TW201926073A - Server having storage device and operation method thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

An operation method of a server having a storage device includes the following steps: accessing file data stored in a preset storage space within the server by a baseboard management controller for executing a boot process of the server; determining whether an execution of the boot process takes a period of time more than a predetermined time by a monitoring unit; selectively accessing backup file data stored in a first storage space of the storage device according to the determination result by the baseboard management controller for determining whether to reset the boot process; emulating a second storage space of the storage device as a USB storage device by the baseboard management controller for determining whether the server works normally as the boot process is completed. Storing event logs related to the baseboard management controller in a third storage space of the storage device by the base management controller.

Description

Server with storage device and operation method thereof

The present invention relates to a server having a storage device and a method of operating the same, and more particularly to a server having a storage device for use by a substrate management controller and a method of operating the same.

Generally, a baseboard management controller (BMC) is usually provided in the server for monitoring the software and hardware of the server and reporting it to the backend manager. The substrate management controller is an embedded system that has a relatively small storage space and cannot store too much data. At present, although a small number of substrate management controllers can use extended storage space, such as embedded memory (EMMC) soldered on a circuit board, or other alternative storage devices. However, this type of extended storage space has poor functional integration, and is mostly used only for event files, drivers, or operating systems, and does not provide a substrate management controller to perform different types of functions.

The invention provides a server with a storage device, which is intended to divide a single storage device into different storage spaces to store different materials, so that the substrate management controller in the server performs different functions by accessing the storage device.

According to an embodiment of the invention, a method for operating a server having a storage device includes accessing an archive of a preset storage space in a server by a baseboard management controller to execute a booting process of the server. The monitoring unit determines whether the booting procedure is executed for more than a predetermined time. The baseboard management controller selectively accesses the preliminary file data of the first storage space in the storage device according to whether the booting process is executed for more than a predetermined time to determine whether to restart the booting process. After the booting process is completed, the substrate management controller simulates the USB storage device from the second storage space in the storage device to determine whether the server is abnormal. The substrate management controller stores a system event file associated with the baseboard management controller in a third storage space in the storage device.

According to an embodiment of the invention, a server having a storage device including a substrate management controller and a storage device is disclosed. The baseboard management controller is configured to execute a boot process of the server. The storage device is electrically connected to the substrate management controller, and the storage device is configured to be pluggably connected to the server. The storage device includes a first storage space, a second storage space, and a third storage space. The first storage space is used to store the preliminary archive data. The second storage space is used to simulate the baseboard management controller as a USB storage device. The third storage space is used to store a system event file of the baseboard management controller. The baseboard management controller is configured to selectively access the archive data of the preset storage space in the server or the preliminary archive data of the first storage space to execute the booting process of the server.

In summary, in the server with the storage device and the operation method thereof, the storage capacity of the storage device (such as an SD card) is mainly divided into different storage spaces for respectively storing different types of data, so that The substrate management controller can access different storage programs to perform different types of programs/tasks in the server, thereby improving the functional integration of the server by a single storage device.

The above description of the disclosure and the following description of the embodiments of the present invention are intended to illustrate and explain the spirit and principles of the invention, and to provide further explanation of the scope of the invention.

The detailed features and advantages of the present invention are set forth in the Detailed Description of the Detailed Description of the <RTIgt; </ RTI> <RTIgt; </ RTI> </ RTI> </ RTI> <RTIgt; The objects and advantages associated with the present invention can be readily understood by those skilled in the art. The following examples are intended to describe the present invention in further detail, but are not intended to limit the scope of the invention.

Please refer to FIG. 1. FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram of a server with a storage device according to an embodiment of the invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the server 1 includes a substrate management controller 10 and a storage device 12. The storage device 12 is electrically connected to the substrate management controller 10, and the storage device 12 is pluggably connected to the server 1. In an embodiment, the storage device 12 is an SD card, and the storage capacity thereof may be 8G, 16G or 32G. The substrate management controller 10 is used to execute the booting process of the server 1. The storage capacity of the storage device 12 of the embodiment of the present invention is divided into different first storage spaces 121, second storage spaces 123, and third storage spaces 125. In actual operation, the storage capacities of the first storage space 121, the second storage space 123, and the third storage space 125 are not necessarily the same. The functions of the first storage space 121, the second storage space 123, and the third storage space 125 will be described in detail below.

