- receiving, over a data communications network, a BIOS profile, wherein the BIOS profile describes a plurality of normalized BIOS parameter settings to be applied to the BIOS on the remote computing system, wherein the normalized BIOS parameter settings are created based on a normalized BIOS definition, wherein the BIOS profile is selected from a plurality of BIOS profiles, each of the plurality of BIOS profiles associated with a respective one of a plurality of different software applications, wherein the normalized BIOS definition provides a grammar to create the normalized BIOS parameter setting based on the BIOS parameter setting;
- translating each of the normalized BIOS parameter settings into a respective actual BIOS parameter setting compatible with the BIOS on the remote computing system;
- storing the actual BIOS parameter settings in the BIOS on the remote computing system;
- and
- applying the actual BIOS parameter settings to the operation of the remote computing system by rebooting the remote computing system.
2 more elements
A computing system, comprising,
- a processor;
- a memory;
- a BIOS having a plurality of BIOS parameters and respective BIOS settings, wherein the computing system is configured to perform an operation for managing the plurality of BIOS parameter settings, the operation comprising:
- abstracting, based on a normalized BIOS definition, a BIOS parameter setting to create a normalized BIOS parameter setting, wherein the BIOS parameter setting is not compatible with a BIOS of the remote computing system, wherein the normalized BIOS definition provides a grammar to create the normalized BIOS parameter setting based on the BIOS parameter setting;
- receiving, over a data communications network, the normalized BIOS parameter setting to be applied to one of the BIOS parameters;
- translating the normalized BIOS parameter setting into a corresponding one of the plurality of BIOS parameters;
- storing the corresponding BIOS parameter setting in the BIOS on the computing system;
- and
- applying the actual BIOS parameter setting to the operation of the computing system by rebooting the computing system.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.