Abstract: A new approach is proposed that contemplates systems and methods to support flexible reconfiguration of a network chip by an external entity, such as a baseboard management controller (BMC), while maintaining a secured environment for the chip so that it can booted securely. Specifically, the network chip is configured to designate one or more of its networking ports to the BMC and allow the BMC to configure the designated networking ports without violating the secure areas of the network chip. To this end, the network chip is configured to allow the BMC to access a plurality of registers of the network chip via an Network Controller Sideband Interface (NC-SI) block of the network chip by issuing a plurality NC-SI compliant commands. By configuring the designated networking ports, the BMC is configured to establish a data path to a management software of a platform that includes the network chip though the designated networking ports.

Abstract: A new approach is proposed that contemplates systems and methods to support flexible reconfiguration of a network chip by an external entity, such as a baseboard management controller (BMC), while maintaining a secured environment for the chip so that it can be booted securely. The network chip is configured to designate one or more of its networking ports to the BMC and allow the BMC to configure the designated networking ports without violating the secure areas of the network chip. The network chip is configured to allow the BMC to access a plurality of registers of the network chip via a Network Controller Sideband Interface (NC-SI) block of the network chip by issuing a plurality NC-SI compliant commands. By configuring the designated networking ports, the BMC is configured to establish a data path to a management software of a platform that includes the network chip though the designated networking ports.

Abstract: A new approach is proposed that contemplates systems and methods to support flexible reconfiguration of a network chip by an external entity, such as a baseboard management controller (BMC), while maintaining a secured environment for the chip so that it can booted securely. Specifically, the network chip is configured to designate one or more of its networking ports to the BMC and allow the BMC to configure the designated networking ports without violating the secure areas of the network chip. To this end, the network chip is configured to allow the BMC to access a plurality of registers of the network chip via an Network Controller Sideband Interface (NC-SI) block of the network chip by issuing a plurality NC-SI compliant commands. By configuring the designated networking ports, the BMC is configured to establish a data path to a management software of a platform that includes the network chip though the designated networking ports.

Abstract: An UTOPIA level 2 interface over a backplane for connecting up to 31 Physical layer devices to one ATM layer device in a logically partitioned manner utilizing full bandwidth. The communications data is received on a first terminal at a first transfer rate. The communications data transfer rate is reduced from the first transfer rate to a second transfer rate. At the second transfer rate, the communications data is transferred over a backplane to a second terminal. On the second terminal, communications data transfer rate is increased from the second transfer rate to the first transfer rate. The first transfer rate is greater than the second transfer rate.