JP2009193453A - Blade system, enclosure manager, blade, bios management method and bios management program - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To use unified interfaces of nonvolatile memory components without creating a system BIOS update program corresponding each of the nonvolatile memory components. <P>SOLUTION: In the blade system 1 provided with an EM (enclosure manager) 40 and blades 10-1 to 10-n, the EM 40 includes an EM system BIOS image buffer 44 for storing a system BIOS image; and EM firmware 41 for outputting the system BIOS image. The blades 10-1 to 10-n each include BMC firmware 21 for receiving the system BIOS image, and a BMC system BIOS image buffer 26 for storing the system BIOS image. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

A blade system is a network switch or fiber that is required to build a server system while housing multiple blade-type servers called CPU blades in an enclosure called a blade storage unit. A system that can store switch modules such as channel switches.
As an advantage of this blade system, for example, since a plurality of servers can be managed in units of blade storage units, operation management becomes easy. In addition, the cable wiring can be greatly reduced by allowing the servers or the servers and the switches to be connected by a base called a backplane provided in the blade storage unit. In addition, CPU blades and switch modules can be inserted and removed independently without stopping the entire blade system, allowing for easy system expansion and easy replacement in the event of a failure. .
Thus, the blade system is a system that can easily realize server integration.

Here, as described above, a plurality of CPU blades can be stored in the blade system.
A CPU blade refers to a blade that can operate as a server computer on which a CPU, HDD, memory, I / O bus, storage, and the like are mounted on a single substrate.

In addition, an enclosure manager (hereinafter referred to as “EM” for short) is mounted on the blade system.
The EM has a function of managing and controlling the entire blade system. For example, it has a power management function, a cooling management function, a case management function, a system information monitoring function, a switch module setting function, and the like.

  By the way, in general, in a system using a microcomputer, an instruction code programmed with basic processing contents such as receiving a character string input from a keyboard or displaying a specific character on a display, and when the system starts The instruction codes programmed with the contents of the processing to be executed are collectively stored in the ROM as a BIOS (basic input / output system).

  When the CPU is activated, the system is activated by reading the BIOS program from the ROM and executing it. Alternatively, for the purpose of facilitating the creation of the program, the BIOS program may be called as a subroutine after starting the system.

In the blade system, as shown in FIG. 9, the nonvolatile memory component 111 storing the system BIOS is mounted for each platform of the CPU blade 110, and is stored in the nonvolatile memory component 111 when the CPU blade 110 is activated. The system BIOS is started up (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
JP 2005-202506 A

  However, in the blade system described above, various types of non-volatile memory components are mounted for each CPU blade platform, and device identification, erasing and writing algorithms and block mapping are performed for each non-volatile memory component. Because they are different, it is necessary to create a system BIOS update program corresponding to each nonvolatile memory component.

In addition, the interfaces of the nonvolatile memory components are diverse such as X bus, LPC, SPI, etc., and are different for each platform, so that the design is complicated.
Furthermore, as in the case of EOL (End Of Life) of nonvolatile memory components, in the worst case, there is a case where it is necessary to start from redesign from a circuit board.

  The present invention is considered in view of the above circumstances, and it is not necessary to create a system BIOS update program corresponding to each nonvolatile memory component, and the interface of the nonvolatile memory component can be unified, and the nonvolatile memory An object of the present invention is to provide a blade system, an enclosure manager, a blade, a BIOS management method, and a BIOS management program that do not require redesign from a circuit board even when the supply of components is stopped.

  In order to achieve this object, a blade system of the present invention is a blade system in which one or more blades and an enclosure manager (EM) are mounted, and the enclosure manager stores the system BIOS image. And an EM management means for taking out the system BIOS image from the EM storage means and sending it to the blade.

  The enclosure manager according to the present invention is an enclosure manager installed in a blade system, and is an EM storage unit that stores a system BIOS image, and an EM management unit that extracts a system BIOS image from the EM storage unit and sends the system BIOS image to a blade. And means.

