Abstract: In various embodiments, a remote access controller supporting remote management of an Information Handling System (IHS). The remote access controller receives a first firmware image comprising first firmware for a first hardware component of the IHS. A personality of the first firmware is determined and at least a portion of the first firmware is stored to a first region of a persistent storage of the first hardware component, where the first region is designated as storing firmware for adapting the first hardware component to the first personality. In response to a detected reconfiguration of the IHS, the remote access controller generates a notification of the first firmware that is stored by the first hardware component and that is usable to adapt operation of the first hardware component to the first personality.

Abstract: Systems and methods provide multi-modal based updates to firmware utilized by a hardware component of an IHS (Information Handling System), where the firmware updates are managed by a remote access controller of the IHS that provides remote management of the hardware component. The remote access controller receives a notification of an update to an agreement for utilization of the hardware component, where the agreement indicates firmware modes authorized for use by the hardware component. Firmware modes are identified that are locally stored by the hardware component. Any firmware modes are identified that are authorized for use by the hardware component based on the updated first agreement and that are not locally stored by the hardware component, and the identified firmware modes are retrieved for local storage by the hardware component. In this manner, firmware utilized in an IHS remains consistent with applicable service agreements.

Abstract: Embodiments of systems and methods to provide a firmware update to devices configured in a redundant configuration in an Information Handling System (IHS) are disclosed. In an illustrative, non-limiting embodiment, an IHS may include computer-executable instructions to send, to a server, a request to perform a firmware update on the firmware device, and receive, from the server, information associated with a plurality of firmware update images that are available for use with the firmware device and a score associated with each firmware update image. The score is indicative of how well its associated firmware update image functioned with each of a plurality of previous firmware updates on other firmware devices. Using the score, the instructions may select one firmware update image, and perform a firmware update on the firmware device using the one firmware update image.

Abstract: In various embodiments, a remote access controller supporting remote management of an Information Handling System (IHS). The remote access controller receives a first firmware image comprising first firmware for a first hardware component of the IHS. A personality of the first firmware is determined and at least a portion of the first firmware is stored to a first region of a persistent storage of the first hardware component, where the first region is designated as storing firmware for adapting the first hardware component to the first personality. In response to a detected reconfiguration of the IHS, the remote access controller generates a notification of the first firmware that is stored by the first hardware component and that is usable to adapt operation of the first hardware component to the first personality.

Abstract: Embodiments of systems and methods to provide a firmware update to devices configured in a redundant configuration in an Information Handling System (IHS) are disclosed. In an illustrative, non-limiting embodiment, an IHS may include first and second Remote Access Controllers (RACs) that each includes computer-executable instructions to receive, by the first RAC, a firmware update image associated with the firmware device, and commence transfer of the firmware update image to the firmware device to perform a firmware update on the firmware device using an update mode that restricts another update request to the firmware device until the first RAC finishes or cancels the firmware update. When the transfer is halted prior to completion, the program instructions cause the second RAC to determine where the firmware update image transfer was halted, and commence transferring the remainder of the firmware update image that has not yet been transferred to the firmware device.

Abstract: Systems and methods include a remote access controller of an IHS (Information Handling System) that provides remote management of the IHS. The remote access controller initiates an update of firmware used to operate a hardware component of the IHS by transmitting a firmware image to the hardware component via a first signaling pathway connecting the remote access controller to the hardware component. The remote access controller detects a failure in transmission of the firmware image to the hardware component via the first signaling pathway and identifies a second signaling pathway connecting the remote access controller to the hardware component. The remote access controller resumes transmission of the firmware image to the hardware component via the second signaling pathway and the firmware used to operate the hardware component is updated using the transmitted firmware image.

Abstract: Embodiments of systems and methods to provide a firmware update to devices configured in a redundant configuration in an Information Handling System (IHS) are disclosed. In an illustrative, non-limiting embodiment, an IHS may include computer-executable instructions to receive a firmware update image associated with the storage unit, receive an indication that the storage unit requires a reboot of the IHS, and when the storage unit is experiencing minimal I/O usage, reset the storage unit using the firmware update image. The firmware update image is configured to perform rebootless firmware updates on the storage unit.

Abstract: Embodiments of systems and methods to provide a firmware update to multiple storage units configured with different interfaces in an Information Handling System (IHS) are disclosed. In an illustrative, non-limiting embodiment, an IHS may include computer-executable instructions to receive a firmware update image associated with the storage units, and for each of the storage units, identify an update profile based on the type of interface associated with the storage unit, the interface configured to provide communication between the storage unit and the IHS, and perform a firmware update on the storage unit according to the update profile.

Abstract: Systems and methods provide multi-channel transmission of a firmware image to a hardware component of an IHS (Information Handling System), where the firmware image is transmitted by a remote access controller of the IHS that supports remote management of the IHS. Upon a firmware being initiated, the remote access controller determines an available bandwidth of a first signaling pathway of the hardware component and also determines an available bandwidth of a second signaling pathway of the hardware component. One portion of the firmware image is transmitted to the hardware component using the first signaling pathway, where a size of that portion is selected based on the available bandwidth of the first signaling pathway. Another portion of the firmware image is transmitted to the hardware component using the second signaling pathway, where a size of that portion is selected based on the available bandwidth of the second signaling pathway.

