Abstract: According to one aspect, a computing system having a plurality of enclosure management controllers (EMCs) is disclosed. In one embodiment, the EMCs are communicatively coupled to each other and each EMC is operatively connected to a corresponding plurality of drive slots and at least one of a plurality of drive slot status indicators. Each EMC is operative to receive enclosure management data, detect an operational status of the drive slots, and generate drive slot status data. One of the EMCs is configured to function at least partly as a master EMC to receive drive slot status data and, based on received enclosure management data and received drive slot status data, generate mapped data for each one of the EMCs for selectively activating at least one of the drive slot status indicators to indicate corresponding operational status.

Abstract: Technologies are provided herein for automated operating system installation on multiple drives. A device switch connects a mass storage device to a test control system (“TCS”) or a system under test (“SUT”). When connected to the TCS, the mass storage device is mounted with a disk image containing an installer program for an operating system. When the mass storage device is connected to the SUT, the installer program is executed to install the operating system onto an activated drive connected to the SUT. Multiple operating systems can be installed in a similar fashion by mounting a corresponding disk image for an operating system onto the mass storage device and by installing from the mass storage device the operating system onto a corresponding drive connected to the SUT. Errors generated during the automated installation process can be analyzed and utilized to identify and correct errors in a computing system firmware.

Abstract: Certain aspects of the present disclosure are directed to a computer system, including: a hypervisor configured to run on a CPU and to provide a first domain; and a virtual baseboard management controller (BMC) stack configured to run in the first domain or as part of the hypervisor. Certain aspects of the present disclosure are directed to a non-transitory computer readable medium that stores instructions executable by at least one processor, the instructions including loading a virtual baseboard management controller (BMC) stack in a first domain of, or as a part of, a hypervisor running on the processor.

Abstract: Certain aspects direct to systems and methods of BIOS failover update with a service processor (SP) having direct serial peripheral interface (SPI) access to a basic input/output system (BIOS) chip of a host computer. In certain embodiments, the SP receives a failover backup image from a BIOS being executed at a CPU of the host computer through a system interface, and stores the failover backup image in the volatile memory. Then the SP monitors operation of the BIOS by receiving, from the BIOS, a notification signal. When the SP detects an error in the operation of the BIOS based on the notification signal, the SP sends a copy of the failover backup image to the BIOS chip of the host computer through the SPI to replace a current BIOS image stored in the BIOS chip of the host computer with the copy of the failover backup image.

Abstract: Technologies are described herein for ensuring remediation of hung multiplexer bus channels between a baseboard management controller (BMC), multiplexer, and I2C device such as a sensor. In particular, a BMC, which is in operative communication with one or more sensors via a multiplexer, comprises an I2C interface and general purpose input/output (GPIO) interface. Upon transmitting an I2C command to the I2C device via the multiplexer and subsequently transmitting a stop sequence to the I2C device via the multiplexer, the BMC then immediately transmits a reset signal to the multiplexer's reset input. When the multiplexer receives the reset signal, it resets all registers and deselects all channels, thereby remediating any hung channels and ensuring the next communication from the BMC is successful.

Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure direct to systems and methods for updating the operating system of a signage device and registering the signage device to a global network. The signage device has a computer system. When booting, the BIOS of the computer system loads an installer to install a preferred operating system and client software onto a hard drive, and boots the preferred operating system and the client software from the hard drive. Once executed, the client software detects and transmits configuration information of the computer system to a management server of a Digital Signage Device Central Management System (SDCMS). The management server determines resources appropriate for the computer system based on the received configuration information, and sends the resources back to the client software. The client software then transmits signage device identifying information to the management server to register the signage device to a global network of managed signage devices.

Abstract: One aspect of the present disclosure relates to a backplane initiator for testing enclosure management controller. The backplane initiator includes: an initiator board and an initiator control application. The initiator board includes initiator controller, at least one SGPIO interface, at least one SMBus interface, and a first communication interface. The initiator controller is configured to transmit control commands and data according to enclosure management protocol through the SGPIO interface and the SMBus interface to an EMC.

Abstract: A method, system and apparatus for providing better cellular network coverage and establishing a new cellular network technology infrastructure are provided. A representative apparatus is a communications device that includes a processing device, memory, a transceiver, and a miniature cellular tower unit. The memory includes a routing manager which has instructions that are executed by the processing device. The instructions include logics that facilitate making and receiving cellular network calls from and to the communications device. The transceiver transmits and receives radio frequency (RF) signals to and from a cellular tower and to and from at least one other communications device. The miniature cellular tower unit routes RF signals from the at least one other communications device to the cellular tower.

Abstract: Certain aspects of the present disclosure are directed to an IPMI Compatible Digital Media Controller (DMC). The IPMI Compatible DMC includes: a processor, a network interface controller, and a memory. The memory contains a firmware, and when the it is executed at the processor, the firmware is configured: (a) to be in communication with a number of digital media devices in a local DLNA network, (b) to receive an IPMI message from a remote management device through the network interface controller; and (c) to execute, in response to the IPMI message, an DLNA operation of the DMR or DMS. The digital media devices include at least one digital media renderer (DMR) and at least one digital media server (DMS).

Abstract: Screen content associated with a first communication device is presented on a screen associated with a second communication device with minimal processing of the screen content by the first communication device. Screen content associated with the first communication device that is to be presented on the screen associated with a second communication device is identified. The first communication device determines whether the identified content requires complex processing for presentation on the screen associated with the second communication device. If the identified content requires complex processing for presentation on the screen associated with the second communication device, the first communication device sends a representation of the identified content to the second communication device, and the second communication device accesses and processes the identified content for presentation on the screen associated with the second communication device.