  The blade according to the present invention is a blade mounted on a blade system, and receives a system BIOS image from the BMC management means for receiving a system BIOS image sent from the enclosure manager, and stores the system BIOS image. BMC storage means.

  The BIOS management method of the present invention is a BIOS management method for managing the system BIOS executed at the time of starting up the blade. The enclosure manager EM storage means stores the system BIOS image, and the enclosure manager The EM management means has a process of taking out the system BIOS image from the EM storage means and sending it to the blade.

  The BIOS management program of the present invention is a BIOS management program for causing the blade system to execute a process for managing the system BIOS executed at the time of starting up the blade, and the EM storage means of the enclosure manager stores the system BIOS image. And EM management means of the enclosure manager cause the blade system to execute processing of taking out the system BIOS image from the EM storage means and sending it to the blade.

According to the blade system, the enclosure manager, the blade, the BIOS management method, and the BIOS management program of the present invention, it is possible to delete the nonvolatile memory component storing the system BIOS from the blade. It becomes possible.
In addition, there are various interfaces such as an X bus, LPC, and SPI for the interface of the nonvolatile memory component in which the system BIOS is stored. However, by using a common interface, common and universal development is possible.
Furthermore, the algorithm for device identification, erasure, and writing of the nonvolatile memory component in which the system BIOS is stored differs depending on the nonvolatile memory component, and a system BIOS update program that supports each nonvolatile memory component is required. However, the system BIOS update program itself becomes unnecessary.
In addition, it is not necessary to consider the supply status of the nonvolatile memory component storing the system BIOS (for example, EOL (End Of Life) of the nonvolatile memory component).

Preferred embodiments of a blade system, enclosure manager, blade, BIOS management method, and BIOS management program according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.
The blade system, enclosure manager, blade, and BIOS management method in the following embodiments can be realized by a computer controlled by a BIOS management program. The BIOS management program is provided by a recording medium, for example. As the recording medium, for example, a magnetic disk, an optical disk, a semiconductor memory, or any other means that can be read by a computer can be used.
Further, the program recorded on the recording medium can be loaded into the computer directly by the recording medium and read by the computer, or may be read by the computer via a communication line.

[Blade system]
First, an embodiment of a blade system of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an external configuration of the blade system of the present embodiment, and FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of the blade system.

The blade system of this embodiment includes a CPU blade (CPU Blade) 10 (10-1 to 10-n) and an enclosure manager (EM) 40 as shown in FIGS. .
One CPU blade 10 is a blade having a function as a server computer, and one or more CPU blades 10 are housed in an enclosure (housing). As shown in FIG. 2, each CPU blade 10 includes a CPU 11, a North Bridge 12, a South Bridge 13, a system memory 14, and a BMC (Baseboard Management Controller) 20.

The CPU 11 and the North Bridge 12 are connected via an interface 31. The CPU 11 and the South Bridge 13 are connected via an interface 32.
North Bridge 12 and South Bridge 13 are connected via an interface 33. The North Bridge 12 and the system memory 14 are connected via an interface 34.
South Bridge 13 and BMC 20 are connected via interfaces 35 and 36.

As shown in FIG. 3, each memory space is allocated to the system memory 14 by a physical address.
The allocated memory space includes a system RAM space, a nonvolatile memory space, a PCI memory hole space, a system management RAM space, a system RAM space, a shadow RAM space, and a conventional RAM space.
The system management RAM space stores instructions that are executed only in the system management mode. The system management RAM is a space that can be accessed only in the system management mode.
The shadow RAM space stores instructions executed at runtime.
In the conventional RAM space, instructions that are executed only during POST are stored in order to increase the execution speed of POST.

As shown in FIG. 2, the BMC 20 includes a BMC firmware (BMC management means) 21, a bus interface control unit 22, a memory interface control unit 23, a KCS interface control unit 24, a network interface control unit 25, a system And a BIOS image buffer (BMC storage means) 26.
The BMC firmware 21 is firmware that controls the functions of the BMC 20.

