Abstract: Embodiments are described for identifying critical sensors of a device, such as a FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) card, installed within an IHS (Information Handling System). A remote access controller identifies temperature sensors provided by the device and determine alert level thresholds for each of the sensors. The temperature sensors are ranked based on the respective ranges of the alert level thresholds. A first portion of the temperature sensors with the smallest ranges of alert level thresholds are assigned to a first ranked list. Readings from the temperature sensors are monitored and temperature sensors indicating temperature sensor readings rising faster than a first threshold are assigned to a second ranked list. A portion of the temperature sensors in the first ranked list and a portion of the temperature sensors in the second ranked list are designated for use by an airflow cooling system of the IHS.

Abstract: Embodiments are described for securing access to a debug port of an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) card installed within an IHS (Information Handling System). A remote access controller determines the status of the FPGA card debug port via a query to a management controller of the FPGA card. The remote access controller generates a passcode for the debug port and disables the debug port via a message to the management controller. The management controller detects a request, that includes a requestor password, for access to the debug port. The remote access controller authorizes the requestor's access to the debug port if the requestor password matches the generated passcode. The remote access controller disables the debug port upon each power cycle of the FPGA card or upon detecting removal of a device from the debug port.

Abstract: Periods of interoperability of sideband buses prevent effective management of managed devices by a remote access controller. Embodiments avoid periods of inoperability of sideband buses and recover the sideband bus without resetting the managed devices or the IHS (Information Handling System). The remote access controller configures timer and transmits the timer to a managed device. The managed device monitors the sideband for messages for the remote access controller. If no messages are received before expiration of the timer, the managed device resets its sideband bus endpoint, without resetting the managed device.

Abstract: Embodiments are described for recovery, via a sideband management bus, of firmware of a device such as an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) card installed within an IHS (Information Handling System). A remote access controller of the IHS generates a security key for the device and transmits it to the device. The remote access controller requests the device to report the current version of the firmware in use by the device. The response from the device is authenticated based on the security key. If the current firmware version reported by the device is consistent with the master firmware version, the device is halted and the current firmware of the device is replaced with the master firmware. The device is initialized based on the master firmware used to update the device firmware.

Abstract: In accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure, a management controller configured to provide management-domain management of an information handling system may include a processor and a key management utility embodied in non-transitory computer-readable media. The key management utility may be configured to issue one or more commands to a cryptoprocessor for storing and sealing a key encryption key on the cryptoprocessor, wherein the key encryption key is for decrypting a media encryption key for encrypting and decrypting data stored to a storage resource of a host domain of the information handling system. The key management utility may also be configured to issue one or more commands to the cryptoprocessor for unsealing and retrieving the key encryption key from the cryptoprocessor.

Abstract: A method includes storing configuration data for a Trusted Platform Module (TPM) in a pre-boot environment such as Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI), reading the configuration data, and automatically configuring the TPM based upon the configuration data. The configuring includes storing values of TPM parameters in non-volatile memory of the TPM. A method includes UEFI firmware of a circuit board on an assembly line configuring a TPM. An information handling system includes UEFI firmware and a TPM. The UEFI firmware configures the TPM from a configuration file stored in memory of the UEFI firmware.

Abstract: A method and information handling system (IHS) resets one or more system registers of the IHS. The method includes receiving, by the IHS, a system register reset request. In response to receiving the system register reset request, an auxiliary power disable signal is sent to an auxiliary power source and a system register reset enable signal is sent to a register reset controller. The method further includes disabling, by the auxiliary power source, an auxiliary power source output in response to receiving the auxiliary power disable signal. The method further includes disabling, by the register reset controller, a system register power source in response to receiving the system register reset enable signal. The method further resets the one or more system registers to one or more default values in response to detecting that the auxiliary power source output and the system register power source are disabled.

Abstract: Embodiments are described for supporting remote monitoring and management of FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) card operations. The FPGA card includes an external interface supporting core operations of the FPGA and for accessing functions defined by the programmable logic of the FPGA. Network activity data is collected from a network controller of the FPGA card. In response to invocation of an internal operations interface function by an external interface request, the collected network activity data is included in a network report for transmission to a remote access controller. A proxy message compliant with the external interface is used to transport the collected network activity data that is not supported by the external interface. The proxy message is transmitted to an FPGA management controller via the external interface, where it is converted to remote management protocol and transmitted to the remote management controller.

Abstract: In accordance with these and other embodiments of the disclosure, an information handling system may include a host system comprising a host system processor, a management controller communicatively coupled to the host system processor and configured to provide management of the information handling system via management traffic communicated between the management controller and a dedicated management network external to the information handling system, and a cryptoprocessor having a first communications interface to the host system and a second communications interface to the management controller and configured to carry out cryptographic operations on data communicated to the cryptoprocessor from the host system and the management controller such that the cryptoprocessor is accessible to the host system and the management controller.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for securing an information handling system. A method for securing an information handling system may include securing the information handling system in an enclosure with a locking mechanism of a bezel; receiving a request to unlock the bezel at a baseboard management controller (BMC), the BMC communicatively coupled to the bezel; retrieving a first artifact stored in a trusted platform module (TPM) in response to the request; attempting to authorize the request using the first artifact; and unlocking the locking mechanism if the request is authorized.

