TWI530800B - Server and method for inquiring deployment status of server - Google Patents

Description

Server and method for querying its deployment status

The present invention relates to a server and a management method thereof, and more particularly to a server and a method for querying its deployment state.

The server must go through the following steps during the boot process: First, the system is initialized by the Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI)/Basic Input/Output System (BIOS). -On Self-Test, POST), and scan peripheral devices and enumerate bootable devices. Next, the boot loader in the boot device is loaded into the system memory. Finally, the system control is passed to the startup program to continue the startup of the operating system kernel (kernel) loading.

The Intelligent Platform Management Interface (IPMI)/Baseboard Management Controller (BMC) is a unique industry standard and device for servers. System administrators can use the smart platform management interface to remotely manage the data center and collect a large number of servers. The hardware operation information of the server. However, traditionally, in addition to the information defined in the smart platform management interface standard and the hardware information that the baseboard management controller itself can independently access, remote server operations, management, or acquisition of the baseboard management controller cannot be independently obtained. Most of the information (such as the operating system startup program) can only be played in a one-to-one mode via the virtual keyboard-Video-Mouse (KVM). However, such management methods are inconvenient and difficult to achieve when a large number of deployments are required in the data center.

The invention provides a server and a method for querying the deployment state thereof, which can obtain the deployment information of the server through the network and confirm the deployment state of the server.

The method for querying the deployment status of the server is adapted to query, by the management center, the deployment status of at least one server, wherein the management center is connected to the baseboard management controller of each server through the network. In this method, the query command is sent to the baseboard management controller through the network, and the baseboard management controller sends a hardware interrupt signal accordingly. Then, the server booting system responds to the hardware interrupt signal and provides deployment information of the server installation operating system to the baseboard management controller. Then, the baseboard management controller sends the deployment information back to the management center through the network, so that the management center can determine the deployment status of the server.

The server of the present invention includes a storage unit, a substrate management controller, and a processor. The storage unit is a program for storing the booting system. The baseboard management controller includes a network card and a hardware pin, wherein the network card is used to manage through a network connection. The center receives the query command sent by the management center, and the hardware pin is used to send a hardware interrupt signal according to the query command. The processor is connected to the storage unit and the baseboard management controller for executing the booting system stored in the storage unit, wherein the booting system responds to the hardware interrupt signal sent by the hardware pin, and provides the deployment information of the server installation operating system to the substrate. The controller is managed, and the network card of the baseboard management controller transmits the deployment information to the management center through the network, so that the management center can determine the deployment status of the server.

Based on the above, the server of the present invention and the method for querying the deployment state thereof are recorded by the booting system during the booting process. When the baseboard management controller receives the query instruction of the management center, the booting system is triggered by the hardware interrupt to actively provide the information. After the information is returned to the management center via the baseboard management controller, the manager located in the management center can know the current deployment status of the server.

The above described features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description.

10‧‧‧Management Center

12‧‧‧Network

14, 24‧‧‧ Baseboard Management Controller

142, 242‧‧‧ network card

144, 244‧‧‧ hardware pins

146‧‧‧flag

16‧‧‧ boot system

162‧‧‧ Code

20, S ₁ ~ S _N ‧ ‧ server

22‧‧‧ storage unit

26‧‧‧ Processor

S302~S308‧‧‧ method steps for querying the deployment state of the server according to an embodiment of the present invention

FIG. 1A to FIG. 1C are schematic diagrams showing a deployment state of a query server according to an embodiment of the invention.

2 is a block diagram of a server in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 3 is a flow chart of a method for querying a deployment state of a server according to an embodiment of the invention.

Since the computer is given control of the system to the startup program, the entire system is controlled by a boot system such as Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) or Basic Input/Output System (BIOS). Boot process. Therefore, the present invention adds a program code to the booting system so that it can record the boot loader information and the boot program loaded during the boot process because the operating system core program (OS) is loaded. The kernel fails to return the control of the system to the boot system and other key information to determine whether the operating system is configured on the current system, and even further determine the type and version of the operating system.