The bus interface control unit 22 is connected to the South Bridge 13 via the interface 35.
The memory interface control unit 23 is connected between the bus interface control unit 22 and the system BIOS image buffer 26.
The KCS interface control unit 24 is connected to the bus interface control unit 22.
The network interface control unit 25 is connected to the EM 40.

The system BIOS image buffer (BMC system BIOS image buffer) 26 stores the CPU blade system BIOS image sent from the BMC firmware 21.
The BIOS is software executed by the CPU 11. The POST part is executed between the time when the power is supplied to the CPU blade 10 and before the OS is booted, and the SMI signal is generated by SMI generation means (not shown). And an SMI code portion to be executed when notified to the CPU 11.

  The EM 40 has a function of managing and controlling the entire blade system. As shown in FIG. 2, the EM 40 has an EM firmware (EM management means) 41, a network interface control unit (reception means) 42, and a network interface control. A unit 43, a system BIOS image buffer 44, and a nonvolatile memory 45.

The EM firmware 41 is firmware that controls the functions of the EM 40.
The network interface control unit 42 is connected to the management PC 50.
The network interface control unit 43 is connected to the BMC 20.
The CPU blade system BIOS image buffer (EM system BIOS image buffer) 44 stores (stores) the CPU blade system BIOS image.
The CPU blade system BIOS image buffer 44 stores a CPU blade-BIOS correspondence table. As shown in FIG. 4, the CPU blade-BIOS correspondence table is a table in which device identification numbers, versions, and CPU blade system BIOS images are used as elements and are associated with each other.

The nonvolatile memory 45 stores instructions of the EM firmware 41 and CPU blade system BIOS image data.
The CPU blade system BIOS image buffer 44 and the nonvolatile memory 45 are collectively referred to as “EM storage means”.
Further, the EM 40 can be formed in a card shape by incorporating the EM firmware 41 and the like on one substrate (EM card).

The management PC 50 can use a general personal computer, and can directly access the URL of the EM card from the Web browser of the management PC 50 to check the state of the blade casing.
The management PC 50 can transmit a system BIOS image to the blade system 1. As a result, the system BIOS image stored in the CPU blade system BIOS image buffer 44 can be updated.
The “external device” in claim 4 of the claims refers to a device or an apparatus having a function of transmitting a system BIOS image to the blade system 1, and includes, for example, the management PC 50.

By configuring the blade system as described above, the CPU blade 10 does not have a nonvolatile memory component in which the system BIOS is stored, has the system BIOS image buffer 26 in the BMC 20, and the EM 40 has the CPU blade system. A BIOS image can be centrally managed.
The access to the non-volatile memory 111 in the conventional configuration and the access to the system BIOS image buffer 26 in the configuration of the present invention do not need to be conscious of software or hardware, and use exactly the same access method.

[BIOS management method]
Next, a system BIOS image management method (BIOS management method) in the blade system of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.
Each drawing is an operation procedure diagram showing the operation of the BIOS management method of the present embodiment.

(Acquisition and update of system BIOS image)
It is assumed that the CPU blade system BIOS image is stored in the nonvolatile memory 45 of the EM 40.
When the AC power supply of the blade system 1 is turned on, the EM 40 that manages the blade system 1 is activated.
The EM firmware 41 of the EM 40 acquires the CPU blade system BIOS image stored in the nonvolatile memory 45 (step 11) and stores it in the CPU blade system BIOS image buffer 44 (step 12).

  Further, the EM firmware 41 acquires a CPU blade system BIOS image from the management PC 50 via the network 60 (step 13). Then, the acquired version of the CPU blade system BIOS image is compared with the version of the CPU blade system BIOS image stored in the CPU blade system BIOS image buffer 44 (step 14). When the version of the CPU blade system BIOS image acquired from the management PC 50 is newer as a result of the comparison, the CPU blade system BIOS image in the CPU blade system BIOS image buffer 44 is updated to the CPU blade system BIOS image acquired from the management PC 50. (Step 15).

