Abstract: A microcode (uCode) hot-upgrade method for bare metal cloud deployment and associated apparatus. Under the uCode hot-upgrade method, a uCode path is received at an out-of-band controller (e.g., baseboard management controller (BMC)) and buffered in a memory buffer in the out-of-band controller. The out-of-band controller exposes the memory buffer as a Memory-Mapped Input-Output (MMIO) range to a host CPU. A uCode upgrade interrupt service is triggered to upgrade uCode for one or more CPUs in a bare-metal cloud platform during runtime of a tenant host operating system (OS) using an out-of-bound process. This innovation enables cloud service providers to deploy uCode hot-patches to bare metal servers for live-patch without touching the tenant operating system environment.

Abstract: In some examples, a control unit is configured to control a computer server rack having a first grid power source, a second grid power source, and a battery backup system. The control unit is adapted to monitor a failed status of one or more power supply units in the computer server rack, to determine location information relating to the one or more power supply units having the failed status, to determine input power of the one or more power supply units having the failed status, to adjust an input power of the first grid power source based on the determined input power, and to adjust an input power of the second grid power source based on the determined input power.

Abstract: Techniques and mechanisms for providing redundancy with multiple batteries of a backup power system. In an embodiment, switch circuits are each coupled between a power bus and a different respective one of the multiple batteries. Respective nodes of the switch circuits are each to couple to a different respective power sink, wherein power delivery to the power sinks is monitored. Based on the monitoring, the switch circuits are configured for a first battery to serve a substitute for a second battery. Configuring the switch circuits includes electrically decoupling the second battery from a first node, and electrically coupling the first battery to deliver power via both a power bus and the first node. In another embodiment, multiple backup units each include a respective battery and switch circuit, wherein respective controllers of the backup units intermittently communicate monitoring information via a data bus.

Abstract: A microcode (uCode) hot-upgrade method for bare metal cloud deployment and associated apparatus. The uCode hot-upgrade method applies a uCode patch to a firmware storage device (e.g., BIOS SPI flash) through an out-of-band controller (e.g., baseboard management controller (BMC)). In conjunction with receiving a uCode patch, a uCode upgrade interrupt service is triggered to upgrade uCode for one or more CPUs in a bare-metal cloud platform during runtime of a tenant host operating system (OS) using an out-of-bound process. This innovation enables cloud service providers to deploy uCode hot-patches to bare metal servers for persistent storage and live-patch without touching the tenant operating system environment.

Abstract: A modular microcode (uCode) patch method to support runtime persistent update and associated apparatus. The method enables BIOS uCode patches to be received during platform runtime operations and written to first and second uCode extension regions as uCode images for a firmware device layout that further includes a uCode base region in which a current uCode image is stored. Following a platform reset, the first and second uCode extension regions are inspected to determine if one or more valid and newer uCode images (than the current uCode image) are present. If so, the newest uCode image is booted rather than the current uCode image. Following a successful boot, the newest uCode image is copied to the uCode base region to sync-up the current uCode image to the newest version. In one aspect, received uCode images are written to the first and second uCode extension regions in an alternating manner to support roll-back.

Abstract: One embodiment provides an apparatus. The apparatus includes power thermal awareness solution (PTAS) logic to select a model from a plurality of models based, at least in part, on a configuration of a cooling zone; and determine a cooling zone volumetric airflow based, at least in part, on the selected model.