Abstract: The present disclosure relates to providing access to secured data from a system management appliance (SMA) and, more particularly, to a system and method of providing access to secured data from a system management appliance (SMA) via a push notification mechanism. The method includes providing secured data to a server, from a system management appliance (SMA) that requires credentials necessary to obtain the secured data; and providing a push notification to a device of a user, which advises the user of the secure data stored in the server and provides temporary access information to the server without the need for the user to provide the credentials otherwise necessary needed to obtain the secured data directly from the SMA.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to reconstructing graphical images on a user device related to secured data from a system management appliance (SMA) and/or providing access to such secured data from a system management appliance (SMA), via a push notification mechanism. For example, a push notification regarding an event can include encoded data to permit the user device to reconstruct a graphical image which indicates information pertaining to the alert. Alternatively, the push notification can include a one-time password for access to the SMA on a temporary alternate route to a normal route between the SMA and the user device to permit the user device to obtain additional information pertaining to the push notification.

Abstract: A computer server includes a baseboard management controller having a serial bus controller. The computer server further includes a serial bus port disposed along a front panel of a server enclosure of the computer server. A serial bus couples the serial bus port to the serial bus controller. Accordingly, an application running on a mobile computing device may establish communication with the baseboard management controller via a serial communication cable physically connected between the mobile computing device and the front panel serial bus port of the server. The mobile computing device may send a management instruction to the baseboard management controller over the serial communication cable and the serial bus, and the baseboard management controller may forward the management instruction over a network connection to a management computer.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a computer server having a chipset and a baseboard management controller, wherein the chipset includes a first serial bus controller, and wherein the baseboard management controller includes a second serial bus controller. The apparatus further includes a serial bus port disposed along an external panel of a server enclosure that houses the computer server, wherein the serial bus port is accessible for connection with a connector of a serial communication cable. Still further, the apparatus includes a switch that selectively connects the serial bus port to either the first serial bus controller or the second serial bus controller, wherein the switch is controlled by an output signal from the baseboard management controller.

Abstract: Communication paths between a management computing device and a managed computing device are determined. The communication paths have different communication modalities. Current situational factors governing a current communication need between the management computing device and the managed computing device are determined. A hierarchy of the communication paths, from a highest priority communication path to a lowest priority communication path, is determined based on the current situational factors. The management request for the current communication need is successively sent, from the management computing device to the managed computing device, using the one of the communication paths starting with the highest communication path and proceeding through the hierarchy until the current communication need has been fulfilled.

Abstract: A computing device receives a notification from a remote computing system that an event has occurred, and determines an action to resolve the event. The device may present the action via a user interface element, and responsive to user actuation of the element, perform the action. The device may instead automatically perform the action without first obtaining user approval, and then present the action and a user interface element to roll back performance of the action; responsive to user actuation of the element, the device performs an undo action. The device may alternatively present the action and a user interface element to disapprove performance of the action. If a user does not actuate the element within a length of time, the device automatically performs the action without first obtaining user approval; if the user actuates the element, the device does not perform the action.

Abstract: A method, computer program product and apparatus are provided for responding to conditions within a computing system. The method includes accessing a stored historical record of user-selected actions responsive to multiple types of conditions in a computing system, wherein each instance of a condition in the historical record is associated with a user-selected action that was taken by a user within a predetermined group of users. The method further includes identifying a current instance of a condition within the computing system, using the historical record to identify one or more actions previously used in responding to the identified current instance of a condition, and displaying the one or more identified actions on a screen of the mobile computing device.

Abstract: Capturing physical inventory in a data center includes: establishing a proximity-based data communications connection with a service processor of a server, the server installed at a location within a server rack; retrieving an identifier of the server via the proximity-based data communications connection; capturing, with a camera of the mobile computing device, a digital image of the server in the server rack; identifying, from the digital image, the location of the server within the server rack; and storing the identified location of the server within the server rack in association with the retrieved identifier.

Abstract: A management computing device determines that a client computing device is able to assist in acquiring information from a managed computing device to satisfy a current communication need of the management computing device regarding the managed computing device. The management computing device is not communicatively connected to the managed computing device. The management computing device transmits a request to the client computing device to assist in acquiring the information to satisfy the current communication need. The management computing device receives the information to satisfy the current communication need, such as from the client computing device directly, or from the managed computing device after a user of the client computing device has initiated temporary communication connectivity between the management computing device and the managed computing device.

Abstract: Securing a server before connecting the server to a data communications network in a data center may include: establishing a proximity-based communications connection with a service processor of a server, where the server is not coupled to a data communications network; and transmitting, via the proximity-based data communications connection, a digital certificate to the service processor of the server, where the digital certificate is configured to enable access to the server only by a system management server.

Abstract: Communication paths between a management computing device and a managed computing device are determined. The communication paths have different communication modalities. Current situational factors governing a current communication need between the management computing device and the managed computing device are determined. A hierarchy of the communication paths, from a highest priority communication path to a lowest priority communication path, is determined based on the current situational factors. The management request for the current communication need is successively sent, from the management computing device to the managed computing device, using the one of the communication paths starting with the highest communication path and proceeding through the hierarchy until the current communication need has been fulfilled.