The EM firmware 41 acquires the device information of the CPU blade 10 installed in the blade slot (not shown) via the interface 70 between the BMC 20 mounted on the CPU blade 10 and the EM 40. And a device information transmission request signal is transmitted to the BMC 20 (step 16).
When receiving the device information transmission request signal, the BMC firmware 21 of the BMC 20 transmits the device information to the EM 40 (step 17). Thereby, the EM 40 acquires the CPU blade information mounted in the blade slot (step 18).

  When the BMC firmware 21 detects that a valid system BIOS image is not stored in the system BIOS image buffer 26, the BMC firmware 21 sends a CPU blade system BIOS image request (system) via the interface 70 between the EM 40 and the BMC 20. (BIOS image transmission request) is transmitted to the EM 40 (step 19). The CPU blade system BIOS image request includes a device identification number that identifies the CPU blade 10 on which the BMC firmware 21 is mounted.

When the EM firmware 41 receives the CPU blade system BIOS image request, the EM firmware 41 refers to the CPU blade-BIOS correspondence table (FIG. 4) stored in the CPU blade system BIOS image buffer 44 and identifies the requested device of the CPU blade 10. The CPU blade system BIOS image corresponding to the device identification number is searched using the number (device identification number included in the received CPU blade system BIOS image request) as a key (step 20).
If the CPU blade system BIOS image corresponding to the device identification number is extracted in the CPU blade-BIOS correspondence table as a result of the search, the CPU blade system BIOS image is extracted from the CPU blade system BIOS image buffer 44 and transmitted to the BMC 20. (Step 21).
The BMC firmware 21 receives the transmitted CPU blade system BIOS image and stores it in the system BIOS image buffer 26 (step 22).

When the system reset is released in the CPU blade 10 (step 30 in FIG. 6), the CPU 11 starts instruction execution from the reset vector (step 31).
The CPU 11 issues a read request for the physical address 0FFFF_FFF0 (step 32) and transmits it to the North Bridge 12 via the interface 31. When the North Bridge 12 receives the read request, the North Bridge 12 transmits the read request to the South Bridge 13 via the interface 33. When the South Bridge 13 receives the read request, the South Bridge 13 transmits the read request to the BMC 20 via the interface 35.

When receiving the read request, the bus interface control unit 22 of the BMC 20 sends the read request to the memory interface control unit 23.
When the read request is decoded, the memory interface 23 uses the data in the system BIOS image buffer 26 as a response and transmits it to the South Bridge 13 via the interface 35 (step 33). When the South Bridge 13 receives the response, the South Bridge 13 transmits the response to the North Bridge 12 via the interface 33. When the North Bridge 12 receives the response, the North Bridge 12 transmits the response to the CPU 11 via the interface 31.
When the CPU 11 receives the response, it executes the command (step 34).

By the way, the phase from the cancellation of the system reset to the start of the OS (Operation System) is called POST (Power On Self Test) (see FIG. 6).
After the system memory control unit (not shown) of the North Bridge 12 is initialized and the system memory 14 is initialized, a command that is executed only during POST is converted to conventional RAM (see FIG. 3) to increase the POST execution speed. The instruction executed at runtime is stored in the shadow RAM (see the figure), and the instruction executed only in the system management mode is stored in the system management RAM (see the figure). The system management RAM is a space that can be accessed only in the system management mode.

When POST is completed, various OSs such as DOS, Windows (registered trademark), and Linux are activated (step 35 in FIG. 6).
When the CPU blade 10 is mounted in a blade slot (not shown) while the EM 40 that manages the blade system 1 is already activated, the EM firmware 41 of the EM 40 has the CPU blade 10 installed in the blade slot. (Step 36), communication with the BMC 20 is started via the interface 70 between the BMC 20 and the EM 40, and the sequence (process) of steps 11 to 22 shown in FIG. 5 is executed.
However, when the CPU blade 10 is reset or restarted such as DC OFF / ON, the system BIOS image buffer 26 in the BMC 20 already stores a valid system BIOS image. There is no need to send a BIOS image request to the EM 40.

