Securing Blade Servers In A Data Center

1 . A method of securing blade servers in a data center, the data center comprising a plurality of blade servers, each blade server installed in one of a plurality of blade server chassis, the blade servers and the blade server chassis connected for data communications to a management module, each blade server chassis comprising a chassis key stored in non-volatile memory of the chassis, the method comprising:

upon receiving power in a blade server installed in one of the blade server chassis and prior to enabling user-level operation of the blade server, receiving, by a security module, from the management module, a chassis key for the blade server chassis in which the blade server is installed;

determining, by the security module, whether the chassis key matches a security key stored on the blade server;

if the chassis key matches the security key, enabling, by the security module, user-level operation of the blade server; and

if the chassis key does not match the security key, disabling, by the security module, operation of the blade server.

2 . The method of claim 1 further comprising:

if the chassis key does not match the security key, notifying the management module, by the security module, that installation of the blade server in the blade server chassis is restricted.

3 . The method of claim 1 further comprising:

establishing a plurality of security keys in the blade server, each security key matching a chassis key of a blade server chassis in which installation of the blade server is unrestricted.

4 . The method of claim 1 further comprising:

establishing, by the management module, a same chassis key in each blade server chassis of a group of blade server chassis; and

establishing, by the management module as the security key in the blade server, the same chassis key of blade server chassis in which installation of the blade server is unrestricted.

5 . The method of claim 1 further comprising:

establishing, by the management module as the security key stored in the blade server, a group chassis key for a plurality of chassis, including generating the group chassis key in dependence upon the chassis key for each of the plurality chassis through a group key generation algorithm;

retrieving, by the management module, from non-volatile memory of the blade server chassis in which the blade server is installed, the chassis key for the blade server chassis;

generating, by the management module in dependence upon the retrieved chassis key, the group key; and

providing, by the management module, to the blade server as the chassis key for the blade server chassis, the group chassis key.

6 . The method of claim 1 further comprising:

modifying, by the management module through an out-of-band communications link, the security key stored on the blade server; and

logging, by the management module, the modification.

7 . An apparatus for securing blade servers in a data center, the data center comprising a plurality of blade servers, each blade server installed in one of a plurality of blade server chassis, the blade servers and the blade server chassis connected for data communications to a management module, each blade server chassis comprising a chassis key stored in non-volatile memory of the chassis, the apparatus comprising a computer processor, a computer memory operatively coupled to the computer processor, the computer memory having disposed within it computer program instructions capable of:

upon receiving power in a blade server installed in one of the blade server chassis and prior to enabling user-level operation of the blade server, receiving, by a security module, from the management module, a chassis key for the blade server chassis in which the blade server is installed;

determining, by the security module, whether the chassis key matches a security key stored on the blade server;

if the chassis key matches the security key, enabling, by the security module, user-level operation of the blade server; and

if the chassis key does not match the security key, disabling, by the security module, operation of the blade server.

8 . The apparatus of claim 7 further comprising computer program instructions capable of:

if the chassis key does not match the security key, notifying the management module, by the security module, that installation of the blade server in the blade server chassis is restricted.

9 . The apparatus of claim 7 further comprising computer program instructions capable of:

establishing a plurality of security keys in the blade server, each security key matching a chassis key of a blade server chassis in which installation of the blade server is unrestricted.

10 . The apparatus of claim 7 further comprising computer program instructions capable of:

establishing, by the management module, a same chassis key in each blade server chassis of a group of blade server chassis; and

establishing, by the management module as the security key in the blade server, the same chassis key of blade server chassis in which installation of the blade server is unrestricted.

11 . The apparatus of claim 7 further comprising computer program instructions capable of:

establishing, by the management module as the security key stored in the blade server, a group chassis key for a plurality of chassis, including generating the group chassis key in dependence upon the chassis key for each of the plurality chassis through a group key generation algorithm;

retrieving, by the management module, from non-volatile memory of the blade server chassis in which the blade server is installed, the chassis key for the blade server chassis;

generating, by the management module in dependence upon the retrieved chassis key, the group key; and

providing, by the management module, to the blade server as the chassis key for the blade server chassis, the group chassis key.

12 . The apparatus of claim 7 further comprising computer program instructions capable of:

modifying, by the management module through an out-of-band communications link, the security key stored on the blade server; and

logging, by the management module, the modification.

13 . A computer program product for securing blade servers in a data center, the data center comprising a plurality of blade servers, each blade server installed in one of a plurality of blade server chassis, the blade servers and the blade server chassis connected for data communications to a management module, each blade server chassis comprising a chassis key stored in non-volatile memory of the chassis, the computer program product disposed in a computer readable, signal bearing medium, the computer program product comprising computer program instructions capable of:

upon receiving power in a blade server installed in one of the blade server chassis and prior to enabling user-level operation of the blade server, receiving, by a security module, from the management module, a chassis key for the blade server chassis in which the blade server is installed;

determining, by the security module, whether the chassis key matches a security key stored on the blade server;

if the chassis key matches the security key, enabling, by the security module, user-level operation of the blade server; and

if the chassis key does not match the security key, disabling, by the security module, operation of the blade server.

14 . The computer program product of claim 13 further comprising computer program instructions capable of:

if the chassis key does not match the security key, notifying the management module, by the security module, that installation of the blade server in the blade server chassis is restricted.

15 . The computer program product of claim 13 further comprising computer program instructions capable of:

establishing a plurality of security keys in the blade server, each security key matching a chassis key of a blade server chassis in which installation of the blade server is unrestricted.

16 . The computer program product of claim 13 further comprising computer program instructions capable of:

establishing, by the management module, a same chassis key in each blade server chassis of a group of blade server chassis; and

establishing, by the management module as the security key in the blade server, the same chassis key of blade server chassis in which installation of the blade server is unrestricted.

17 . The computer program product of claim 13 further comprising computer program instructions capable of:

establishing, by the management module as the security key stored in the blade server, a group chassis key for a plurality of chassis, including generating the group chassis key in dependence upon the chassis key for each of the plurality chassis through a group key generation algorithm;

retrieving, by the management module, from non-volatile memory of the blade server chassis in which the blade server is installed, the chassis key for the blade server chassis;

generating, by the management module in dependence upon the retrieved chassis key, the group key; and

providing, by the management module, to the blade server as the chassis key for the blade server chassis, the group chassis key.

18 . The computer program product of claim 13 further comprising computer program instructions capable of:

modifying, by the management module through an out-of-band communications link, the security key stored on the blade server; and

logging, by the management module, the modification.

19 . The computer program product of claim 13 wherein the signal bearing medium comprises a recordable medium.

20 . The computer program product of claim 13 wherein the signal bearing medium comprises a transmission medium.