Abstract: Communications between an adapter card and a host computer system are established by embedding a server program within a BIOS extension stored in a memory on the adapter card. The BIOS extension is loaded into the host memory during normal execution of the host system BIOS for execution by the host processor. When executed by the host processor, the BIOS extension code copies the server program embedded within it to a new location in host memory, and then hooks the new location of the server program to a pre-selected interrupt of the host computer system to cause the host processor to initiate execution of the server program on the host computer system upon a subsequent occurrence of that interrupt. When executed on the host computer, the server program then establishes two-way communications with a client program executing on the adapter card.

Abstract: A system, method, and adapter card for providing, via a network, emulation of a console of a host computer system on another, remotely located computer system on the network, includes the ability to remotely control a peripheral device connected to a peripheral device interface controller on the adapter card. The adapter card further comprises a processor, a network interface controller providing a connection to the network, a communications client program executing on the processor, and at least one computer-readable medium having stored therein a modified BIOS extension for said peripheral device interface controller. The modified BIOS extension comprises first program code and second program code, the second program code being embedded within the first program code and defining a separate server program.