  When the management PC 50 transmits the CPU blade system BIOS image and updates the CPU blade system BIOS image in the EM 40, the EM 40 passes the interface 70 to the BMC 20 mounted on the corresponding CPU blade. A BIOS image update request is issued. The BMC firmware 21 of the BMC 20 acquires the issued updated system BIOS image and stores it in the system BIOS image buffer 26. Thereby, the CPU blade system BIOS image in the system BIOS image buffer 26 can be updated.

The BMC firmware 21 issues a system management interrupt to the CPU 11 (step 40 in FIG. 7).
Here, between the South Bridge 13 and the BMC 20, the BMC 20 issues a message transaction to the South Bridge 13 via the method in which the BMC 20 asserts a physical interrupt signal 36 and the interface 35 between the South Bridge 13 and the BMC 20. There is a method.
Further, between the CPU 11 and the South Bridge 12, the South Bridge 13 issues a message transaction via the method in which the South Bridge 13 asserts the physical interrupt signal 32 and the interface 33 between the North Bridge 12 and the South Bridge 13, There is a method in which the North Bridge 12 receives this transaction and issues a message transaction to the CPU 11.

The system management interrupt has the highest priority after the reset interrupt and is transparent to various OSs.
The CPU 11 shifts to the system management mode and executes a system management handler which is a program stored in the system management RAM (step 41).
Referring to the system BIOS image buffer 26 in the BMC 20, the shadow RAM and the system management RAM are updated (step 42), the CPU 11 setting (step 43), and the North Bridge 12 and South Bridge 13 register settings are changed (step 44).
The CPU 11 can exit the system management mode, return to the normal mode, and continue operating the OS.

As described above, according to the blade system, the enclosure manager, the blade, the BIOS management method, and the BIOS management program of the present embodiment, the CPU blade can be obtained by eliminating the nonvolatile memory component storing the system BIOS from the CPU blade. High-density design is possible.
In addition, there are various interfaces such as an X bus, LPC, and SPI for the interface of the nonvolatile memory component in which the system BIOS is stored. However, by using a common interface, common and universal development is possible.

Furthermore, the algorithm for device identification, erasure, and writing of the nonvolatile memory component in which the system BIOS is stored differs depending on the nonvolatile memory component, and a system BIOS update program that supports each nonvolatile memory component is required. However, the system BIOS update program itself becomes unnecessary.
Then, it is not necessary to consider the supply status of the nonvolatile memory component storing the system BIOS (for example, EOL (End Of Life) of the nonvolatile memory component).

  The preferred embodiments of the blade system, enclosure manager, blade, BIOS management method, and BIOS management program of the present invention have been described above. However, the blade system, enclosure manager, blade, BIOS management method, and BIOS management program according to the present invention are described above. It goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to the embodiment described above, and various modifications can be made within the scope of the present invention.

For example, in the above-described embodiment, the CPU blade having the CPU mounted thereon is described. However, the present invention is not limited to the CPU blade, and for example, the above-described embodiment can be applied to an IO blade.
The IO blade is a storage-type input / output blade such as SCSI (Small Computer System Interface), SAS (Serial Attached SCSI), or FC (Fiber Channel). This IO blade includes, for example, an FC I / O blade that connects the blade system and storage, FC used for connection to a high-speed interswitch link (ISL), including relay to another core, distribution, and edge class. There are I / O blades.
As shown in FIG. 8, such an IO blade includes a disk 81, a PCI (Peripheral Components Interconnect) express device 82, and a BMC 90, and an expansion option BIOS or EEPROM mounted on the IO blade 80. Manage images of

  Since the present invention relates to management of the system BIOS executed when the CPU blade is activated, the present invention can be used for an apparatus or a device that executes the system BIOS.

It is a perspective view which shows the external appearance structure of the blade system in embodiment of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows the function structure of the blade system in embodiment of this invention. It is a chart which shows RAM space structure of a CPU blade. It is a graph which shows the structure of the table which matched the apparatus identification number and CPU blade system BIOS image. It is an operation | movement procedure figure which shows operation | movement of each structure of a blade system. It is an operation | movement procedure figure which shows the other operation | movement of each structure of a blade system. It is an operation | movement procedure diagram which shows other operation | movement of each structure of a blade system. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of IO blade. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of a related blade system.

