Abstract: A system, method, and software for monitoring server blades in a server system. The system may include a cabinet having a plurality of racks configured to receive a server blade. The server blade typically includes one or more general purpose microprocessors, a volatile system memory, and a service processor all interconnected via one or more busses. In addition, the system would typically include a management blade that included a system service processor configured to monitor the local service processors attached to each server blade. Upon installation, a new blade identifies itself to the system management blade by its physical slot position within the cabinet and by the blade characteristics needed to uniquely identify and power the blade. The software may then configure a functional boot image on the blade and initiate an installation of an operating system.

Abstract: A method, system and computer program product for automatically switching remote shared devices in a dense server environment. A device driver in a server blade may be configured to receive a request to access a shared device from the server blade and issue a query to a service processor as to whether the requested shared device is being accessed. If the requested shared device is not being accessed by the requesting server blade, then the device driver may wait to receive a response from the service processor indicating that the requested shared device is available. Once the requested shared device is available, the service processor may connect the requested shared device with the requesting server blade. The request to access the requested shared device may then be transferred to the requested shared device by the device driver.

Abstract: A remote control application is loaded and executes on a service processor independent from a main processor within a remotely managed system, prior to power on for the main processor. The remote control application grabs and packetizes video data from the remotely managed system for transmission to the remote console via a TCP/IP connection transport layer, and receives keyboard/mouse signals in the same manner for insertion into the remotely managed systems's keyboard/mouse controller(s) as though originating from locally attached peripherals. The service processor also feeds up a Java applet for displaying the video data and capturing keyboard/mouse actions through a browser at the remote console. Remote control is thus enabled from power up of the main processor continuously through operating system load by the main processor with a single user interface, a single connection, and no special utility requirements at the remote console.