The first storage space 121 is used to store the preliminary archive data. The preliminary file data is an alternate boot file accessible by the baseboard management controller 10, and can be used to execute the booting process of the server 1. In this embodiment, the substrate management controller 10 is configured to selectively access the archive data of the preset storage space 14 or the preliminary archive data of the first storage space 121 in the server 1 to execute the booting process of the server 1. . In one embodiment, the preset storage space 14 is an SPI storage chip, and the file data required for booting the server 1 system is stored therein. The substrate management controller 10 can select the file data of the preset storage space 14 to perform the booting process, and can also select the boot file of the first storage space 121 to perform the booting process. In practice, the server 1 is generally preset to cause the substrate management controller 10 to access the file data of the preset storage space 14 to perform the booting process of the server system. When the preset storage space 14 is abnormal or the file data of the memory is damaged, and the server system cannot be successfully booted, the substrate management controller 10 can select the preliminary file data of the first storage space 121 to perform the booting process of the server system. . In practice, the front segment of the preset storage space 14 needs to contain a corresponding code to achieve the aforementioned standby boot function.

In an embodiment, the server 1 further includes a monitoring unit 16 electrically connected to the substrate management controller 10 and the storage device 12. The monitoring unit 16 is configured to monitor whether the booting process is executed for more than a predetermined time when the baseboard management controller 10 accesses the archive data of the preset storage space 14 in the server 1 to execute the booting process. In practice, the monitoring unit 16 can be a Watch Dog Timer (WDT) for calculating whether the time taken to execute the booting process from the profile of the preset storage space 14 exceeds a predetermined time. When the booting process is executed for more than a predetermined time, the baseboard management controller 10 additionally selects to access the preliminary archive data from the first storage space 121 in the storage device 12 to re-execute the booting process.

The second storage space 123 is used to simulate the substrate management controller 10 as a USB storage device. Specifically, the substrate management controller 10 can simulate the second storage space 123 as a USB storage device. In a practical example, the storage area of the USB storage device may be used by a user or a manufacturer to store an operating system or a diagnostic program. When an abnormality occurs during the operation of the server, the baseboard management controller 10 can confirm the status of the server by executing a diagnostic program, and report the confirmation result to the user end, so that the user can immediately Corresponding measures for the abnormality of the server. In the actual implementation of the foregoing example, the main program of the substrate management controller 10 itself may contain the code of the analog USB storage device to achieve the analog function of the USB storage device.

The third storage space 125 is used to store a system event log of the baseboard management controller 10. The substrate management controller 10 uses the third storage space 125 as an extended space to store relatively large files or information (such as the system event file) in the extended space. In an embodiment, the main management unit 10 of the baseboard management controller 10 may include a related code of a Trivial File Transfer Protocol (TFTP), so that the baseboard management controller 10 can transmit through the TFTP. The system event file stored in the third storage space 125 is transferred to the storage area of the server 1 (for example, a designated folder) as a record. In this way, the server administrator can obtain the operation of the server through the network.

Referring to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 together, FIG. 2 is a flowchart of a method for operating a server having a storage device according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in the figure, in step S200, it is confirmed that the file data of the preset storage space 14 or the preliminary file data of the first storage space 121 in the storage device 12 is turned on. In fact, the substrate management controller 10 can select the file data of the preset storage space 14 or the preliminary file data of the first storage space 121 in the storage device 12 for booting. Generally, the server usually presets the substrate management controller 10 to boot the program in a preset storage space 14 (for example, an SPI storage chip).

After confirming that the booting process is to be performed in the preset storage space 14, the substrate management controller 10 accesses the archive data of the preset storage space 14 in the server 1 to execute the server 1 in step S201. Boot process. In step S202, it is determined by the monitoring unit 16 whether the booting process is executed for more than a predetermined time. If the monitoring unit 16 determines that the execution of the booting process does not exceed the predetermined time, then in step S203, the substrate management controller 10 simulates a USB storage device from the second storage space 123 in the storage device 12 to determine the servo. Whether the device 1 has an abnormality. And in step S204, the server can start executing a general instruction receiving/responding operation procedure.

The USB storage device can be used to store the aforementioned diagnostic programs to confirm the status of the server, and can also be used to store drivers required by other servers. In an embodiment, the operation method of FIG. 2 may further include storing, by the substrate management controller 10, a system event file associated with the substrate management controller 10 in a third storage space 125 in the storage device 12. The substrate management controller can transmit the system event file stored in the third storage space 125 to the storage area of the server by means of a simple file transfer protocol (TFTP), so that the remote user can manage the server.