Explanation of symbols

1 blade system 10 CPU blade 11 CPU
14 System memory 20 BMC
21 BMC firmware 26 System BIOS image buffer (for BMC)
40 EM
41 EM firmware 44 CPU blade system BIOS image buffer (for EM)
45 Nonvolatile memory 50 Management PC

Claims (13)

A blade system having one or more blades and an enclosure manager (EM),
The enclosure manager
EM storage means for storing a system BIOS image;
A blade system comprising: an EM management unit that extracts the system BIOS image from the EM storage unit and sends the system BIOS image to the blade. The blade is
BMC management means for receiving the system BIOS image sent from the EM management means;
The blade system according to claim 1, further comprising a BMC storage unit that stores the system BIOS image received by the BMC management unit. The storage means for EM of the enclosure manager has a nonvolatile memory and an EM system BIOS image buffer,
The EM management means is
The blade system according to claim 1, wherein the system BIOS image is extracted from the nonvolatile memory and stored in the EM system BIOS image buffer. The enclosure manager has receiving means for receiving a system BIOS image transmitted from an external device;
The EM management means compares the system BIOS image received by the receiving means with the system BIOS image stored in the EM storage means, and the former system BIOS image is newer than the latter. The blade system according to claim 1, wherein the former system BIOS image is stored in the EM storage unit. The EM storage means stores a table in which a device identification number determined for each of the one or more blades and the system BIOS image are associated with each other.
The BMC management means transmits a system BIOS image transmission request including a device identification number for identifying the blade on which the BMC management means itself is mounted to the EM management means,
The EM management means is
When the system BIOS image transmission request is received, the system BIOS image corresponding to the device identification number included in the system BIOS image transmission request is selected with reference to the table, and the selected system BIOS image is stored in the EM storage unit. Is taken out and transmitted to the BMC management means,
The BMC management means is
The blade system according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the received system BIOS image is stored in the storage unit for BMC. The EM management means transmits a device information transmission request signal to the BMC management means,
When the BMC management means receives the device information transmission request signal, the BMC management means transmits a device identification number for identifying the blade on which the BMC management means itself is mounted, to the EM management means,
The blade system according to claim 5, wherein the EM management unit stores the device identification number in the EM storage unit. The blade system according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the blade includes a CPU blade and / or an IO blade. There is an enclosure manager installed in the blade system,
EM storage means for storing a system BIOS image;
An enclosure manager comprising: an EM management unit that extracts the system BIOS image from the EM storage unit and sends the system BIOS image to a blade. There are blades installed in the blade system,
BMC management means for receiving a system BIOS image sent from the enclosure manager;
BMC storage means for receiving and storing the system BIOS image from the BMC management means. A BIOS management method for managing a system BIOS executed when a blade is started,
The storage means for the EM of the enclosure manager stores the system BIOS image;
A BIOS management method characterized in that the EM management means of the enclosure manager has a process of retrieving the system BIOS image from the EM storage means and sending it to a blade. The blade BMC management means receives the system BIOS image sent from the EM management means;
The BIOS management method according to claim 10, wherein the BMC storage unit of the blade has a process of receiving and storing the system BIOS image from the BMC management unit. A BIOS management program for causing a blade system to execute a process for managing a system BIOS executed when a blade is started,
The storage means for the EM of the enclosure manager stores the system BIOS image;
A BIOS management program that causes the blade system to execute processing in which the EM management means of the enclosure manager retrieves the system BIOS image from the EM storage means and sends the system BIOS image to the blade. The blade BMC management means receives the system BIOS image sent from the EM management means;
The BIOS management program according to claim 12, wherein the BMC storage unit of the blade causes the blade system to execute a process of receiving and storing the system BIOS image from the BMC management unit.

Images