IP Library › Granted Patent US 9,537,822
Granted Patent B2
US 9,537,822 · App. 14/446,442 · Granted Jan 3, 2017

UEFI and operating system driver methods for updating MAC address in LAN-based NIC

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,537,822
App. No.
14/446,442
Granted
Jan 3, 2017
Kind
B2
Abstract

An information handling system (IHS) unambiguously addresses networked devices connected by a local area network (LAN) based network interface controller (NIC) by detecting a device descriptor of LAN-based NIC, determining that the device descriptor indicates a capability for assigning a reserve media access control (MAC) address to the networked device, writing the reserve MAC address in the LAN-based NIC of the networked device, and associating the reserve MAC address with the networked device in an inventory data structure for the IHS.

Claims (74)

1. A method of unambiguously addressing networked devices in an information handling system (IHS), the method comprising:

detecting a device descriptor of a local area network (LAN) based network interface controller (NIC) connected to a networked device that does not physically contain a unique MAC address;

determining that the device descriptor indicates a capability for assigning a reserve media access control (MAC) address to the networked device;

provisioning the reserve MAC address in the LAN-based NIC of the networked device;

associating the reserve MAC address with the networked device in an inventory data structure of the IHS;

detecting a presence of the networked device by an operating system of the IHS;

accessing a Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) reserve MAC protocol to expose a UEFI Preboot eXecution Environment (PXE) driver that is specific to the device descriptor;

loading the UEFI PXE driver into a UEFI platform; and

provisioning the LAN-based NIC with the reserve MAC address using the UEFI PXE driver.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

detecting the presence of the networked device by an operating system driver during one of a boot of the IHS and a hot plugging of a network system; and

the operating system driver provisioning the reserve MAC address in the LAN-based NIC.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:

sending a command over an operating system to a basic input/output system (BIOS) interface to an Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) BIOS; and

receiving the reserve MAC address from the UEFI BIOS.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

re-initializing an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) MAC address for the LAN-based NIC in response to a power cycle of the networked device.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

detecting a second device descriptor of a second networked device that is connected to the LAN-based NIC; and

provisioning a second reserve MAC address in the LAN-based NIC, where the second reserve MAC address and a first reserve MAC address are unique reserve MAC addresses.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

detecting the device descriptor of the networked device connected to a second LAN-based NIC; and

provisioning the second based NIC with the reserve MAC address that is associated with the networked device.

7. An information handling system (IHS) to unambiguously address networked devices, the IHS comprising:

a local area network (LAN) based network interface controller (NIC);

a networked device connected to the LAN-based NIC; and

a system having a processor operably in communication with the LAN-based NIC to:

detect a device descriptor of the LAN-based NIC;

determine that the device descriptor indicates a capability for assigning a reserve media access control (MAC) address to the networked device;

provision the LAN-based NIC with the reserve MAC address;

associate the reserve MAC address with the networked device in an inventory data structure for the HIS;

detect the presence of the networked device by an operating system of the IHS;

access a Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) reserve MAC protocol to expose a UEFI Preboot eXecution Environment (PXE) driver that is specific to the device descriptor;

load the UEFI PXE driver into a UEFI platform; and

provision, by using the UEFI PXE driver, the LAN-based NIC with the reserve MAC address.

8. The IHS of claim 7 , wherein the system is further operable to:

detect the presence of the networked device by an operating system driver during one of a boot of the IHS and a hot plugging of a network system; and

provision the reserve MAC address in the LAN-based NIC by the operating system driver.

9. The IHS of claim 8 , wherein the system is further operable to:

send a command by an operating driver over an operating system to a basic input/output system (BIOS) interface to an Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) BIOS; and

receive the reserve MAC address from the UEFI BIOS.

10. The IHS of claim 7 , wherein the system is further operable to:

re-initialize an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) MAC address for the LAN-based NIC in response to a power cycle of the networked device.

11. The IHS of claim 7 , wherein the system is further operable to:

detect a second device descriptor of a second networked device that is connected to the LAN-based NIC; and

provision the LAN-based NIC with a second reserve MAC address.

12. The IHS of claim 7 , wherein system is operable to:

detect the device descriptor of the networked device that is connected to a second LAN-based NIC; and

provision the second LAN-based NIC with a reserve MAC address that is associated with the networked device.

