System and method of multiplexing communications
View Patent ↗In one or more embodiments, one or more systems, methods, and/or processes may detect commencement signals from respective backplanes. For each backplane of the backplanes, the one or more systems, methods, and/or processes may further configure a multiplexer to select a coupling associated with the backplane; may further provide, via a serial interface and the multiplexer, first information to the backplane; may further receive, via the serial interface, second information from the backplane; may further store the second information from the backplane; may further provide at least a portion of the second information to at least one of information handling system firmware, an operating system, and a boot management controller; and may further boot the operating system with the at least the portion of the second information associated with at least one of the backplanes.
1. An information handling system, comprising:
at least one processor;
a device coupled to the processor; and
a memory medium coupled to the at least one processor;
wherein the device includes a first multiplexer and a serial interface coupled to the first multiplexer;
wherein the device is configured to:
detect a plurality of commencement signals from a respective plurality of backplanes;
in response to detecting the plurality of commencement signals:
for each backplane of the plurality of backplanes:
configure the first multiplexer to select a coupling associated with the backplane;
provide, via the serial interface and the first multiplexer, first information to the backplane;
receive, via the serial interface, second information from the backplane;
store the second information from the backplane; and
provide at least a portion of the second information to at least one of information handling system firmware, an operating system, and a boot management controller; and
wherein the memory medium stores instructions executable by the at least one processor, which when executed by the at least one processor, cause the information handling system to:
boot the operating system with the at least the portion of the second information associated with at least one of the plurality of backplanes.
2. The information handling system of claim 1 , further comprising:
the boot management controller;
wherein the boot management controller is configured to provide the at least the portion of the second information associated with the at least one of the plurality of backplanes to the operating system.
3. The information handling system of claim 1 ,
wherein the operating system includes a management information exchange that includes at least one of a Windows Management Interface (WMI) and a Common Information Model (CIM);
wherein, to boot the operating system with the at least the portion of the second information associated with the at least one of the plurality of backplanes, the instructions further cause the information handling system to receive, via the at least one of the WMI and the CIM, the at least the portion of the second information associated with the at least one of the plurality of backplanes from the information handling system firmware.
4. The information handling system of claim 1 , wherein the device includes at least one of complex programmable logic device, a programmable array logic, a field programmable gate array, and an application specific integrated circuit.
5. The information handling system of claim 1 ,
wherein the device includes a second multiplexer;
wherein the serial interface is coupled to the second multiplexer; and
wherein, to receive, via the serial interface, the second information from the backplane, the device is further configured to receive, via the second multiplexer, the second information from the backplane.
6. The information handling system of claim 1 , wherein, to detect the plurality of commencement signals from the plurality of backplanes, the device is further configured to detect a plurality of RS-232 compliant break sequences from the plurality of backplanes.
7. The information handling system of claim 1 , wherein the serial interface is compliant with a universal asynchronous receiver-transmitter.
8. The information handling system of claim 1 ,
wherein the at least the portion of the second information associated with the at least one of the plurality of backplanes includes configuration information associated with a plurality of buses of the at least one of the plurality of backplanes; and
wherein, to boot the operating system with the at least the portion of the second information associated with the at least one of the plurality of backplanes, the instructions further cause the information handling system to configure the operating system to utilize the configuration information associated with the plurality of buses of the at least one of the plurality of backplanes.
9. The information handling system of claim 1 , wherein the device is further configured to:
configure the first multiplexer to select a coupling associated with a first backplane of the plurality of backplanes;
provide, via the serial interface and the first multiplexer, third information to the first backplane;
configure the first multiplexer to select a coupling associated with a second backplane of the plurality of backplanes; and
provide, via the serial interface and the first multiplexer, fourth information to the second backplane.
10. The information handling system of claim 1 , wherein the second information from the backplane includes an inventory associated with the backplane.
11. The information handling system of claim 6 ,
wherein the device further includes a plurality of break detectors that are configured to detect the plurality of RS-232 compliant break sequences; and
wherein, to detect the plurality of commencement signals from the plurality of backplanes, the device is further configured to receive a plurality of signals from the plurality of break detectors.
12. The information handling system of claim 9 ,
wherein the first backplane and the second backplane are associated with a storage array;
wherein the third information indicates that the first backplane will produce light emissions associated with a storage device of the first backplane; and
wherein the fourth information indicates that the second backplane will produce light emissions associated with a storage device of the second backplane.
13. The information handling system of claim 12 , further comprising:
at least one serializer/deserializer port coupled to the at least one processor;
wherein the instructions further cause the information handling system to configure the at least one serializer/deserializer port based at least on the inventory associated with the backplane.
14. A method, comprising:
detecting a plurality of commencement signals from a respective plurality of backplanes;
for each backplane of the plurality of backplanes:
configuring a first multiplexer to select a coupling associated with the backplane;
providing, via a serial interface and the first multiplexer, first information to the backplane;
receiving, via the serial interface, second information from the backplane;
storing the second information from the backplane; and
providing at least a portion of the second information to at least one of information handling system firmware, an operating system, and a boot management controller; and
booting the operating system with the at least the portion of the second information associated with at least one of the plurality of backplanes.
15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:
the boot management controller providing the at least the portion of the second information associated with the at least one of the plurality of backplanes to the operating system.
16. The method of claim 14 , wherein the detecting the plurality of commencement signals from the plurality of backplanes includes detecting a plurality of RS-232 compliant break sequences from the plurality of backplanes.
17. A programmable logic device, configured to:
implement a serial interface and a first multiplexer;
detect a plurality of commencement signals from a respective plurality of backplanes;
in response to detecting the plurality of commencement signals:
for each backplane of the plurality of backplanes:
configure the first multiplexer to select a coupling associated with the backplane;
provide, via the serial interface and the first multiplexer, first information to the backplane;
receive, via the serial interface, second information from the backplane;
store the second information from the backplane; and
provide at least a portion of the second information to at least one of information handling system firmware, an operating system, and a boot management controller.
18. The programmable logic device of claim 17 , wherein, to detect the plurality of commencement signals from the plurality of backplanes, the programmable logic device is further configured to detect a plurality of RS-232 compliant break sequences from the plurality of backplanes.
19. The programmable logic device of claim 18 ,
wherein the programmable logic device is further configured to implement a plurality of break detectors that are configured detect the plurality of RS-232 compliant break sequences; and
wherein, to detect the plurality of commencement signals from the plurality of backplanes, the programmable logic device is further configured to receive a plurality of signals from the plurality of break detectors.
20. The programmable logic device of claim 17 ,
wherein the programmable logic device is further configured to implement a second multiplexer; and
wherein, to receive, via the serial interface, the second information from the backplane, the programmable logic device is further configured to receive, via the second multiplexer, the second information from the backplane.