Abstract: A computer system includes a memory and computer-readable instructions stored at the memory and executable by a microprocessor to: receiving a debug retrieval request to retrieve a debug status data during execution of a UEFI firmware; initiating a debug aggregation function in response to the debug retrieval request; and aggregating the debug status data into a NFC data token.

Abstract: A virtual disk carousel is provided that is capable of creating disk images from optical disks and storing the disk images. The virtual disk carousel includes a bridge device configured to expose disk images stored at the virtual disk carousel to a computer by way of a standard storage device. When the computer performs read requests on the standard storage device exposed by the bridge device, the bridge device receives the requests from the computer, retrieves the appropriate portion of the disk image from the virtual disk carousel, and provides the portion of the disk image to the computer. The bridge device might also include a display and user input controls for managing the operation of the bridge device. The virtual disk carousel might also provide a user interface for managing the disk images, selecting a disk image to be exposed to the computer, and for performing other functions.

Abstract: Technologies are disclosed herein for utilizing near field communication (“NFC”) to improve the security, performance, and configuration of computing systems. In particular, NFC can be utilized to power an NFC-equipped server computer on or off, to log directly into an operating system executing on the NFC-equipped server computer, to stream firmware debugging data from an NFC-equipped server computer to an NFC-equipped mobile device, to initiate the update or recovery of firmware, to provide hardware inventory data, or to pair hardware devices. Firmware debugging data can also be streamed from a firmware to an NFC-equipped mobile device. NFC can also be utilized to disable functionality provided by a mobile device while the device is in motion, such as when a user of the mobile device is operating a motor vehicle.

Abstract: Technologies are disclosed herein for utilizing near field communication (“NFC”) to improve the security, performance, and configuration of computing systems. In particular, NFC can be utilized to power an NFC-equipped server computer on or off, to log directly into an operating system executing on the NFC-equipped server computer, to stream firmware debugging data from an NFC-equipped server computer to an NFC-equipped mobile device, to initiate the update or recovery of firmware, to provide hardware inventory data, or to pair hardware devices. Firmware debugging data can also be streamed from a firmware to an NFC-equipped mobile device. NFC can also be utilized to disable functionality provided by a mobile device while the device is in motion, such as when a user of the mobile device is operating a motor vehicle.

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 emulates a frame buffer. The service processor determines whether the service processor is configured to generate display signals to be sent to a display based on images from the service processor or based on images from a host of the service processor. When the service processor is configured to generate the display signals based on the images from the service processor, the service processor generates a first image based on serial data received from the host through a serial port, writes the first image to the emulated frame buffer, and generates a first display signal to be sent to the display based on the first image from the emulated frame buffer.

Abstract: Technologies are disclosed herein that allow for utilization of memory channel storage (“MCS”) devices in a computing system. The MCS device may be detected during a boot phase of the computing system, and the address data for the MCS device may be detected through repeated manipulation of a logical offset. The address data may then be stored for later use in memory allocation.

Abstract: Certain aspects relate to systems and methods for processing payments to trigger release of digital media content for display on digital signage devices. In certain embodiments, a management server receives a user input about payment remittance information relating to an advertising campaign, which includes media content stored at the management server. The management server then transmits the payment remittance information to an associated financial institution for processing. When the financial institution sends back a confirmation that the payment remittance has been processed, the management server updates the advertising campaign to reflect the confirmation.

Abstract: In an aspect of the disclosure, a method, a computer-readable medium, and an apparatus are provided. The apparatus may be a management device. The apparatus may be a management device. The management device receives a first command. The management device determines whether the management device is in a protected mode for executing a protected process. The management device, in response to a determination that the management device is in the protected mode, determines whether the first command, when executed, interrupts the execution of the protected process. The management device, in response to a determination that the first command interrupts the execution of the protected process, discards the first command.

Abstract: Systems and methods for detecting types of storage drives connected to a controller, which performs backplane or enclosure management. The controller has multiple pins, which includes N analog pins, such as the PRSNT# pins. Each of the N analog pins is electrically connected to a corresponding detecting circuits. Further, 2*N storage drives may be connected to and controlled by the controller in a way such that each analog pin may be connected to two storage drives via a corresponding detecting circuit for detecting a drive type of each storage drive. Each storage drive may be a SATA/SAS storage drive, or a NVMe storage drive. In operation, the controller receives a voltage from each of the N analog pins, and determines the drive type of each of the two of the 2*N storage drives based on the voltage received from each of the N analog pins.

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 receives first command or data through a first serial port of the embedded-system device. The embedded-system device further exposes a second serial port to a host of the embedded-system device such that the host has control over the second serial port and receiving second command or data from the host for outputting at the second serial port. The embedded-system device also redirects the first command or data to the second serial port when the embedded-system device is in a first mode. The embedded-system device allows the second command or data to be output at the second serial port when the embedded-system device is in a second mode.