Abstract: Certain aspects of the present disclosure are directed to a baseboard management controller (BMC). The BMC includes a processor and a memory having firmware. The firmware includes a master management instance and a plurality of assisting management instances. When the firmware is executed at the processor, the master management instance is configured to manage a chassis of a computer system, and each of the assisting management instances is configured to manage at least one health or performance related aspect a respective different computer node of a plurality of computer nodes of the computer system.

Abstract: Present disclosure relates to backplane controller configured as human interface device (HID) device to communicate with host computer through USB interface. Backplane controller includes: processor, memory, HID universal serial bus (USB) interface, and non-volatile memory. Non-volatile memory stores certain USB descriptors, drive management module, USB HID device driver, and firmware of the backplane controller. Firmware performs one or more of following operations: (a) connecting to host computer through USB interface, (b) sending USB descriptors to host computer to act as specific HID device, (c) instructing USB HID device driver of backplane controller to generate first USB HID report, (d) sending USB HID report to host computer through USB interface, (e) receiving second USB HID report from host computer through USB interface, (f) instructing USB HID device driver to retrieve and process report data from second USB HID report.

Abstract: Certain aspects relate to monitoring and managing storage drives installed on a backplane and performing backplane controller firmware update through a universal serial bus (USB) interface. When the backplane controller is connected to a host computer via the USB interface, the backplane controller sends USB descriptors to the host computer through the USB interface such that the host computer recognizes the backplane controller as a specific human interface device (HID) device based on the USB descriptors. Thus, the backplane controller and the host computer may transmit backplane drive management messages, such as the result to monitor and manage the storage drives, or the control commands and control data to monitor and manage the storage drives and to update the firmware of the backplane controller, as USB HID reports in a predefined format based on the USB descriptors.

Abstract: Technologies are described for implementing a default migration mechanism in a storage system containing multiple tiers of storage with each tier having different cost and performance parameters. Data that is accessed more frequently can be migrated toward higher performance storage tiers while data that is accessed less frequently can be migrated towards lower performance storage tiers. Default migration behavior can be overridden by user-specified values for tier age residency policy, demotion policy, tier occupancy of volumes, and tier assignment. Data migration can be paused by the user and resumed by the user.

Abstract: Certain aspects of the present disclosure are directed to a baseboard management controller (BMC) managing a computer system including N computer nodes and N is an integer greater than 1. The BMC has: (a) a processor, (b) a first communication interface controller, (c) a memory. The memory stores a firmware, and the firmware is executed by a processor of the BMC. The firmware, when executed by the processor, is configured to (a) dynamically obtain the value of N, and (b) initiate N virtual BMC stacks each managing at least one health or performance related aspect of a respective one of the N computer nodes. The first and second virtual BMC stacks of the N virtual BMC stacks communicate, through the first communication interface controller, with the first and second computer nodes of the N computer nodes, respectively.

Abstract: Multiple reconfigurable hover sensing arrays are utilized to detect the location of an object with respect to a “hover” sensing panel. Multiple enable switches control the size and the shape of the multiple reconfigurable hover sensing arrays. A portion of one of the multiple reconfigurable hover sensing arrays may overlap with another reconfigurable sensing array to improve detection resolution. A scanning and sampling mechanism might also be utilized to assist with controlling the enable switches.

Abstract: A gateway for distributing content receives a subscriber profile from a subscriber device. The subscriber profile indicates content in which a user associated with the subscriber device is interested. Content is received by the gateway in an electronic mail message addressed to the gateway. The received content is parsed to determine whether the received content contains the content in which the subscriber profile indicates an interest. If the received content is determined to contain the content in which the subscriber profile indicates an interest, the received content is provided to the subscriber device.

Abstract: Certain aspects direct to a system having at most four service processors (SP's). Each of the at most four SP's is assigned with a logical unit number (LUN) of 0 to 3. When the SP receives a message packet, the SP identifies the message packet based on the header of the message packet. The header uses a LUN field to identify a corresponding SP as a destination of the message packet. For the LUN 0 SP, when the message packet is identified as a request message packet for the LUN 0 SP, the SP processes the request message packet to generate a corresponding response message packet. When the message packet is identified as a request message packet for other SP's (LUN 1-3), the SP saves a copy of the header of the request message packet for later response use, and forwards the request message packet to the destination.

Abstract: Technologies are described herein for controlling the selection of drivers in a firmware environment for managing a hardware device based on a user preference. A user preference that specifies one driver being preferred over another driver for the hardware device is received, for example, through a user interface provided by the firmware environment. According to the user preference, a sorted driver pool that contain drivers available for the hardware device is created by listing the preferred driver before the non-preferred driver in the sorted driver pool. A driver stack is then built from the sorted driver pool by examining each driver in the sorted driver pool in the order they are listed in the sorted driver pool. The preferred driver is then put into the driver stack before the non-preferred driver and thus is associated with the hardware device first.

Abstract: A secondary operating system, which is a virtual operating system executing as a guest of a primary operating system, is provided with access to resources associated with a computing device executing the primary operating system. A request is received from an application associated with the secondary operating system at a hardware abstraction layer associated with the secondary operating system. The application and the hardware abstraction layer are executed in a user mode layer associated with the secondary operating system. The request is sent from the hardware abstraction layer to an application associated with the primary operating system. The application associated with the primary operating system is executed in a user mode layer, acting as an agent of the primary operating system, and fulfilling the request by providing the secondary operating system with access to resources associated with the computing device.