Systems and methods for addressing multiple physical and virtual functions in network controller-sideband interface

1. An information handling system comprising:

a host system comprising:

a host system processor; and

a device coupled to the host system processor; and

a management controller communicatively coupled to the host system processor and configured to:

provide management of the information handling system; and

manage multiple functions instantiated on the device via a single sideband interface channel that comprises a Network Controller-Sideband Interface (NC-SI) channel interfaced between the device and the management controller by communicating function-oriented sideband commands, each function-oriented sideband command including a packet header conforming to an NC-SI standard, but in which data is stored in a portion of the header that is designated by the NC-SI standard as reserved, wherein the data includes a function address field for setting forth a function of the multiple functions to which the function-oriented sideband command is addressed, wherein the multiple functions include at least one physical function and at least one virtual function.

2. The information handling system of claim 1 , wherein the device comprises a network interface.

3. The information handling system of claim 1 , wherein the device comprises a host bus adapter.

4. The information handling system of claim 1 , each function-oriented sideband command further including a header revision field indicating that the function-oriented sideband command is a function-oriented command.

5. The information handling system of claim 1 , each function-oriented sideband command further including a channel identifier field which uses an addressing scheme for function-oriented sideband commands identical to that of package sideband commands.

6. The information handling system of claim 5 , each function-oriented sideband command differentiated from a package sideband command based on at least one of a header revision field, control packet type, and function address field of the function-oriented sideband command.

7. A method comprising, in an information handling system comprising a host system having a host system processor and a device coupled to the host system processor:

providing management of the information handling system via a management controller; and

managing multiple functions instantiated on the device by communicating function-oriented sideband commands via a single sideband interface channel that comprises a Network Controller-Sideband Interface (NC-SI) channel interfaced between the device and the management controller, each function-oriented sideband command including a packet header conforming to an NC-SI standard, but in which data is stored in a portion of the header that is designated by the NC-SI standard as reserved, wherein the data includes a function address field for setting forth a function of the multiple functions to which the function-oriented sideband command is addressed, wherein the multiple functions include at least one physical function and at least one virtual function.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the device comprises a network interface.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein the device comprises a host bus adapter.

10. The method of claim 7 , each function-oriented sideband command further including a header revision field indicating that the function-oriented sideband command is a function-oriented command.

11. The method of claim 7 , each function-oriented sideband command further including a channel identifier field which uses an addressing scheme for function-oriented sideband commands identical to that of package sideband commands.

12. The method of claim 11 , each function-oriented sideband command differentiated from a package sideband command based on at least one of a header revision field, control packet type, and function address field of the function-oriented sideband command.

13. An article of manufacture comprising:

a non-transitory computer-readable medium; and

computer-executable instructions carried on the computer-readable medium, the instructions readable by a processor, the instructions, when read and executed, for causing the processor to, in an information handling system comprising a host system having a host system processor and a device coupled to the host system processor:

provide management of the information handling system via a management controller; and

manage multiple functions instantiated on the device by communicating function-oriented sideband commands via a single sideband interface channel that comprises a Network Controller-Sideband Interface (NC-SI) channel interfaced between the device and the management controller, each function-oriented sideband command including a packet header conforming to an NC-SI standard, but in which data is stored in a portion of the header that is designated by the NC-SI standard as reserved, wherein the data includes a function address field for setting forth a function of the multiple functions to which the function-oriented sideband command is addressed, wherein the multiple functions include at least one physical function and at least one virtual function.

14. The article of claim 13 , wherein the device comprises a network interface.

15. The article of claim 13 , wherein the device comprises a host bus adapter.

16. The article of claim 13 , each function-oriented sideband command further including a header revision field indicating that the function-oriented sideband command is a function-oriented command.

17. The article of claim 13 , each function-oriented sideband command further including a channel identifier field which uses an addressing scheme for function-oriented sideband commands identical to that of package sideband commands.

18. The article of claim 17 , each function-oriented sideband command differentiated from a package sideband command based on at least one of a header revision field, control packet type, and function address field of the function-oriented sideband command.