Abstract: A computer system includes a memory and computer-readable instructions stored at the memory and executable by a microprocessor to: initiating power on mode in order to execute UEFI firmware for OS boot up procedure; initiating pairing with a wireless device; saving a pairing connection data of the wireless device to memory; retrieving the pairing connection data under Operating System environment; and initiating automatic pairing with the wireless device based on the pairing connection data

Abstract: A method and system for managing a plurality of server units are provided. Each server unit has a computing device and a baseboard management controller (BMC) connected thereto. A control unit interfaces with each of the computing devices through a first protocol, and interfaces with each of the BMCs through a second protocol different from the first protocol. The method includes: (a) sending a command through the second protocol via the control unit to each BMC to obtain the server information thereof; (b) determining, using the control unit, whether the server information of each computing device stored in the control unit corresponds to the server information obtained from one of the BMCs; and (c) mapping one of the computing devices to one of the BMCs when the server information of said computing device corresponds to the server information obtained from said BMC.

Abstract: An external M.2 solid-state drive dock with local and network interfaces is disclosed. The dock includes an enclosure with apertures through which M.2 solid-state drives can be received. A circuit board is mounted within the enclosure that includes M.2 socket connectors for receiving the M.2 solid-state drives. The circuit board also includes a storage controller coupled to the M.2. socket connectors. A local interface controller is coupled to the storage controller for providing a local interface, such as a USB-C interface, to the M.2 solid-state drives to host computers. A network controller is also coupled to the storage controller for providing network interfaces, such as wired and/or wireless network interfaces, for accessing the M.2. solid-state drives. The storage controller can receive storage requests from the local interface controller and the network interface controller and provide the storage requests to the M.2 solid-state drives.

Abstract: Technologies are disclosed herein for near field communication (“NFC”) enhanced firmware security. Using an implementation of the technologies disclosed herein, an NFC card or an NFC-equipped mobile device can be utilized to access an NFC-equipped server computer. The server computer reads a login key from an NFC card or an NFC-equipped mobile device. Based upon the login key, a firmware executing on the server computer can determine whether a user is to have administrator access rights, non-administrator user access rights, or no access rights at all to a firmware setup menu provided by the server computer. Based upon the login key, the firmware executing in the NFC-equipped server computer can also identify an operating system to be booted by the server computer. In some configurations, an NFC-equipped mobile device contacts an authorization server to obtain the login key based upon a user's access credentials.

Abstract: In an aspect of the disclosure, a method, a computer-readable medium, and an apparatus are provided. The apparatus may be a thin client. The thin client captures, at a first restore time point, customized configurations of the thin client stored at a first storage location of the thin client. The thin client then obtains first default configurations of the thin client that are in use. The thin client further determines a difference between the customized configurations and the first default configurations. The thin client stores the difference between the customized configurations and the first default configurations as a configurations difference in association with the first restore time point at a second storage location of the thin client.

Abstract: Systems and methods for performing mass renaming of a list of items at run-time with variable differentiation factors, which may be applied to a management device managing the list of items. The management device provides multiple predetermined dynamic keys for the list of items to be renamed, where each of the predetermined dynamic keys has a corresponding differentiating value for each item. For example, properties of the items may be used as the predetermined dynamic keys. Then, the management device may receive an instruction from a user for renaming the list of items. The instruction may include information for selecting at least one of the predetermined dynamic keys to be used in the renaming process. In response to the instruction, the management device may perform a renaming process at run-time to rename the items using the predetermined dynamic keys being selected.

Abstract: Certain aspects direct to systems and methods for device or vendor independent network switch management on a management controller. The management controller is communicatively connected to a network switch through a Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) interface. The management controller receives parsed information of a management information base (MIB) file corresponding to the network switch, and establishes a communication between the management controller and the network switch through the SNMP interface based on the parsed information of the MIB file, in which the management controller functions as a client and the network switch functions as a server of the communication. Then the management controller receives an input to manage and configure the network switch, and manages and configures the network switch via the communication through the SNMP interface based on the input and the parsed information of the MIB file.

Abstract: In an aspect of the disclosure, a method, a computer-readable medium, and an apparatus are provided. The apparatus may be a service processor. The service processor allocates a plurality of frame buffers. The service processor also writes image data of a predetermined image to a first frame buffer of the plurality of frame buffers. The service processor further loads a first application. The service processor displays the predetermined image in accordance with the image data stored in the first frame buffer while the first application is being loaded. The service processor then writes image data of the first application to a second frame buffer of the plurality of frame buffers.

Abstract: A method includes receiving, via a controlling Baseboard management controller (BMC), a request for a virtual machine (VM); providing, via the controlling BMC, a notification for requesting the VM to one or more candidate BMCs, to make at least one of the candidate BMCs provide an available response in response to resources monitored by the second BMC are sufficient for the VM; and assigning, via the controlling BMC, an assigned BMC to perform a VM creating operation according to the available response, such that the assigned BMC requests one or more processors corresponding thereto to create the VM.

Abstract: In an aspect of the disclosure, a method, a computer-readable medium, and an apparatus are provided. The apparatus may be an embedded-system device. The embedded-system device emulates a first serial port at the embedded-system device. The embedded-system device exposes the first serial port to a host of the embedded-system device through a USB connection. The embedded-system device receives first command or data from the host through the first serial port. The embedded-system device processes the first command or data.