FIG. 1A to FIG. 1C are schematic diagrams showing a deployment state of a query server according to an embodiment of the invention. Referring to FIG. 1A, in this embodiment, a code is added to the booting system of the server (for example, the code 162 is added to the booting system 16 of the server S1), so that the booting system can record the booting process during the booting process. Key information such as startup program information or loading failure. Thereby, the management center 10 can transmit query commands to the respective servers (ie, servers S ₁ to S _N ) through the network 12 to obtain deployment information of each server. Taking the server S ₁ as an example, when the network card 142 of the baseboard management controller (BMC) 14 of the server S ₁ receives the query command, the hardware pin 144 is used to issue a hardware interrupt. Signal (as shown in Figure 1B). At this time, the booting system 16 of the server S1 responds to the hardware interrupt signal, and transmits the previously recorded operating system deployment information to the baseboard management controller 14 by using an Intelligent Platform Management Interface (IPMI) command ( As shown in Figure 1C). Finally, the baseboard management controller 14 transmits the deployment information back to the management center 10 via the network card 142. According to the deployment information returned by each server, the management center 10 can know the deployment status of all its servers. It should be noted that, after obtaining the deployment information, the substrate management controller 14 may record the information in at least one flag 146, for example, to immediately reply to the management center when receiving the query instruction of the management center 10 again. 10.

2 is a block diagram of a server in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. Referring to FIG. 2, the server 20 of the embodiment includes a storage unit 22, a substrate management controller 24, and a processor 26. The functions are as follows:

The storage unit 22 is, for example, a read only memory (ROM), a programmable read only memory (PROM), an erasable programmable read only memory (EPROM), and an electronic Electable Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory (EEPROM), NAND-type Flash Memory or NOR-type Flash Memory A non-volatile memory, such as a body, is used to store a program of a bootable firmware interface of the server 20 or a booting system such as a basic input/output system. In this embodiment, for example, a program code is added to the program, so that the booting system can record the startup program information and the startup program loaded during the booting process, and the system is controlled because the loading of the operating system core program fails. The right is returned to key information such as the boot system.

The baseboard management controller 24 supports the smart platform management interface and is responsible for the servo. The monitoring of various peripheral devices inside the device 20. The baseboard management controller 24 is connected to the external management center through the network card 242, and can receive the monitoring command issued by the management center, and perform the monitoring action according to the report, and report the execution result to the management center, so that the management center can grasp the server. 20 operating conditions. In this embodiment, the baseboard management controller 24 is further configured with a hardware pin 244, which can send a hardware interrupt signal when the network card 242 receives the query command sent by the management center, thereby causing the server 20 to boot. The system provides deployment information for its installation operating system.

The processor 26 is, for example, a central processing unit (CPU) having a single core or multiple cores, or other programmable general purpose or special purpose microprocessor (Microprocessor), digital signal processor (Digital Signal) Processor, DSP), programmable controller, Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC) or other similar components or a combination of the above. In this embodiment, the processor 26 can execute the booting system stored in the storage unit 22, thereby implementing the method for querying the deployed state of the server in the embodiment of the present invention.

In detail, FIG. 3 is a flowchart of a method for querying a deployment state of a server according to an embodiment of the invention. Referring to FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 simultaneously, the method in this embodiment is applicable to the server 20 of FIG. 2, and is suitable for querying the deployment state of the server 20 by the management center, wherein the management center is a substrate through the network and the server 20. The network card 242 of the management controller 24 is connected. The following describes the detailed flow of the method of the embodiment in conjunction with the components of the server 20 in FIG.

In this embodiment, when the data center administrator wants to deploy a server or needs When the deployment status of the current server is known, the management center may send a query command to the baseboard management controller of each server (in the embodiment, the server 20 is taken as an example) through the network (step S302) to request each server. Reward their deployment information.

At this time, the baseboard management controller 24 of the server 20 issues a hardware interrupt signal by the hardware pin 244 according to the received query command (step S304). The booting system of the server 20 responds to the hardware interrupt signal, and transmits the deployment information of the installation operating system to the baseboard management controller 24 (step S306). The above deployment information is, for example, the startup program in the booting process of the server 20, the startup program information loaded by the server 20 or the key information that the server 20 fails to load the operating system core program. In addition, by writing the code in the program of the booting system, when the booting system receives the hardware interrupt signal from the hardware pin 244, the booting system actively uses the smart platform management interface command to return the pre-recorded deployment information. It is transmitted to the substrate management controller 24.

Finally, the baseboard management controller 24 uses the network card 242 to transmit the deployment information to the management center through the network, thereby providing the management center to determine the deployment status of the server (step S308).

By the above method, the remote manager only needs to use the management center to issue an inquiry command, and can know the deployment status of the operating system on each server in the current data center.

It should be noted that, in step S306, when the substrate management controller 24 receives the deployment information returned by the booting system, in addition to being transmitted to the management center, the deployment information may be stored in its storage space, for example, At least one flag (for example, flag 146 in Figure 1) to store. If the deployment information returned by the baseboard management controller 24 indicates that the startup program exists, the baseboard management controller 24 may store the flag value 1 in one flag, otherwise store the flag value 0; in addition, if the baseboard management controller 24 The post-deployment deployment information includes details such as the type and version of the installed operating system, and the baseboard management controller 24 can store the information using an appropriate number of flags. Therefore, if the subsequent substrate management controller 24 receives the query command of the management center again, even if the server 20 is not turned on at the time, the last deployment information before the server 20 is turned off can be provided to the management center for the management center. The administrator knows the deployment status of the server 20.

