System and method for reducing boot time of a workload configuration on a target server

1. An information handling system comprising:

a communication device including a first terminal, and a second terminal to communicate with a network storage array; and

a service processor including a first terminal to receive configuration settings for the communication device, wherein the configuration settings are received while a host processor of the information handling system is running a different workload than the workload to be enabled by the configuration settings, and a second terminal to provide the configuration settings to the communication device, the service processor to configure the communication device based on the configuration settings during a first boot sequence of the information handling system, wherein a power-on self test of a basic input/output system of the information handling system is stalled while the service processor configures the communication device based on the configuration settings, and the information handling system is booted from a workload on a storage array identified in the configuration settings during the power-on self test of the basic input/output system.

2. The information handling system of claim 1 further comprising:

the basic input/output system having a first terminal to output a handshake signal to second terminal of the service processor during the power-on self test, wherein the handshake signal notifies the service processor to configure the communication device if the service processor has configuration settings that are different than current configuration settings within the communication device.

3. The information handling system of claim 1 wherein the service processor configures the communication device via the basic input/output system being a proxy for the communication device.

4. The information handling system of claim 1 further comprising:

an auxiliary power source to provide power to the service processor while remaining portion of the information handling system are off.

5. The information handling system of claim 1 wherein the service processor configures the communication device via a sideband interface.

6. The information handling system of claim 1 wherein the configuration settings are received while a host processor of the information handling system is powered off.

7. A method comprising:

receiving, at a service processor of an information handling system, configuration settings for a communication device, wherein the configuration settings are received while a host processor of the information handling system is running a different workload than the workload to be enabled by the configuration settings;

starting a boot sequence for the information handling system;

configuring, by the service processor, the communication device based on the configuration settings during the boot sequence;

stalling a power-on self test of a basic input/output system while the service processor configures the communication device;

booting a workload on a network storage array identified in the configuration settings; and

completing the power-on self test of the basic input/output system in response to the configuring of the communication device being completed by the service processor and the booting of the workload on the network storage array being completed.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein configuring the communication device comprises:

transmitting the configuration settings from the service processor to the communication device via a sideband interface.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein configuring the communication device comprises:

transmitting the configuration settings from the service processor to the communication device via the basic input/output system being a proxy for the service processor.

10. The method of claim 7 further comprising:

transmitting a handshake signal to the service processor after the communication device is powered on during the power-on self test and prior to an initialization signal being sent from the basic input/output system to the communication device.

11. The method of claim 7 wherein the configuration settings include a virtual address, an initiator, and target configuration settings for the communication device to communicate with the network storage array.

12. The method of claim 7 wherein the communication device is a network interface card.

13. The method of claim 7 wherein the configuration settings is received while a host processor of the information handling system is powered off.

14. The method of claim 7 further comprising:

providing, by an auxiliary power source, power to the service processor while remaining portions of the information handling system are powered off.

15. A method comprising:

receiving, at a service processor of an information handling system, first configuration settings for a communication device while a host processor of the information handling system is powered off or the host processor is executing a second workload, wherein the first configuration settings are different than second configuration settings currently in the communication device;

booting the information handling system from a first workload stored on a first storage array in a network in response to a single power-on self test of a basic input/output system of the information handling system;

configuring the communication device based on the first configuration settings via a sideband interface between the service processor and the communication device.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising:

configuring the communication device based on the first configuration settings via the basic input/output system being a proxy for the service processor.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein the single power-on self test of the basic input/output system is a power-on self test is performed during a first boot sequence executed after the first configuration settings are received at the service processor.