摘要:
Aspects for detection and correction of entrance into an improper master boot record (MBR) state in a computer system are described. The aspects include providing a proxy MBR at a predetermined location on a storage device of a computer system to provide a proxy MBR. The proxy MBR is then utilized during a restart operation. An original MBR maintained at an original location on the storage device is then utilized during a reboot operation when the utilization of the proxy MBR is unsuccessful.
摘要:
A system and method for determining an active service processor from two or more redundant service processors in the system. The system typically includes two management modules and at least one managed subsystem such as a server blade. Each management module includes a service processor and control logic. The control logic is configured to receive various status signals from the service processor and to generate a control signal based thereon. The control signal is provided, via an interconnect plane, to determination logic on each managed subsystem. The determination logic receives a control signal from each management module and generates a switch signal based on the state of the control signals. The switch signal controls switching logic configured to receive bus signals from the service processors on each management module. Based on the control signal, one of the service processor bus signals is provided to managed instrumentation on the managed subsystem. The management module control logic is generally configured to maintain the control signal in its current state if the active processor is determined to be functional. The control logic is further configured to alter the control signal state if the active service processor is determined to be non-functional. A transition in the control signal typically generates a fail-over event that causes the switching logic on the managed subsystems to switch from the previously active service processor to the previously inactive or standby service processor as the source of service processor signals.
摘要:
Disclosed is a method for automatically re-provisioning an appliance server without significant user-interaction. The disk drive of a server to be utilized as an appliance server is partitioned into at least three partitions, including a systems partition, a network operating system partition, and an images partition. A re-provisioning utility is provided, which, when activated by a user, removes the present application from the server and forwards it to a storage location on the network or in a fourth storage partition and installs another application on the server. The system is re-booted and re-configured to provide full operation of the new application.
摘要:
A method, system and computer program product for remotely booting devices. A deployment server may remotely transmit authentication parameter(s), e.g., public key, secret key, to a service unit configured to establish a private connection between server blades and the deployment server. The service unit may remotely install the authentication parameter(s) onto the server blade(s) to be booted by either the deployment server or another boot server. By the service unit remotely installing the authentication parameter(s) onto the server blade(s), the need to manually install them during each network boot operation may be alleviated. By remotely transmitting authentication parameter(s) instead of manually installing them on the devices to be booted during each network boot operation, the deployment server may be able to generate unique authentication parameter(s), e.g., public/private key pair, secret key, for each network boot operation thereby substantially reducing the exposure to replay attacks.
摘要:
This invention is comprised of a data processing system containing at least one main processor connected to a system bus, a system memory connected to the system bus and accessible to each of the main processors, a tamper mechanism, and a local service processor. The tamper mechanism is configured to change state each time the system is inserted into a slot in a rack enclosure. The local service processor is connected to the tamper mechanism and configured to update an insertion log upon detecting a change in state of the tamper mechanism. The insertion log provides a count and a history of rack insertions to which the system has been subjected. The system may include a non-volatile storage element which is updated exclusively by the local service processor that contains the insertion log. The insertion log may include an insertion counter. In this embodiment, the local service processor is configured to increment the insertion counter upon each insertion. The local service processor may be further configured to issue an alert if the insertion counter exceeds a predetermined value. In one embodiment, the system further includes a battery backed real-time clock connected to the local service processor. The local service processor is configured to include real-time information corresponding to each insertion event in the insertion log. Each entry in the insertion log may include the identity of the rack enclosure and the geographical address of the slot of the corresponding insertion event. The local service processor may be configured to detect the tamper mechanism state and update the insertion following a power event such that the insertion log update is independent of configuring the data processing system with a boot image.
摘要:
This invention is useful in a networked system with densely packaged servers or server blades. The servers are connected to a system management network, a communication network and an image server. A management module attached to the system management network and a network switch monitors and controls network booting from an image server on the communication network to prevent over commitment of network and image server resources in order to avoid a boot storm. The management module collects system information and calculates the number of servers or clients the networked system can boot at any one instant of time without burdening the system. The management module logic controls booting via the system management network and service processor elements, which can block server booting and release servers to boot when other servers have completed their boot process.
摘要:
A method, system and computer program product for automatically switching remote shared devices in a dense server environment. A device driver in a server blade may be configured to receive a request to access a shared device from the server blade and issue a query to a service processor as to whether the requested shared device is being accessed. If the requested shared device is not being accessed by the requesting server blade, then the device driver may wait to receive a response from the service processor indicating that the requested shared device is available. Once the requested shared device is available, the service processor may connect the requested shared device with the requesting server blade. The request to access the requested shared device may then be transferred to the requested shared device by the device driver.
摘要:
A method and system for adaptively implementing a disk drive startup sequence for a disk drive array. Prior to a next disk drive spin-up sequence a currently available power supply resource capacity and a startup metric of each of the array disk drives are determined. Each of the disk drives are scheduled into designated startup groups as a function of both the determined currently available power supply resource capacity and the determined startup metric. The scheduling of disk drives into designated startup groups includes determining an activation sequence timing schedule for each of the disk drives. The activation sequence timing schedule determines the relative times at which spindle motors for each of said plurality of disk drives will be activated as a function of the determined startup metric for each of the disk drives and the available power supply resource capacity as reduced by the steady state power requirements of each of the startup groups.
摘要:
A system for storing and configuring CMOS setting information remotely in a sewer blade environment includes a management module having includes persistent storage containing a table of CMOS setting information for each server blade. Each server blade includes boot block software that executes when the blade is booted. The boot block software initiates communication with the management module and retrieves its CMOS settings from the table. Thus, CMOS settings for a particular blade location remain unchanged each time a blade is replaced or upgraded. The management module and saver blades may implement a programming interface tat includes command abstractions for each CMOS setting. The management module sends command abstractions to each sewer blade during the CMOS configuration process. The server blade interprets the commands and maps the commands to specific CMOS bit addresses thereby making the specific CMOS implementation employed by any server blade transparent to the management module.
摘要:
A system for monitoring server blades includes a cabinet having a plurality of racks configured to receive a server blade. The server blade includes one or more microprocessors, memory, and a service processor all interconnected via one or more busses. The system includes a management blade to monitor the local service processors. Upon installation, a new blade identifies itself to the management blade by its physical slot position within the cabinet. In response to a reset, the local blade service processor determines from a tamper latch whether the blade has been removed from the chassis since the last power-on event. If the tamper latch is broken, the local service processor informs the management blade and resets the tamper latch. The local service processor of each blade may send a periodic heartbeat to the management blade, which monitors for loss of the heartbeat signal to determine when a blade is removed.