Abstract: A mobile computing device of a user transmits a digital certificate to a server computing device over a non-networking connection established with the server computing device. The digital certificate identifies the user, a particular server computing device, a validity period in which the digital certificate is valid, and a list of actions that the user is permitted to perform on the particular server computing device during the validity period. The server computing device authenticates the digital certificate, such as by determining whether a current time is within the validity period and whether the particular server computing device is the server computing device. When authentication is successful, the user can perform any action of the list of actions, including an action to power off the service computing device. The non-networking connection is such that the user is not provided a user account and a password to access the server computing device.

Abstract: Securing a server before connecting the server to a data communications network in a data center may include: establishing a proximity-based communications connection with a service processor of a server, where the server is not coupled to a data communications network; and transmitting, via the proximity-based data communications connection, a digital certificate to the service processor of the server, where the digital certificate is configured to enable access to the server only by a system management server.

Abstract: Capturing physical inventory in a data center includes: establishing a proximity-based data communications connection with a service processor of a server, the server installed at a location within a server rack; retrieving an identifier of the server via the proximity-based data communications connection; capturing, with a camera of the mobile computing device, a digital image of the server in the server rack; identifying, from the digital image, the location of the server within the server rack; and storing the identified location of the server within the server rack in association with the retrieved identifier.

Abstract: A method, system and computer program product for performing maintenance operations on a cloud computing node. An administrative server receives an indication that a maintenance operation is to be performed on a cloud computing node. The administrative server identifies which virtual machine(s) on the cloud computing node will be affected by the maintenance operation. The administrative server relocates the virtual machine(s) to be affected by the maintenance operation to other suitable cloud computing node(s) prior to the maintenance operation being performed. The administrative server then performs the maintenance operation on the cloud computing node. The virtual machine(s) may be relocated back to the cloud computing node after the maintenance operation is completed in response to a need to rebalance resources in such a manner. In this manner, maintenance operations may be performed on a cloud computing node without requiring to stop all the virtual machines in the node.

Abstract: A method, system and computer program product for performing maintenance operations on a cloud computing node. An administrative server receives an indication that a maintenance operation is to be performed on a cloud computing node. The administrative server identifies which virtual machine(s) on the cloud computing node will be affected by the maintenance operation. The administrative server relocates the virtual machine(s) to be affected by the maintenance operation to other suitable cloud computing node(s) prior to the maintenance operation being performed. The administrative server then performs the maintenance operation on the cloud computing node. The virtual machine(s) may be relocated back to the cloud computing node after the maintenance operation is completed in response to a need to rebalance resources in such a manner. In this manner, maintenance operations may be performed on a cloud computing node without requiring to stop all the virtual machines in the node.

Abstract: A computer implemented method, apparatus, and computer usable program code for balancing management loads. Loads are analyzed for a plurality of hardware control points to form an analysis in response to receiving a notification from a hardware control point indicating that a new manageable data processing system has been discovered. One of the plurality of hardware control points is selected using the analysis to form a selected hardware control point. The message is sent to the selected hardware control point to manage the new manageable data processing system, wherein the selected hardware control point manages the new manageable data processing system.

Abstract: Methods, apparatuses, and computer program products are provided for acquiring guest operating system instrumentation information in a hypervisor. Embodiments include receiving from a platform management application, by a hypervisor communication module of the hypervisor, a platform request for guest operating system instrumentation information associated with at least one guest operating system executing within the hypervisor; in response to receiving the platform request for the guest operating system instrumentation information, retrieving through shared memory between the hypervisor and the guest operating system, by the hypervisor communication module, the guest operating system instrumentation information associated with the at least one guest operating system; and transmitting, by the hypervisor communication module, the guest operating system instrumentation information to the platform management application.

Abstract: A method, computer program product, and system for allocating resources on computer systems are provided. The method, computer program product, and system provide for displaying a resource allocation matrix, the resource allocation matrix including a plurality of cells, each of the plurality of cells indicating a quantity of one of a plurality of resources on one of a plurality of physical systems allocated to one of a plurality of virtual systems hosted by the one physical system, receiving an input changing the quantity indicated in a cell, the cell indicating the quantity of a resource on a physical system allocated to a virtual system hosted by the physical system, and adjusting the quantity of the resource allocated to the virtual system based on the input.

Abstract: Converting a two-tier resource mapping to a one-tier resource mapping may include determining a first mapping from an intermediate data buffer to a data destination. A second mapping from a data source to the intermediate data buffer may also be determined. An optimized mapping from the data source to the data destination may be generated based on the first and second mappings. The optimized mapping may then be used instead of the first and second mappings to collect data from the data source to the data destination, thereby resulting in a one-tier resource mapping. In some instances, the mappings may be sets of one or more queries.