Systems and methods for using out-of-band protocols for remote management while in-band communication is not available
View Patent ↗In an exemplary embodiment, an out-of-band management stack that is located on a managed node receives at least one management command from an out-of-band management application that is located on an administrative system. A monitoring agent on the managed node obtains the at least one management command. For example, the out-of-band management stack may forward the at least one management command to the monitoring agent. Alternatively, the out-of-band management stack may write the at least one management command to a designated location on the managed node, and the monitoring agent may read the at least one management command from the designated location. In response to obtaining the at least one management command, the monitoring agent processes and carries out the at least one management command.
1. In a managed node, a method for allowing remote management of the managed node by an administrative system via out-of-band protocols while in-band communication with the administrative system is not available, the method comprising:
an out-of-band management stack that is located on the managed node receiving at least one management command from an out-of-band management application that is located on the administrative system, the management command being received from the out-of-band management application after it is detected that the in-band communication with the administrative system is not available, wherein the in-band communication is received by an in-band management agent via a network stack, wherein the in-band communication is sent from a management application on the administrative system, wherein the management application is separate from the out-of-band management application, and wherein the out-of-band management application manages the managed node independently of the management application, and wherein the in-band management agent does not use the out-of-band management stack;
a service processor retrieving the at least one management command from the out-of-band management stack and sending it to a monitoring agent;
the monitoring agent on the managed node obtaining the at least one management command, and wherein the monitoring agent is separate from the in-band management agent, the network stack, the out-of-band management application and the out-of-band management stack, wherein the monitoring agent is a daemon that is part of an operating system of the managed node; and
in response to obtaining the at least one management command, the monitoring agent processing and carrying out the at least one management command.
2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the service processor forwarding the at least one management command to the monitoring agent.
3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
the service processor writing the at least one management command to a designated location on the managed node; and
the monitoring agent reading the at least one management command from the designated location.
4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising the service processor notifying the monitoring agent about the designated location.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one management command comprises a command to disable the managed node's network stack.
6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the at least one management command comprises a command to perform a recovery operation.
7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the at least one management command comprises a command to re-enable the managed node's network stack.
8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the out-of-band management stack is executed by the service processor on the managed node.
9. A managed node that is configured to allow remote management by an administrative system via out-of-band protocols while in-band communication with the administrative system is not available, a computer system comprising:
a processor;
memory that is in electronic communication with the processor;
a service processor;
a firmware storage device that is in electronic communication with the service processor;
an out-of-band management stack in the firmware storage device, the out-of-band management stack being executable by the service processor to receive at least one management command from an out-of-band management application that is located on the administrative system, the management command being received from the out-of-band management application after it is detected that the in-band communication with the administrative system is not available, wherein the in-band communication is received by an in-band management agent via a network stack, wherein the in-band communication is sent from a management application on the administrative system, wherein the management application is separate from the out-of-band management application, and wherein the out-of-band management application manages the managed node independently of the management application, and wherein the in-band management agent does not use the out-of-band management stack, and wherein the service processor retrieves the at least one management commands and sends it to a monitoring agent; and
the monitoring agent in the memory, the monitoring agent being executable by the processor to obtain the at least one management command and to process and carry out the at least one management command, and wherein the monitoring agent is separate from the in-band management agent, the network stack, the out-of-band management application and the out-of-band management stack, wherein the monitoring agent is a daemon that is part of an operating system of the managed node.
10. The managed node of claim 9 , wherein the service processor to forwards the at least one management command to the monitoring agent.
11. The managed node of claim 9 , wherein the service processor to writes the at least one management command to a designated location on the managed node, and wherein the monitoring agent is also executable by the processor to read the at least one management command from the designated location.
12. The managed node of claim 9 , wherein the at least one management command comprises a disable command to disable the managed node's network stack, a recovery command to perform a recovery operation, and a re-enable command to re-enable the managed node's network stack.
13. The managed node of claim 9 , further comprising an operating system in the memory.
14. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising executable instructions for allowing remote management of a managed node by an administrative system via out-of-band protocols while in-band communication with the administrative system is not available, the instructions being executable to:
receive, by an out-of-band management stack that is located on the managed node, at least one management command from an out-of-band management application that is located on the administrative system, the management command being received from the out-of-band management application after it is detected that the in-band communication with the administrative system is not available, wherein the in-band communication is received by an in-band management agent via a network stack, wherein the in-band communication is sent from a management application on the administrative system, wherein the management application is separate from the out-of-band management application, and wherein the out-of-band management application manages the managed node independently of the management application, and wherein the in-band management agent does not use the out-of-band management stack;
retrieve, by a service processor, the at least one management command from the out-of-band management stack and send it to a monitoring agent;
obtain, by the monitoring agent on the managed node, the at least one management command; and
process and carry out by the monitoring agent, in response to obtaining the at least one management command, the at least one management command, and wherein the monitoring agent is separate from the in-band management agent, the network stack, the out-of-band management application and the out-of-band management stack, wherein the monitoring agent is a daemon that is part of an operating system of the managed node.
15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14 , wherein the instructions are further executable to forward, by the service processor, the at least one management command to the monitoring agent.
16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14 , wherein the instructions are further executable to:
write, by the service processor, the at least one management command to a designated location on the managed node; and
read, by the monitoring agent, the at least one management command from the designated location.
17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14 , wherein the at least one management command comprises a disable command to disable the managed node's network stack, a recovery command to perform a recovery operation, and a re-enable command to re-enable the managed node's network stack.
18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14 , wherein the monitoring agent is part of the managed node's operating system.