13. A system that unambiguously addresses networked devices in a distributed information handling system (IHS), the system comprising:

a processor;

an operating system driver executed by the processor and in communication with a local area network (LAN) based network interface controller (NIC) that is connected to a networked device, the operating system driver operable to:

detect a device descriptor of the LAN-based NIC;

determine that the device descriptor indicates a capability for assigning a reserve media access control (MAC) address to the networked device;

provision the LAN-based NIC with the reserve MAC address;

associate the reserve MAC address with the networked device in an inventory data structure for the IHS;

detect a presence of the networked device by an operating system of the IHS;

access a Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) reserve MAC protocol to expose a UEFI Preboot eXecution Environment (PXE) driver that is specific to the device descriptor;

load the UEFI PXE driver into a UEFI platform; and

provision the LAN-based NIC with the reserve MAC address using the UEFI PXE driver.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the operating system driver is further operable to:

detect the presence of the networked device during one of a boot of the IHS and a hot plugging of a network system; and

provision, by the operating system driver, the reserve MAC address in the LAN-based NIC.

15. The system of claim 14 , further comprising an interface of the operating system executed by processor and operable to:

send a command to a basic input/output system (BIOS) interface to an Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) BIOS; and

receive the reserve MAC address from the UEFI BIOS.

16. The system of claim 13 , wherein the operating system driver is further operable to detect the presence of the networked device during of an operating system of the IHS, the IHS further comprising:

an interface of the operating system executed by the processor and operable to access a Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) reserve MAC protocol to expose a UEFI Preboot eXecution Environment (PXE) driver that is specific to the device descriptor and to load the UEFI PXE driver into a UEFI platform that in turn provisions the LAN-based NIC with the reserve MAC address.

17. The system of claim 13 , wherein the operating system driver is further operable to:

detect a second device descriptor of a second networked device that is connected to the LAN-based NIC; and

provision the LAN-based NIC with a second reserve MAC address.

18. The system of claim 13 , wherein operating system driver is operable to:

detect the device descriptor of the networked device that is connected to a second LAN-based NIC; and

provision the second LAN-based NIC with a reserve MAC address that is associated with the networked device.