Abstract: Systems and methods for using general software to control an internet of things (IOT) system with a virtual baseboard management controller (BMC). The system includes a cloud network server provided on a cloud network. When the cloud network server receive a gateway registration request from an IOT gateway device communicatively connected to multiple IOT devices, the cloud network server provides a virtual BMC, and registers the IOT gateway device to the virtual BMC. The virtual BMC may then allow an IOT software to register to the virtual BMC, thus enabling the IOT software to access the IOT gateway device and the IOT devices via the virtual BMC. The virtual BMC may send information to the IOT gateway device registered to the virtual BMC by a push technology. The IOT gateway device and the IOT software may respectively communicate with the virtual BMC using Intelligent Platform Management Interface (IPMI) messages.

Abstract: A system includes a computing device and a server management controller configured to be connected to the computing device. The server management controller includes a processor, an interface in communication with multiple sensors disposed in the computing device, and a non-volatile memory storing computer executable code. The code, when executed at the processor, is configured to: assign each of the sensors with a logical unit number (LUN) and a sensor number; receive a first message from a first sensor of the sensors via the interface, where the first message has a first LUN field storing the assigned LUN and a first sensor number field storing the assigned sensor number of the first sensor; process the received first message; and determine the first sensor as a source of the first message based on the LUN and the sensor number stored in the first message.

Abstract: Systems and methods for loading and populating system inventory data in an event driven model. A management device, such as a baseboard management controller (BMC), is connected to a host server computing device. The management device has an inventory file storing the system inventory data from a basic input/output system (BIOS) of the host server computing device. When the management device receives the system inventory data from the BIOS of the host server computing device via an in-band channel, the inventory file is updated with the data received. Further, the management device may use existing mechanisms such as the inotify hook function to monitor the inventory file in order to determine whether the inventory file is updated. When the inventory file is updated, the management device invokes a function for loading the inventory file and processing the system inventory data stored in the inventory file.

Abstract: Certain aspects direct to systems and methods for network switch management via a management controller using a management information base (MIB) to JavaScript Object Notation (JSON) parser. At a computing device, an administrator provides a MIB file corresponding to a network switch to be managed. Then the administrator utilizes a parser application to parse the MIB file at the computing device to retrieve Object Identifiers (OIDs) from the MIB file, and then converts the OIDs to JSON objects, in order to generate parsed information of the MIB file including the JSON objects. Thus, the administrator may use a browser to access a web user interface at a management controller to upload the parsed information of the MIB file to the management controller. The management controller may then manage and configure the network switch through a Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) interface based on the parsed information of the MIB file.

Abstract: Aspects direct to systems and methods for regulating illumination and temperature levels in a designated area. The system includes an internet of things (IoT) based entrance having an IoT device. The IoT device receives authentication information from an identification device, and authenticates the identification device. In response to determining the identification device to be authenticated, the IoT device controls the IoT based entrance to grant access to the user of the identification device. The IoT device also generates personnel access information of the user, and updates personnel information corresponding to the designated area using the personnel access information of the user. Then the IoT device may control lighting and heating/cooling systems based on the personnel information corresponding to the designated area and lighting and temperature rules.

Abstract: A firmware includes a firmware module for copying a digitally signed binary file that includes a firmware globally unique identifier (GUID), tool GUIDs, and feature GUIDs to an Advanced Configuration and Power Management interface (ACPI) table (the Firmware Enabled Tool Registry (FETR) table). If the FETR table is stored in memory, a firmware tool determines whether a digital signature of the signed binary file can be verified. If the digital signature can be verified, the firmware tool determines if the firmware GUID stored in the FETR table matches a firmware GUID stored in another ACPI table. If the firmware GUIDs match, the firmware tool determines whether its tool GUID matches a tool GUID stored in the FETR table. The firmware tool can continue to execute if the tool GUIDs match. Firmware tool features are enabled if feature GUIDs in the FETR table match feature GUIDs of the firmware tool.

Abstract: In an aspect of the disclosure, a method, a computer-readable medium, and a computer system are provided. The computer system may include a first embedded-system device and a second embedded-system device. The first embedded-system device receives a first message instructing the first embedded-system device to make configurations of the first embedded-system device available at a location in a network. The first embedded-system device makes the configurations available at the location. The second embedded-system device obtains a subset of the configurations made available at the location. The second embedded-system device restores itself with the subset of the configurations.

Abstract: In an aspect of the disclosure, a method, a computer-readable medium, and an apparatus are provided. The apparatus may be an embedded-system device. The embedded-system device intercepts a call to a target function in a system dynamic library. The embedded-system device invokes an intermediate function in an intercept dynamic library and corresponding to the target function. The embedded-system device refrains from calling the target function or calling the target function with one or more modified parameters.

Abstract: An example computer-implemented method for restoring data consistency in a RAID array can include detecting failure of a disk of the RAID array, maintaining tracking information for write input/output (“I/O”) operations that effect a data block or a parity block stored on the failed disk, re-commissioning the failed disk and re-synchronizing the RAID array using the tracking information. The tracking information can be used to restore consistency to at least one of the data stripes. For example, the RAID array can store data in one or more data stripes, where each data stripe has a plurality of data and parity blocks. Additionally, the data stripes to which consistency is restored can include a data block or a parity block that is stored on the re-commissioned disk and that is effected by the write I/O operations and stored on the re-commissioned disk.

Abstract: A computer system includes a memory and computer-readable instructions stored at the memory and executable by a microprocessor to: initiating power on mode in order to execute a UEFI firmware for OS boot up procedure; initiating pairing with a Bluetooth device; saving a pairing connection data of the Bluetooth device to memory; retrieving the pairing connection data under Operating System environment; and initiating automatic pairing with the Bluetooth device based on the pairing connection data.