On the other hand, if the monitoring unit 16 determines that the execution of the booting process exceeds the predetermined time, the process returns to step S200 to confirm that the booting process is to be executed with the preliminary archive data of the first storage space 121 in the storage device 12. In step S205, the substrate management controller 10 accesses the preliminary file data from the first storage space 121 in the storage device 12 to re-execute the booting process. In other words, when the baseboard management controller 10 executes the booting process from the archive data of the preset storage space 14, but the booting process is executed for a period of time, the server still cannot enter the general operating program, and the representative storage space 14 may be abnormal. Or the file data of its memory cannot be successfully completed due to some factors. At this time, the monitoring unit 16 notifies the baseboard management controller 10 that the booting process cannot be completed, and causes the baseboard management controller 10 to boot through the preliminary archive data of the first storage space 121 in the storage device 12.

In summary, in the server with the storage device and the operation method thereof, the storage capacity of the storage device (such as an SD card) is mainly divided into different storage spaces for respectively storing different types of data, so that The baseboard management controller can access different storage programs to perform different types of programs/tasks in the server. In the embodiment of the present invention, when the file data of the original preset storage space 14 cannot be booted, the file data prepared by one of the plurality of storage spaces of the storage device can be booted. In summary, the server with storage device of the present invention and its operation method integrate the functions of different types of servers into a single storage device to achieve sufficient and efficient use of the large-capacity storage space of the storage device.

Although the present invention has been disclosed above in the foregoing embodiments, it is not intended to limit the invention. It is within the scope of the invention to be modified and modified without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Please refer to the attached patent application for the scope of protection defined by the present invention.

1‧‧‧Server

10‧‧‧Base Management Controller

12‧‧‧Storage device

121‧‧‧First storage space

123‧‧‧Second storage space

125‧‧‧ third storage space

14‧‧‧Preset storage space

16‧‧‧Monitoring unit

1 is a functional block diagram of a server with a storage device according to an embodiment of the invention. 2 is a flow chart of a method of operating a server having a storage device in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

Claims (8)

A method for operating a server having a storage device includes: accessing a file of a predetermined storage space in the server by a substrate management controller to execute a booting process of the server; Determining whether the booting process is executed for more than a predetermined time; and selectively accessing, by the baseboard management controller, a preliminary file of a first storage space in a storage device according to whether the booting process is executed for more than the predetermined time Data to re-execute the booting process; after the booting process is completed, the baseboard management controller simulates a USB storage device from a second storage space in the storage device to determine whether the server is abnormal; The baseboard management controller stores a system event log associated with the baseboard management controller in a third storage space in the storage device. The method of operating the server of claim 1, wherein when the booting process is performed for more than the predetermined time, the baseboard management controller accesses the preliminary archive data from the first storage space in the storage device, To re-execute the boot process. The method for operating a server according to claim 1, wherein the step of simulating the USB storage device from the second storage space in the storage device by the baseboard management controller to determine whether the server is abnormal includes The baseboard management controller executes a diagnostic program stored in the USB storage device to determine whether the server is abnormal. The method for operating the server according to claim 1, further comprising: transmitting, by the baseboard management controller, the system event file stored in the third storage space to the server by using a simple file transfer protocol (TFTP) A storage area. A server having a storage device, comprising: a substrate management controller for executing a booting process of the server; and a storage device electrically connected to the substrate management controller, wherein the storage device is Connected to the server, the storage device includes: a first storage space for storing a preliminary file; a second storage space for the substrate management controller to be simulated as a USB storage device; a third storage space for storing a system event log of the baseboard management controller, wherein the baseboard management controller is configured to selectively access an archive of a preset storage space in the server or The preliminary file of the first storage space to execute the booting process of the server. The server of claim 5, further comprising: a monitoring unit electrically connected to the baseboard management controller and the storage device, wherein the monitoring unit is configured to access the pre-servation in the server when the baseboard management controller Setting the file of the storage space to perform the booting process, monitoring whether the booting process is executed for more than a predetermined time, and when the booting process is executed for more than the predetermined time, the substrate management controller is the first one of the booting devices The preliminary file is accessed in the storage space to re-execute the boot process. The server of claim 5, wherein the USB storage device simulated by the baseboard management controller stores a diagnostic program for determining whether the server is abnormal. The server of claim 5, wherein the baseboard management controller transmits the system event file stored in the third storage space to a storage area of the server through a simple file transfer protocol (TFTP).