Electrical computers and digital data processing systems: input/ – Input/output data processing – Peripheral monitoring
Utility Patent
1998-10-19
2001-01-02
Lefkowitz, Sumati (Department: 2781)
Electrical computers and digital data processing systems: input/
Input/output data processing
Peripheral monitoring
C709S219000, C714S046000, C714S057000
Utility Patent
active
06170021
ABSTRACT:
THE FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to remote server management tools in a distributed computing environment, and, more particularly to a method and apparatus for the redirection of a server computer's display output data and serial device input data to a remote console.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Today, distributed computing environments are assuming an increasingly important role in the data processing activities of many organizations. A typical distributed computing environment often includes a plurality of widely dispersed server computers residing in remote locations. These server computers perform data management and other functions for one or more client computers which are attached to each server computer via a computer network. In the past, when a problem occurred with a server computer, an administrator would have to be physically dispatched to the remote server computer location in order to resolve the problem. However, such “office visits” were a costly, highly inefficient way of doing business.
As a result, several remote management tools were developed to enable administrators to manage server computers in remote locations via a computer network. Such tools allow administrators and technicians to diagnose and solve problems with remote server computers from a single, centralized server management console. Unfortunately, network management of a remote server computer requires that a network operating system be up and running on the remotely managed server computer. Oftentimes, the network operating system is not up and running when problems need to be diagnosed. For example, the crash of an operating system on the remote server computer often is the cause of the problem on the remote server computer.
Another set of management tools were developed to enable administrators to manage server computers in remote locations via a phone line connection used in conjunction with a dedicated bus-mastering card in the remote server computer. This bus-mastering hardware solution allows a remote console to directly read display memory and directly write keystrokes from/to a server computer, independent of the operating system. Under this implementation, the dial-up connection/dedicated busmastering card combination is able to remotely manage one or more server computers from a console, regardless of the type of operating system running on the server computer, the operating condition of the server computer, or the location of the server computer.
Examples of this type of dedicated bus-mastering card solution include: Compaq's Server Manager/R (circa 1991-1992); Hewlett Packard's Remote Assistant EISA card (1993); International Business Machines' Server Guard Card (circa 1994); Digital Equipment Corporation's Remote Server Manager (circa 1994); and Intel's LANDesk Server Monitor Module (circa 1994). While the bus-mastering hardware provides a reasonable level of flexibility and performance, it is a very expensive solution. Bus-mastering cards, such as those listed above, are typically sold as an accessory and represent a major portion of the total server computer price when such cards are placed in low cost, personal computer based server computers.
The increased use of server computers in distributing computing environments has created a need for a low-cost, operating system independent way to manage the server computer from a remote console. This solution should utilize, whenever possible, existing technology to maximize cost effectiveness and simplify the solution.
In recent years, manufacturers of personal computer microprocessors, such as the Intel ix86 series, have begun to incorporate management technologies within the microprocessor itself. In the case of Intel Corporation's family of Pentium (ix86 type) microprocessors, the feature is called System Management Mode (SMM).
Intel's System Management Mode (SMM) helps systems developers provide very high level system functions, such as power management and security, in a manner that is transparent not only to the application software but also to operating systems. SMM is one of the major operating modes within the Intel's ix86 architecture processors, on a level with protected mode, real-address mode, or virtual-86 mode. SMM, however, is intended for use only by firmware, not by applications software or general purpose systems software.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a computer system for communicating with a remote console via an asynchronous connection. A microcontroller receives a redirection request from the remote console, asserts a system management interrupt to process the redirection request, and returns a redirection result to the remote console via the asynchronous connection upon completion of the interrupt request. A central processing unit (CPU) has a system management mode for controlling a set of routines which are responsive to the system management interrupt asserted by the microcontroller to process the interrupt request, generate a redirection result, then return the redirection result to the microcontroller.
In one preferred embodiment of the present invention, serial device data, such as that generated by a keyboard or mouse, is transmitted from a remote console to the server computer's microcontroller ASIC via an asynchronous connection, such as a modem. Once the serial device data is received at the microcontroller, the data is translated into a set of serial device codes, such as scan codes for a keyboard serial device. The microcontroller then issues a system management interrupt request to the central processing unit's (CPU's) system management mode. In one embodiment, the CPU is an Intel ix86 type microprocessor, having an integrated System Management Mode (SMM) capability for receiving System Management Interrupt (SMI) requests from the microcontroller. After the CPU system management mode acknowledges the interrupt request, the microcontroller passes the serial device codes to the CPU system management mode. After receiving the serial device codes from the microcontroller, a CPU system management mode handler routine then writes the serial device codes directly into the server computer's serial device controller.
In another preferred embodiment of the present invention, a remote console issues a request to retrieve current video display data from a server computer via an asynchronous connection, such as a modem. The request is processed by the microcontroller ASIC, which, in turn, issues a system management interrupt request to the CPU system management mode to retrieve VGA CRTC register data. In one embodiment, the CPU is an Intel ix86 type microprocessor, having an integrated System Management Mode (SMM) capability for receiving System Management Interrupt (SMI) requests from the microcontroller. After the CPU system management mode acknowledges the system management interrupt request, the microcontroller passes the request to the CPU system management mode. The CPU system management mode handler processes the VGA CRTC register data. This register data includes the current screen mode, cursor position, and starting video address. This VGA CRTC data is then sent back to the microcontroller for analysis. If the microcontroller determines that the current screen mode is text, the microcontroller issues a second system management interrupt request to the CPU system management mode, this time asking for video screen data. Upon successful acknowledgment of the second system management interrupt request by the CPU system management mode, arguments including a starting screen address and the number of bytes to retrieve from the video buffer are passed from the microcontroller to the CPU system management mode. If the video data has changed from the last request, the CPU system management mode handler retrieves the screen data from the VGA buffer and returns the screen data to the microcontroller. After the screen data is passed back to the microcontroller, the microcontroller optimizes the sc
Hewlett--Packard Company
Lefkowitz Sumati
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