Abstract: An example computer-implemented method for performing failover operations in a data storage system is described herein. The data storage system can include a first storage controller and a second storage controller for processing input/output (“I/O”) operations for the data storage system. The method can include, in response to a failure of the first storage controller, performing failover operations with the second storage controller, and processing the I/O operations with the second storage controller. The failover operations can include preparing a disk subsystem layer for I/O operations, preparing a device manager layer for the I/O operations, and preparing a network layer for the I/O operations. The disk subsystem, device manager, and network layers can be prepared for the I/O operations without dependencies. In particular, preparation of the network layer is not dependent on preparation of the disk subsystem layer or the device manager layer.

Abstract: An example method for performing cache replacement in a caching medium for a data storage system can include providing an SSD cache, providing an LRU data structure including buckets for managing the SSD cache, and providing cache headers for managing the cache lines. The method can include assigning two or more cache headers to a same bucket of the LRU data structure, and arranging the cache headers in a linked list based on access time. A cache header for an LRU cache line is a tail node of the linked list. The method can further include providing an LFU data structure including frequency buckets, assigning the tail node of the linked list of the same bucket of the LRU data structure to a frequency bucket based on access frequency, and selecting an LFU cache line for cache replacement using the LFU data structure.

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 receives a KVM console flow from a host. The service processor redirects the KVM console flow to a first destination console. The service processor redirects a video stream, without a keyboard stream and a mouse stream, of the KVM console flow to a second destination console. The service processor detects that the first destination console is disconnected from the service processor. The service processor invokes a privilege-checking event at the host.

Abstract: In an aspect of the disclosure, a method, a computer-readable medium, and a computer system are provided. A first device of the computer system emulates one or more sensors monitoring one or more operating characteristics of a host of a BMC of the computer system. The first device generates first data of a first sensor of the one or more emulated sensors. The first sensor monitors a first operating characteristic of the one or more operating characteristics. The first device sends, to the BMC, the first data and an indication indicating that the first data is associated with the first sensor.

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 loads a primary copy of a collection of environment variables from a storage device of the service processor. The service processor determines whether the primary copy is integral. The service processor, in response to a determination that the primary copy is not integral: loads a backup copy of the collection of environment variables from the storage device, determines whether the backup copy is integral, and boots an operating system with the collection of environment variables of the backup copy in response to a determination that the backup copy is integral.

Abstract: A system includes a computing device communicatively connectable with network devices via a network. The computing device has a processor and a storage device storing computer executable code. The code is configured to receive multiple addresses, each network device identifiable by one of the addresses; in response to receiving the addresses, generate at least one long integer pair, each long integer pair including a start long integer and an end long integer corresponding to a range of addresses, and store the at least one long integer pair in a data store; and perform a discovery operation by: retrieving the at least one long integer pair from the data store; for each long integer pair, converting the start and end long integers to a start and end addresses; and performing discovery of the network devices using the addresses between the start and end addresses.

Abstract: A method for firmware debug trace capture includes creating a hand-off block (“HOB”), capturing first debug trace statements during a boot sequence of a computer and writing the first debug trace statements to the HOB. A trace memory buffer can be created and the first debug trace statements can be copied from the HOB to the trace memory buffer. Second debug trace statements are captured during the boot sequence and appended to the trace memory buffer. In some configurations, the first debug trace statements can be written to the HOB during the pre-Extensible Firmware Interface initialization (“PEI”) phase of the boot sequence and the second debug trace statements can be written to the trace memory buffer during the driver execution (“DXE”) phase of the boot sequence.

Abstract: Methods and systems for identifying candidates for de-duplication are disclosed herein. An example system may include: a de-duplication lister that coordinates with a kernel module to identify a unit of data for de-duplication and calculates a signature of the unit of data; a de-duplication queue that manages a de-duplication queue; a de-duplication tracker that maintains a de-duplication data structure including a plurality of entries corresponding to units of data and searches the de-duplication data structure to determine whether the signature of the identified unit of data matches the signature of at least one of the entries in the de-duplication data structure; a de-duplication maintainer that reviews the entries of the de-duplication data structure and removes obsolete entries from the de-duplication data structure; and a de-duplication engine that coordinates with the kernel module to perform de-duplication operations on the de-duplication queue.

Abstract: Certain aspects direct to systems and methods for platform simulation for development projects of a management controller, such as a baseboard management controller (BMC). The management controller stores a firmware module and a simulator module. The firmware module is supposed to receive output signals from a computing device as the platform, or from one or more devices connected to the platform. The simulator module is a software implemented module used to simulate the platform or the device, by generating the output signals of the platform or the device based on configuration data stored in a data library, and sending the simulated output signals to the firmware module for development and testing purposes.

Abstract: A method for offloading RMW operations on a volume of a storage system to a caching medium includes providing an SSD cache, a data structure for managing the SSD cache and cache headers for managing cache lines. The method also includes maintaining cache headers for cache lines corresponding to a same chunk of the volume as a group, creating a snapshot of the volume and, after creating the snapshot, receiving a write I/O operation directed to a portion of the same chunk. The method further includes allocating a new RMW header for the write I/O operation, maintaining the new RMW header in a new group, performing the write I/O operation on the SSD cache, allocating an old RMW header for the group, maintaining the old RMW header with the group and providing a link between the new and old RMW headers.