Abstract: Methods and systems for managing the operation of data processing systems are disclosed. A data processing system may include a computing device that may provide computer implemented services. To provide the computer implemented services, hardware components of the data processing system may need to operate in predetermined manners. To manage the operation of the hardware components, the data processing system may heat them when their temperatures fall outside of thermal operating ranges. The data processing system may implement a distributed management framework for managing the operation of a thermal management subsystem tasked with maintaining the temperatures of the hardware components through heating.

Abstract: A disclosed touchless provisioning method configures a baseboard management controller (BMC) of a bare metal server to include or support two or more network services for retrieving a configuration profile locator (CPL) identifying a network-accessible configuration file containing a server configuration profile (SCP). At least one of the network services may be invoked to retrieve the CPL and pass the CPL to a provisioning agent process configured to access the configuration file and configure the system in accordance with the SCP. The server may require a static IP address and the two or more network services may include at least one network service, such as a multicast domain name service (mDNS), suitable for use in conjunction with a static IP address system and at least one network service, such as a DHCP service, suitable for use in conjunction with servers that do not require a static IP address.

Abstract: A disclosed touchless provisioning method configures a baseboard management controller (BMC)of a bare metal server to include or support two or more network services for retrieving a configuration profile locator (CPL) identifying a network-accessible configuration file containing a server configuration profile (SCP). At least one of the network services may be invoked to retrieve the CPL and pass the CPL to a provisioning agent process configured to access the configuration file and configure the system in accordance with the SCP. The server may require a static IP address and the two or more network services may include at least one network service, such as a multicast domain name service (mDNS), suitable for use in conjunction with a static IP address system and at least one network service, such as a DHCP service, suitable for use in conjunction with servers that do not require a static IP address.

Abstract: Methods and systems for thermal management are disclosed. The thermal management method and systems may reduce the likelihood of a data processing system exceeding thermal limits even in cases of highly customizable and modifiable data processing system. To reduce the likelihood of the data processing system failing to meet thermal limits, the data processing system may implement a distributed thermal management system. The distributed thermal management system may include multiple components that are responsible for granular and/or global thermal management of the data processing system.

Abstract: Methods and systems for supporting similar thermal devices may involve collecting, by a thermal module on a management controller of an information handling system, device information about an add-in card, determining whether the add-in card was previously defined by matching the device against a table, searching the table based on the determination that the add-in card was not previously defined, determining whether the add-in card is supported by finding a match in the table, and applying a thermal tier associated with the match in the table based on the determination that the add-in card is supported. The device information collected may involve at least two of a reseller part number, description, device identifier, sub device identifier, vendor identifier, sub vendor identifier, slot identifier, lane width, and auxiliary power indicator. The search of the table may involve at least one of the description, lane width, and sub vendor identifier.

Abstract: A system with real time clock continuity is disclosed. The system includes a remote access controller configured to interoperate with a main processor and at least one second system component. The main processor is configured to receive a control from the remote access controller and to initiate a reboot after determining that a time and a tick count are stored in a memory device. The second system component is configured to store the time and the tick count in the memory device. A boot loader of the system is configured to use the time and the tick count to maintain a real time clock during the reboot of the main processor.

Abstract: A system with real time clock continuity is disclosed. The system includes a remote access controller configured to interoperate with a main processor and at least one second system component. The main processor is configured to receive a control from the remote access controller and to initiate a reboot after determining that a time and a tick count are stored in a memory device. The second system component is configured to store the time and the tick count in the memory device. A boot loader of the system is configured to use the time and the tick count to maintain a real time clock during the reboot of the main processor.

Abstract: An information handling system may include at least one processor, a non-transitory memory, and an information handling resource communicatively coupled to the at least one processor. The information handling system may be configured to receive a compliance template that includes security attributes of the information handling resource, the security attributes including information regarding the encryption key; based on the compliance template and a compliance standard, determine a set of compliance tests for the information handling resource; execute the set of compliance tests; and in response to a failure of at least one test of the set of compliance tests, provide an indication of the failure.

Abstract: Systems and methods for preventing attachment of malign code to unused firmware memory are described. In some embodiments, an Information Handling System (IHS) may include a processor and a memory coupled to the processor, the memory having program instructions stored thereon that, upon execution by the processor, cause the IHS to: read contents of a non-volatile memory (NVM); and determine that the NVM does not include malign code stored thereon, at least in part, by determining that selected memory locations in the NVM where firmware is not stored contain pre-determined values.

Abstract: Methods and systems for supporting similar thermal devices may involve collecting, by a thermal module on a management controller of an information handling system, device information about an add-in card, determining whether the add-in card was previously defined by matching the device against a table, searching the table based on the determination that the add-in card was not previously defined, determining whether the add-in card is supported by finding a match in the table, and applying a thermal tier associated with the match in the table based on the determination that the add-in card is supported. The device information collected may involve at least two of a reseller part number, description, device identifier, sub device identifier, vendor identifier, sub vendor identifier, slot identifier, lane width, and auxiliary power indicator. The search of the table may involve at least one of the description, lane width, and sub vendor identifier.

Abstract: A method determines power supply unit configurations in an information handling system. The method includes determining, via a controller, a first amount of power required to operate functional components of the IHS. A history table is retrieved containing a plurality of power supply unit (PSU) configurations and PSU data. The method further includes determining if the history table contains a first PSU configuration corresponding to the first amount of power. In response to determining that the history table contains the first PSU configuration corresponding to the first amount of power, the PSUs identified as active mode PSUs in the first PSU configuration are triggered to be in an active mode and operating at the corresponding percentage load and the PSUs identified as sleep mode PSUs in the first PSU configuration are triggered to be in a sleep mode.

Abstract: A method determines power supply unit configurations in an information handling system. The method includes determining, via a controller, a first amount of power required to operate functional components of the IHS. A history table is retrieved containing a plurality of power supply unit (PSU) configurations and PSU data. The method further includes determining if the history table contains a first PSU configuration corresponding to the first amount of power. In response to determining that the history table contains the first PSU configuration corresponding to the first amount of power, the PSUs identified as active mode PSUs in the first PSU configuration are triggered to be in an active mode and operating at the corresponding percentage load and the PSUs identified as sleep mode PSUs in the first PSU configuration are triggered to be in a sleep mode.

Abstract: Systems and methods for preventing attachment of malign code to unused firmware memory are described. In some embodiments, an Information Handling System (IHS) may include a processor and a memory coupled to the processor, the memory having program instructions stored thereon that, upon execution by the processor, cause the IHS to: read contents of a non-volatile memory (NVM); and determine that the NVM does not include malign code stored thereon, at least in part, by determining that selected memory locations in the NVM where firmware is not stored contain pre-determined values.