Abstract: A method and information handling system (IHS) resets one or more system registers of the IHS. The method includes receiving, by the IHS, a system register reset request. In response to receiving the system register reset request, an auxiliary power disable signal is sent to an auxiliary power source and a system register reset enable signal is sent to a register reset controller. The method further includes disabling, by the auxiliary power source, an auxiliary power source output in response to receiving the auxiliary power disable signal. The method further includes disabling, by the register reset controller, a system register power source in response to receiving the system register reset enable signal. The method further resets the one or more system registers to one or more default values in response to detecting that the auxiliary power source output and the system register power source are disabled.

Abstract: A method may include, by a program of instructions embodied in a read-only memory of a management controller communicatively coupled to a host system processor of an information handling system and configured to provide management of the information handling system via management traffic communicated between the management controller and a dedicated management network external to the information handling system, performing authenticity checks for each of a plurality of sequentially loaded software components of the management controller and controlling execution of the plurality of software components and access by the software components to one or more information handling resources of the information handling system based on the authenticity checks and a configurable policy associated with the management controller, wherein such control of execution and access permits execution of and access by those software components passing the authenticity checks in the event of failure by at least one of the software

Abstract: A method may include storing a first set of secrets associated with an information handling system in a credential vault of a management controller configured to be coupled to a processor of a host system of the information handling system in order to provide management of the information handling system via management traffic communicated between the management controller and an external management network such that the first set of secrets are accessible responsive to a verified boot of the management controller and storing a second set of secrets associated with the information handling system in a storage of a cryptoprocessor owned by the management controller such that access to the second set of secrets may be granted in response to an administrator's provision of authorization to the cryptoprocessor, and such that access to the second set of secrets is prevented during runtime of the host system in absence of authorization.

Abstract: A management controller may be configured to control connectivity among a host system processor, a primary ROM, and a recovery ROM in accordance with a plurality of modes of operation including at least a normal mode that occurs in response to absence of a corruption of the ROM code in which the management controller causes the host system processor to be communicatively coupled to the primary ROM and communicatively decoupled from the recovery ROM, such that the host system processor loads and executes the ROM code during boot of the host system, and a primary ROM recovery mode that occurs in response to presence of the corruption of the ROM code in which the management controller causes the host system processor to be coupled to the primary ROM and the recovery ROM, such that the host system processor loads and executes the recovery code during boot of the host system.

Abstract: A method may include in response to determining a host system is off, configuring a video controller of an information handling system including setting a display resolution of the video controller and writing management video data associated to a primary frame buffer such that management video data is able to be retrieved by the video controller for output to one or both of a first display associated with the host system and a second display of a management interface communicatively coupled to a management controller communicatively coupled to the processor and the memory and configured to provide out-of-band management of the information handling system. The method may further include in response to determining the host system is on, writing the management video data to an alternate frame buffer such that management video data is able to be retrieved by the video controller for output to the second display.

Abstract: Systems and method for increasing current monitor accuracy are disclosed. The systems and methods may include receiving a run-time load value from a current monitor, determining a component parameter value associated with the run-time load value, and communicating the component parameter value to the current monitor.

Abstract: In accordance with these and other embodiments of the present disclosure, an information handling system may include a processor and a basic input/output system (BIOS) including a program of instructions. The BIOS may be configured to, when read and executed by the processor, calculate a binding secret for binding a cryptoprocessor to a motherboard of the information handling system, the binding secret based on unique identifying information of both the cryptoprocessor and the motherboard, store the binding secret in a non-volatile memory integral to the cryptoprocessor, and validate binding of the cryptoprocessor to the motherboard by comparing a subsequently-calculated binding secret to the binding secret.

Abstract: An information handling system and method provides basic input/output system (BIOS) recovery. At a baseboard management controller (BMC), a basic input/output system (BIOS) boot failure is detected. A non-volatile memory device a recovery image is obtained. The recovery image comprises instructions to perform a system software management (SSM) task. The instructions to perform the SSM task are executed. The execution comprises loading a BIOS image from a BMC persistent storage memory device, verifying the BIOS image, and writing the BIOS image to a BIOS non-volatile memory device. The system and method may utilize a recovery flash memory device attached to the BMC, a recovery flash memory device attached to a southbridge portion of a chipset, or a combination thereof to perform the BIOS recovery.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed that may be used for controlling information handling system power supply based on current system power policy such as current system load power need and/or based on current system load power capping information. The disclosed systems and methods may be so implemented to improve power use efficiency for information handling system applications in which a power supply unit (PSU) has a power delivery capability that is overprovisioned relative to the power-consuming system load component/s of an information handling system.

Abstract: In accordance with these and other embodiments of the disclosure, an information handling system may include a host system comprising a host system processor, a management controller communicatively coupled to the host system processor and configured to provide management of the information handling system via management traffic communicated between the management controller and a dedicated management network external to the information handling system, and a cryptoprocessor having a first communications interface to the host system and a second communications interface to the management controller and configured to carry out cryptographic operations on data communicated to the cryptoprocessor from the host system and the management controller such that the cryptoprocessor is accessible to the host system and the management controller.