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: Certain aspects of the present disclosure are directed to a baseboard management controller (BMC). The BMC includes a processor, and a memory having firmware including a message interface, a master management instance, and first and second assisting management instances. The first and second assisting management instances monitor at least one health or performance related aspect of first and second computer nodes, respectively. The master management instance can receive an IPMI message from the message interface, the IPMI message containing first data for constructing an IPMB message, the first data including a first IPMB slave address. The master management instance can identify the first assisting management instance from the assisting management instances based on the first IPMB slave address. The master management instance can transfer the first data to the first assisting management instance.

Abstract: In one aspect, a firmware on a management controller operatively connected to a plurality of managed computing platforms is disclosed. In one embodiment, the firmware includes a plurality of emulated instances of platform management firmware. Each emulated firmware instance contains platform-specific configuration data for a corresponding one of the managed computing platforms. The management controller is operative to perform one or more platform management functions for each of the managed computing platforms based at least in part on the configuration data for a corresponding one of the emulated firmware instances.

Abstract: In one aspect, a firmware on a management controller operatively connected to a plurality of managed computing platforms is disclosed. In one embodiment, the firmware includes a plurality of emulated instances of platform management firmware. Each emulated firmware instance contains platform-specific configuration data for a corresponding one of the managed computing platforms. The management controller is operative to perform one or more platform management functions for each of the managed computing platforms based at least in part on the configuration data for a corresponding one of the emulated firmware instances.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus are disclosed for utilizing a universal serial bus (“USB”) transport as a system interface to transmit and receive IPMI commands and responses. An intelligent platform management interface (“IPMI”) transport library is provided that receives IPMI commands from IPMI client applications executing on a host. The IPMI commands are encapsulated into vendor specific small computer systems interface (“SCSI”) commands and transmitted over the USB transport to a virtual mass storage device provided by a management device. In response to receiving the vendor specific commands, IPMI firmware executing on the management device extracts the IPMI commands and executes them. A response may be returned to the host by encapsulating the IPMI response into a vendor specific SCSI response and transmitting the response to the host.