For example, suppose that servers A, B, and D have been built in the equipment room. When the administrator purchases new servers C and E and builds them into the equipment room (connecting power and network), they can go through the management center. Connect to the network of the baseboard management controller of each server and search all the servers in the equipment room (including servers A~E), including the name of each server and the Internet Protocol (IP). ) Information such as the address, whether it is turned on or not (as shown in Table 1 below). With the method of the embodiment of the present invention, the administrator can obtain the deployment information of each server by sending a query instruction to each server, and can accurately identify the deployed operating system Ubuntu 12.04 of the server A and D, and the servers C and E. The operating system has not been deployed. Among them, although the server B is not turned on, the manager can still recognize that the server B has deployed the operating system Ubuntu 12.04 through the flag value recorded in the baseboard management controller. By means, the administrator can know the deployment status of the server in the equipment room, and then perform subsequent deployment on the servers C and E.

In summary, the server of the present invention and the method for querying the deployment state thereof can write a program code in the booting system of the server, so that during the booting process, the startup program of the operating system can be recorded. . By configuring a hardware pin in the baseboard management control, when receiving the query command, a hardware interrupt signal can be issued to prompt the booting system to provide deployment information, thereby being transmitted back to the management center. In this way, the management center can identify the deployment status of each server for subsequent deployment.

Although the present invention has been disclosed in the above embodiments, it is not intended to limit the present invention, and any one of ordinary skill in the art can make some changes and refinements without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. The scope of the invention is defined by the scope of the appended claims.

S302~S308‧‧‧ method steps for querying the deployment state of the server according to an embodiment of the present invention

Claims (10)

A method for querying a deployment state of a server is adapted to query, by a management center, a deployment status of at least one server, wherein the management center is connected to a base management controller of each of the servers through a network, and the method includes the following steps Transmitting, by the network, a query command to the baseboard management controller of each server; the baseboard management controller sends a hardware interrupt signal according to the query command; and the booting system of the server responds to the hard The physical interrupt signal provides a deployment information of the operating system to the baseboard management controller; and the baseboard management controller returns the deployment information to the management center through the network for the management center to determine Describe the deployment status of the server. The method for querying a server deployment state according to claim 1, wherein the booting system of the server responds to the hardware interrupt signal to provide the server to install the deployment information of the operating system to the substrate management. Before the step of the controller, the booting system records the boot loader information loaded by the server or the server loads the core program of the operating system during the booting process of the server. A key piece of information for failure as a deployment information. The method for querying a server deployment state according to claim 1, wherein the booting system of the server provides the server to install the deployment information of the operating system to the baseboard management control in response to the hardware interrupt signal. The steps of the device include: The booting system transmits the deployment information to the baseboard management controller by using an Intelligent Platform Management Interface (IPMI) command to provide the deployment information to the baseboard management controller. The method for querying a server deployment state according to claim 3, wherein after the step of providing the deployment information to the baseboard management controller, the method further includes: using at least one flag by the baseboard management controller The deployment information is recorded to return the deployment information to the management center when the query command issued by the management center is received again. The method for querying a server deployment state according to claim 1, wherein the deployment information includes whether the server installs the operating system or a type of operating system installed by the server. A server includes: a storage unit that stores a program for booting a system; a baseboard management controller, comprising: a network card, connected to a management center through the network, and receiving a query command sent by the management center; and a a hardware pin, a hardware interrupt signal is sent according to the query command; and a processor is connected to the storage unit and the baseboard management controller to execute the booting system stored by the storage unit, wherein the booting system includes responding to the The hardware interrupt signal sent by the hardware pin provides a deployment information of the operating system to the baseboard management controller, and the network card of the baseboard management controller The deployment information is returned to the management center through the network, so that the management center determines the deployment status of the server. The server of claim 6, wherein the booting system further includes recording, during the booting process of the server, a startup program information loaded by the server or loading the server into an operating system. A key piece of information about the failure of the core program is the storage unit as the deployment information. The server of claim 6, wherein the booting system comprises transmitting the deployment information to the baseboard management controller by using a smart platform management interface command to provide the deployment information to the baseboard management controller. The server of claim 8, wherein the baseboard management controller further comprises: recording the deployment information by using at least one flag to return the deployment when the query command issued by the management center is received again. Information to the management center. The server of claim 6, wherein the deployment information includes whether the server installs the operating system or a type of operating system installed by the server.