Abstract: Embodiments of systems and methods to provide a firmware update to multiple storage units configured in a redundant configuration in an Information Handling System (IHS) are disclosed. In an illustrative, non-limiting embodiment, an IHS may include computer-executable instructions to receive a firmware update image associated with multiple devices configured in the IHS, identify two or more of the devices that are configured in a redundant configuration relative to one another, and perform the firmware update sequentially on the two or more devices.

Abstract: Embodiments of systems and methods to provide a firmware update to devices configured in a redundant configuration in an Information Handling System (IHS) are disclosed. In an illustrative, non-limiting embodiment, an IHS may include computer-executable instructions to receive a firmware update image associated with the firmware device, determine that the firmware update image possesses a critical sub-image portion, and schedule a firmware update to be performed in the future on the firmware device using the one firmware update image. The firmware update image conforms to a Platform Level Data Model (PLDM) protocol that is configured to perform rebootless firmware updates.

Abstract: Embodiments of systems and methods to identify and remediate performance degradation during firmware update in a cluster environment are described. In an illustrative, non-limiting embodiment, an IHS may include computer-executable instructions to receive a request to perform a firmware update on a plurality of computing devices of a computing cluster, obtain an inventory of the computing cluster, and determine a scheduling sequence for updating the computing devices so that the performance of the cluster is optimally maintained. The instructions may then perform the firmware update on each of the computing devices according to the determined scheduling sequence.

Abstract: An information handling system includes a processor, a system baseboard management controller (BMC), and a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) add-in card. The FPGA add-in card includes an FPGA and a card BMC. The FPGA is programmed with a plurality of accelerated function units (AFUs) to perform processing tasks for the processor. The card BMC receives a first indication from the system BMC, the first indication to halt a first processing task associated with a first AFU, halts the first processing task in response to the first indication, receives a second AFU from the system BMC, and reprograms the FPGA with the second AFU.

Abstract: An information handling system includes a processor, a system baseboard management controller (BMC), and a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) add-in card. The FPGA add-in card includes an FPGA programmed with accelerated function units (AFUs) to perform processing tasks for the processor. The AFUs include AFUs of a common type. A card BMC provides a temperature indication to the system BMC. The system BMC determines that a temperature of the FPGA add-in card exceeds a temperature threshold based upon the temperature indication, selects one of the common AFUs to be disabled, and directs the card BMC to disable the selected AFU. The card BMC disables the first AFU and not the second AFU in response to the direction to disable the first AFU.

Abstract: An information handling system may include a processor, a management controller configured for out-of-band management of the information handling system, and an internal accelerator communicatively coupled to the management controller and configured to execute an analytics engine for receiving events from the management controller and analyzing the events to perform one or more tasks based on the events.

Abstract: Embodiments are described for recovery, via a sideband management bus, of firmware of a device such as an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) card installed within an IHS (Information Handling System). A remote access controller of the IHS generates a security key for the device and transmits it to the device. The remote access controller requests the device to report the current version of the firmware in use by the device. The response from the device is authenticated based on the security key. If the current firmware version reported by the device is consistent with the master firmware version, the device is halted and the current firmware of the device is replaced with the master firmware. The device is initialized based on the master firmware used to update the device firmware.

Abstract: An information handling system includes a device and a baseboard management controller. The device is configured to communicate with a processor of the information handling system. The baseboard management controller is configured to communicate with the device via an in-band communication channel. The baseboard management controller determines whether data is received from the device via an in-band communication channel, and determines whether the baseboard management controller may communicate with the device via an out-of-band communication channel. In response to the data not being received and the baseboard management controller not able to communicate with the device, the baseboard management controller detects a failure of the device. In response to the detection of the failure of the device, the baseboard management controller isolates the device.

Abstract: An information handling system includes a processor, and first and second field-programmable gate array (FPGA) add-in cards. The processor determines a configuration of the information handling system, the configuration defining architectural relationships among the first and second FPGA add-in cards and elements of the information handling system, determines that an accelerated function unit (AFU) performs its associated processing task more efficiently on the first FPGA add-in card than on the second FPGA add-in card based upon the configuration, and programs the first AFU on the first FPGA card in based upon the determination that the first AFU performs its associated processing task more efficiently on the first FPGA add-in card than on the second FPGA add-in card.

Abstract: An information handling system includes a device and a baseboard management controller. The device is configured to communicate with a processor of the information handling system. The baseboard management controller is configured to communicate with the device via an in-band communication channel. The baseboard management controller determines whether data is received from the device via an in-band communication channel, and determines whether the baseboard management controller may communicate with the device via an out-of-band communication channel. In response to the data not being received and the baseboard management controller not able to communicate with the device, the baseboard management controller detects a failure of the device. In response to the detection of the failure of the device, the baseboard management controller isolates the device.

Abstract: An information handling system includes a processor, a system baseboard management controller (BMC), and a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) add-in card. The FPGA add-in card includes an FPGA programmed with accelerated function units (AFUs) to perform processing tasks for the processor. The AFUs include AFUs of a common type. A card BMC provides a temperature indication to the system BMC. The system BMC determines that a temperature of the FPGA add-in card exceeds a temperature threshold based upon the temperature indication, selects one of the common AFUs to be disabled, and directs the card BMC to disable the selected AFU. The card BMC disables the first AFU and not the second AFU in response to the direction to disable the first AFU.