System and method for adding active out-of-band management capability as a user-selectable module
View Patent ↗A method and information handling system including a first universal serial bus (USB) type C port for transceiving SMBus data multiplexed over unused USB-2 pins from a host information handling system, a first multiplexer for demultiplexing the SMBus as a designated data bus to a second multiplexer to create a designated bus for management controller transport protocol data, the second multiplexer re-multiplexing the SMBus designated bus to a second USB type C port for connection with an out-of-band management hardware system network interface card of a device connected to the second USB type C port for communication of management controller transport protocol data with the information handling system host and bypassing a docking station high capacity connector multiplex controller, and an embedded controller for activating the first multiplexer and the second multiplexer upon detecting the connection with the out-of-band management hardware system network interface card via the second USB type C port and establishing the designated data bus for management controller transport protocol data bypass connection.
1. An information handling system docking station comprising:
a first universal serial bus (USB) type C port for transceiving SMBus data multiplexed over unused USB-2 pins from a host information handling system;
a first multiplexer for demultiplexing the SMBus data as a designated data bus to a second multiplexer to create a designated bus for management controller transport protocol data;
the second multiplexer re-multiplexing the SMBus designated data bus to a second USB type C port for connection with an out-of-band management hardware system network interface card of a device connected to the second USB type C port for communication of the management controller transport protocol data with the host information handling system and bypassing a docking station high capacity connector multiplex controller; and
an embedded controller for activating the first multiplexer and the second multiplexer upon detecting the connection with the out-of-band management hardware system network interface card via the second USB type C port and establishing the designated bus for management controller transport protocol data bypass connection.
2. The information handling system docking station of claim 1 , wherein the first multiplexer is an I2C bus switch.
3. The information handling system docking station of claim 1 , wherein the embedded controller detects a plug-in event of the device at the second USB type C port including the out-of-band management hardware system network interface card to activate the first multiplexer and the second multiplexer.
4. The information handling system docking station of claim 1 , wherein the SMBus and is also used to deliver data updates to the embedded controller.
5. The information handling system docking station of claim 1 , wherein the docking station high capacity connector multiplex controller is a Thunderbolt controller in the docking station receiving Thunderbolt multiplexed data from the first USB type C port.
6. The information handling system docking station of claim 1 , wherein the first USB type C port supports Thunderbolt multiplexing and terminates at the docking station high capacity connector multiplex controller to receive pass-through PCIE data and video data.
7. The information handling system docking station of claim 6 further comprising:
a USB hub and display connector for receiving pass-through PCIE data and video data from Thunderbolt multiplexed data.
8. A computerized method of establishing a designated management controller transport protocol data bus through an information handling system docking station comprising:
detecting, via an embedded controller, a plug-in event at a second USB type C port connected to a device containing a PCIE network interface card supporting out-of-band management communications;
establishing the designated management controller transport protocol data bus to bypass a Thunderbolt controller between a first USB type C port and the second USB type C port;
receiving data of Thunderbolt multiplexed PCIE data and SMBus data formats;
demultiplexing SMBus management controller transport protocol data at a first multiplexer and routing the SMBus management controller transport protocol data between the first USB type C port and the second USB type C port; and
passing through remaining Thunderbolt multiplexed PCIE and video data to the Thunderbolt controller.
9. The computerized method of claim 8 , wherein a link of the designated management controller transport protocol data bus is established between the first multiplexer and a second multiplexer in the information handling system docking station.
10. The computerized method of claim 9 , wherein the first multiplexer is located between the first USB type C port and the Thunderbolt controller and the second multiplexer is located between the second USB type C port and the Thunderbolt controller.
11. The computerized method of claim 8 , wherein the first USB type C port is connected to a host information handling system with out-of-band management capabilities.
12. The computerized method of claim 8 further comprising:
routing the SMBus management controller transport protocol data between the first multiplexer and a second multiplexer to bypass the Thunderbolt controller and establish communication between the device containing the PCIE network interface card supporting out-of-band management communications and a host information handling system through the information handling docking station.
13. The computerized method of claim 12 , wherein the first multiplexer is an I2C bus switch.
14. The computerized method of claim 8 , wherein the device containing the PCIE network interface card supporting out-of-band management communications is a vPro network dongle device.
15. An information handling system docking station comprising:
a first universal serial bus (USB) type C port for transceiving data of Thunderbolt formats and SMBus data multiplexed over unused USB-2 pins from a host information handling system;
a Thunderbolt controller in the information handling system docking station receiving Thunderbolt multiplexed pass-through data from the first USB type C port;
a first multiplexer between the first USB type C port and the Thunderbolt controller for demultiplexing the SMBus data to a second multiplexer to create a designated management controller transport protocol data bus upon activation of the first multiplexer and the second multiplexer;
the second multiplexer re-multiplexing the designated management controller transport protocol data bus to a second USB type C port for connection with an out-of-band management hardware system network interface card for communication of management controller transport protocol data,
wherein the designated management controller transport protocol data bus bypasses the Thunderbolt controller.
16. The information handling system docking station of claim 15 , wherein the Thunderbolt multiplexed pass-through data not demultiplexed at the first multiplexer is demultiplexed at the Thunderbolt controller for delivery to a display port, audio port, or output USB interface.
17. The information handling system docking station of claim 15 further comprising:
an embedded controller activating the first multiplexer and the second multiplexer to create the designated management controller transport protocol data bus upon detection of the out-of-band management hardware system network interface card for communication of the management controller transport protocol data connected to the second USB type C port.
18. The information handling system docking station of claim 15 , wherein the first multiplexer and the second multiplexer are I2C bus switches.
19. The information handling system docking station of claim 17 , wherein the embedded controller detects a plug-in event at the second USB type C port connected to a device containing a PCIE network interface card supporting out-of-band management communications.
20. The information handling system docking station of claim 15 wherein an embedded controller detects a plug-in event at the second USB type C port of a vPro network dongle device.