Assignments (15)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL/FRAME (053546/0001) Recorded Jun 23, 2022
From: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
To: DELL MARKETING L.P. (ON BEHALF OF ITSELF AND AS SUCCESSOR-IN-INTEREST TO CREDANT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.); DELL INTERNATIONAL L.L.C.; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; DELL USA L.P.; EMC CORPORATION; DELL MARKETING CORPORATION (SUCCESSOR-IN-INTEREST TO FORCE10 NETWORKS, INC. AND WYSE TECHNOLOGY L.L.C.); EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
Reel/Frame 071642/0001 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL/FRAME (045455/0001) Recorded May 20, 2022
From: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
To: DELL MARKETING CORPORATION (SUCCESSOR-IN-INTEREST TO ASAP SOFTWARE EXPRESS, INC.); DELL MARKETING L.P. (ON BEHALF OF ITSELF AND AS SUCCESSOR-IN-INTEREST TO CREDANT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.); DELL USA L.P.; DELL INTERNATIONAL L.L.C.; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; DELL MARKETING CORPORATION (SUCCESSOR-IN-INTEREST TO FORCE10 NETWORKS, INC. AND WYSE TECHNOLOGY L.L.C.); EMC CORPORATION (ON BEHALF OF ITSELF AND AS SUCCESSOR-IN-INTEREST TO MAGINATICS LLC); EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC (ON BEHALF OF ITSELF AND AS SUCCESSOR-IN-INTEREST TO MOZY, INC.); SCALEIO LLC
Reel/Frame 061753/0001 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL/FRAME (040136/0001) Recorded Apr 26, 2022
From: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
To: DELL MARKETING CORPORATION (SUCCESSOR-IN-INTEREST TO ASAP SOFTWARE EXPRESS, INC.); DELL MARKETING L.P. (ON BEHALF OF ITSELF AND AS SUCCESSOR-IN-INTEREST TO CREDANT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.); DELL USA L.P.; DELL INTERNATIONAL L.L.C.; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; DELL MARKETING CORPORATION (SUCCESSOR-IN-INTEREST TO FORCE10 NETWORKS, INC. AND WYSE TECHNOLOGY L.L.C.); EMC CORPORATION (ON BEHALF OF ITSELF AND AS SUCCESSOR-IN-INTEREST TO MAGINATICS LLC); EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC (ON BEHALF OF ITSELF AND AS SUCCESSOR-IN-INTEREST TO MOZY, INC.); SCALEIO LLC
Reel/Frame 061324/0001 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Nov 3, 2021
From: CREDIT SUISSE AG, CAYMAN ISLANDS BRANCH
To: DELL USA L.P.; ASAP SOFTWARE EXPRESS, INC.; AVENTAIL LLC; CREDANT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.; DELL INTERNATIONAL, L.L.C.; DELL MARKETING L.P.; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; DELL SOFTWARE INC.; DELL SYSTEMS CORPORATION; EMC CORPORATION; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC; FORCE10 NETWORKS, INC.; MAGINATICS LLC; MOZY, INC.; SCALEIO LLC; WYSE TECHNOLOGY L.L.C.
Reel/Frame 058216/0001 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Apr 22, 2020
From: CREDANT TECHNOLOGIES INC.; DELL INTERNATIONAL L.L.C.; DELL MARKETING L.P.; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; DELL USA L.P.; EMC CORPORATION; FORCE10 NETWORKS, INC.; WYSE TECHNOLOGY L.L.C.; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
To: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A.
Reel/Frame 053546/0001 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Mar 21, 2019
From: CREDANT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.; DELL INTERNATIONAL L.L.C.; DELL MARKETING L.P.; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; DELL USA L.P.; EMC CORPORATION; FORCE10 NETWORKS, INC.; WYSE TECHNOLOGY L.L.C.; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
To: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A.
Reel/Frame 049452/0223 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Sep 21, 2016
From: ASAP SOFTWARE EXPRESS, INC.; AVENTAIL LLC; CREDANT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.; DELL USA L.P.; DELL INTERNATIONAL L.L.C.; DELL MARKETING L.P.; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; DELL SOFTWARE INC.; DELL SYSTEMS CORPORATION; EMC CORPORATION; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC; FORCE10 NETWORKS, INC.; MAGINATICS LLC; MOZY, INC.; SCALEIO LLC; SPANNING CLOUD APPS LLC; WYSE TECHNOLOGY L.L.C.
To: CREDIT SUISSE AG, CAYMAN ISLANDS BRANCH, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 040134/0001 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Sep 21, 2016
From: ASAP SOFTWARE EXPRESS, INC.; AVENTAIL LLC; CREDANT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.; DELL USA L.P.; DELL INTERNATIONAL L.L.C.; DELL MARKETING L.P.; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; DELL SOFTWARE INC.; DELL SYSTEMS CORPORATION; EMC CORPORATION; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC; FORCE10 NETWORKS, INC.; MAGINATICS LLC; MOZY, INC.; SCALEIO LLC; SPANNING CLOUD APPS LLC; WYSE TECHNOLOGY L.L.C.
To: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 040136/0001 →
RELEASE OF REEL 033625 FRAME 0688 (TL) Recorded Sep 14, 2016
From: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: DELL SOFTWARE INC.; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; COMPELLENT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.; SECUREWORKS, INC.
Reel/Frame 040027/0757 →
RELEASE OF REEL 033625 FRAME 0748 (NOTE) Recorded Sep 14, 2016
From: BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: DELL SOFTWARE INC.; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; COMPELLENT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.; SECUREWORKS, INC.
Reel/Frame 040027/0050 →
RELEASE OF REEL 033625 FRAME 0711 (ABL) Recorded Sep 13, 2016
From: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
To: DELL SOFTWARE INC.; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; COMPELLENT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.; SECUREWORKS, INC.
Reel/Frame 040016/0903 →
SUPPLEMENT TO PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT (NOTES) Recorded Aug 27, 2014
From: COMPELLENT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; DELL SOFTWARE INC.; SECUREWORKS, INC.
To: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 033625/0748 →
SUPPLEMENT TO PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT (ABL) Recorded Aug 27, 2014
From: COMPELLENT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; DELL SOFTWARE INC.; SECUREWORKS, INC.
To: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
Reel/Frame 033625/0711 →
SUPPLEMENT TO PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT (TERM LOAN) Recorded Aug 27, 2014
From: COMPELLENT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; DELL SOFTWARE INC.; SECUREWORKS, INC.
To: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 033625/0688 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 30, 2014
From: GILLON, JAMES T.; VOOR, THOMAS; GROBELNY, NICHOLAS G.; MARTELL, NATHAN F.
To: DELL PRODUCTS, L.P.
Reel/Frame 033451/0308 →