Abstract: In an aspect of the disclosure, a method, a computer-readable medium, and an apparatus are provided. The apparatus may be a BMC. The BMC receives a management instruction directed to a Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (PCIe) switch. The BMC generates a corresponding command for the PCIe switch based on the management instruction. The BMC transmits the corresponding command to the PCIe switch to configure or operate the PCIe switch dynamically.

Abstract: In an aspect of the disclosure, a method, a computer-readable medium, and an apparatus are provided. The apparatus may be a BMC. The BMC detects a platform type of a modular hardware system. The BMC searches for platform-specific files in a storage of the BMC based on the detected platform type. The BMC determines whether the platform-specific files are present in the storage of the BMC. When the platform-specific files are present in the storage of the BMC, the BMC reads the platform-specific files from the storage of the BMC, and the BMC initializes a service using the platform-specific files read from the storage of the BMC.

Abstract: In an aspect of the disclosure, a method, a computer-readable medium, and an apparatus are provided. The apparatus is a BMC. The BMC receives, via an application programming interface (API) at the BMC, a package management request for managing a software component of the BMC. The BMC determines, by a package management service of the BMC, whether a software package for the software component is an updatable package to be stored on a read-write partition of a storage of the BMC. When the software package is the updatable package, the BMC manages the software component according to the package management request.

Abstract: In an aspect of the disclosure, a method, a computer-readable medium, and a computer system are provided. The computer system includes one or more computing devices. The one or more computing devices provide access to a first firmware image containing firmware of a baseboard management controller (BMC) through a cloud platform. The one or more computing devices receive, from a first device of a first subscriber, a request to retrieve the first firmware image according to a first subscription. The one or more computing devices grant, to the first device, access to the first firmware image.

Abstract: In an aspect of the disclosure, a method, a computer-readable medium, and an apparatus are provided. The apparatus is a BMC. The BMC receives data to be written to a storage. The BMC encrypts the data using a stream encrypt engine to generate encrypted data. The BMC writes the encrypted data to the storage. The BMC receives encrypted data read from the storage. The BMC decrypts the encrypted data using a stream decrypt engine to generate decrypted data. The BMC provides the decrypted data to a component of the BMC.

Abstract: In an aspect of the disclosure, a method, a computer-readable medium, and an apparatus are provided. The apparatus is a BMC. The BMC obtains data to be written to a storage. A main processor of the BMC provides the data to a co-processor of the BMC. The co-processor encrypts the data into encrypted data. The co-processor stores the encrypted data to the storage.

Abstract: In an aspect of the disclosure, a method, a computer-readable medium, and an apparatus are provided. The apparatus is a BMC. The BMC detects a boot failure from both an active firmware image and a recovery firmware image. The BMC starts a recovery protocol to acquire a fallback firmware image from a first source once it identifies the failure. The BMC flashes the obtained fallback firmware image onto its storage device. The BMC initiates a boot process using the fallback firmware image.

Abstract: In an aspect of the disclosure, a method, a computer-readable medium, and a BMC are provided. The BMC receives an update package containing one or more updated software components of a firmware image of the BMC to replace corresponding existing software components running on the BMC. The BMC shuts down the existing software components and executes the one or more updated software components. The BMC calculates one or more first stability factors of the one or more updated software components. The BMC compares the one or more first stability factors with one or more second stability factors of the corresponding existing software components. The BMC determines whether to keep the updated software components based on a comparison result.

Abstract: A system is provided for providing self-diagnostic, remedy and redundancy of autonomic modules in a management mesh. The system defines a plurality of hierarchy clusters and a plurality of families in each hierarchy cluster. Each node of the system is configured as a master node of a corresponding hierarchy cluster or one of a plurality of management nodes of the corresponding hierarchy cluster. Specifically, each management node of the corresponding hierarchy cluster belongs to one family of the corresponding hierarchy cluster. In operation, the master node of the corresponding hierarchy cluster is configured to manage the management nodes of the corresponding hierarchy cluster and communicate with a management application of the system. The system allows automatic addition of new management nodes into a corresponding hierarchy cluster, and provides automation features to perform resource management, remedial actions and redundancy management of the nodes.

Abstract: A system and a method of offloading and migrating management controller functionalities using containerized services are provided. Specifically, a computing device may request a container image from a container management system by sending an instruction to the container management system to select a group of management functionalities to be provided in the container image. In response to receiving the instruction, the container management system retrieves a corresponding group of the services corresponding to the selected group of management functionalities, and creates the container image using the retrieved services. Upon receiving a request from the computing device for the container image, the container management system sends the container image to the computing device, such that the container image may be executed on the computing device to provide a virtual management device thereon. The container image is also capable of being migrated from the computing device to another computing device.

Abstract: In an aspect of the disclosure, a method, a computer-readable medium, and a computer system are provided. The computer system includes a BMC. The BMC determines a booting configuration based on setting of the BMC. The BMC determines, from a firmware image and according to the booting configuration, a group of components, of an OS of the BMC, to be loaded into a memory of the BMC. The BMC determines, from the firmware image, storage locations of the group of components. The BMC obtains a first set of components of the group from one or more network locations according to the storage locations.

Abstract: In an aspect of the disclosure, a method, a computer-readable medium, and a computer system are provided. The computer system includes one or more computing devices. The one or more computing devices provide access to a first firmware image containing firmware of a baseboard management controller (BMC) through a cloud platform. The one or more computing devices receive, from a first device of a first subscriber, a request to retrieve the first firmware image according to a first subscription. The one or more computing devices grant, to the first device, access to the first firmware image.

Abstract: In an aspect of the disclosure, a method, a computer-readable medium, and a computer system are provided. The computer system includes a BMC. The BMC determines a booting configuration based on setting of the BMC. The BMC determines, from a firmware image and according to the booting configuration, a group of components, of an OS of the BMC, to be loaded into a memory of the BMC. The BMC determines, from the firmware image, storage locations of the group of components. The BMC obtains a first set of components of the group from one or more network locations according to the storage locations.

Abstract: In an aspect of the disclosure, a method, a computer-readable medium, and an apparatus are provided. The apparatus is a BMC. The BMC validates a first boot program from an active firmware image based on a hardware component of the BMC. The BMC validates a first boot program from a recovery firmware image based on the hardware component, when the first boot program of the active firmware image is not validated. The BMC executes the first boot program from the recovery firmware image, when the first boot program from the recovery firmware image is validated.

Abstract: In an aspect of the disclosure, a method, a computer-readable medium, and an apparatus are provided. The apparatus is a BMC. The BMC load a data section, from a firmware image into a first memory, containing a first boot program and encrypted with a first private key of a first public key/private key pair. The BMC obtains a first public key, of the first public key/private key pair, that is embedded in a hardware component of the BMC. The BMC validates the data section containing the first boot program based on the first public key.

Abstract: A container management infrastructure is provided for deployment of management features using a containerized service on a management device and applications thereof are provided. In operation, the infrastructure receives, from a remote computing device, an instruction to select a group of management functionalities. In response, the infrastructure retrieves a corresponding group of the services corresponding to the selected group of management functionalities from a first cloud network, creates a container image using the retrieved group of the services, and deploy the container image to a second cloud network. The second cloud network receives and stores the container image. Upon receiving a request from a remote computing device for the container image, the second cloud network sends the container image to the remote computing device, such that the container image may be executed on the remote computing device to provide a virtual management device thereon.

Abstract: A system and a method of offloading and migrating management controller functionalities using containerized services are provided. Specifically, a computing device may request a container image from a container management system by sending an instruction to the container management system to select a group of management functionalities to be provided in the container image. In response to receiving the instruction, the container management system retrieves a corresponding group of the services corresponding to the selected group of management functionalities, and creates the container image using the retrieved services. Upon receiving a request from the computing device for the container image, the container management system sends the container image to the computing device, such that the container image may be executed on the computing device to provide a virtual management device thereon. The container image is also capable of being migrated from the computing device to another computing device.

Abstract: A container management infrastructure is provided for deployment of management features using a containerized service on a management device and applications thereof are provided. In operation, the infrastructure receives, from a remote computing device, an instruction to select a group of management functionalities. In response, the infrastructure retrieves a corresponding group of the services corresponding to the selected group of management functionalities from a first cloud network, creates a container image using the retrieved group of the services, and deploy the container image to a second cloud network. The second cloud network receives and stores the container image. Upon receiving a request from a remote computing device for the container image, the second cloud network sends the container image to the remote computing device, such that the container image may be executed on the remote computing device to provide a virtual management device thereon.

Abstract: In an aspect of the disclosure, a method, a computer-readable medium, and a BMC are provided. The BMC receives an update package containing one or more updated software components of a firmware image of the BMC. The BMC determines that a first group of components of the one or more updated software components are service components. The BMC creates a first layer on top of existing layers in an overlay file system. The first layer contains the first group of updated software components.

Abstract: In an aspect of the disclosure, a method, a computer-readable medium, and a BMC are provided. The BMC receives an update package containing one or more updated software components of a firmware image of the BMC to replace corresponding existing software components running on the BMC. The BMC shuts down the existing software components and executes the one or more updated software components. The BMC calculates one or more first stability factors of the one or more updated software components. The BMC compares the one or more first stability factors with one or more second stability factors of the corresponding existing software components. The BMC determines whether to keep the updated software components based on a comparison result.