IP Library Granted Patent US 10,938,821
Granted Patent B2
US 10,938,821 · App. 16/176,754 · Granted Mar 2, 2021

Remote access controller support registration system

Inventors: Sanjay Rao (Austin, TX); Divya Vijayvargiya (Cedar Park, TX)
Assignee: Dell Products L.P.
H04L63/101H04L67/1031H04L67/125H04W4/20
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,938,821
App. No.
16/176,754
Granted
Mar 2, 2021
Kind
B2
Abstract

A remote access controller support system includes a second server device that includes a second remote access controller that is coupled to a support system through an out-of-band network and coupled to a first remote access controller through a remote access controller network. The second server device registers and enrolls, using the second remote access controller and via communications through the out of-band-network, the second remote access controller with the support system by providing a second service tag. The second server device retrieves, using the second remote access controller and via communications with the first remote access controller through the remote access controller network, a first service tag from the first remote access controller and provides, using the second remote access controller and through the out of-band-network, the first service tag to the support system to enroll the first remote access controller with the support system.

Claims (55)

1. A remote access controller support system, comprising:

a support system;

a first server device that includes a first remote access controller;

a second server device that includes a second remote access controller, wherein the second remote access controller is coupled to the support system through an out-of-band network and coupled to the first remote access controller through a remote access controller network, and wherein the second server device is configured to:

register and enroll, using the second remote access controller and via communications with the support system through the out-of-band network, the second remote access controller with the support system by providing the support system with a second remote access controller service tag;

retrieve, using the second remote access controller and via communications with the first remote access controller through the remote access controller network, a first remote access controller service tag from the first remote access controller, wherein the first server device does not satisfy a registration prerequisite such that the first server device cannot use the first remote access controller and perform communications with the support system through the out-of-band network to register and enroll the first remote access controller with the support system by providing the support system with the first remote access controller service tag; and

provide, using the second remote access controller and via communications with the support system through the out-of-band network, the first remote access controller service tag to the support system to enroll the first remote access controller with the support system.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the second server device is configured to:

determine, prior to the registering of the second remote access controller with the support system, that the second remote access controller has satisfied at least one registration prerequisite.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the at least one registration prerequisite includes a supported operating system installed on the second server device, a remote access controller service module running on the supported operating system, and the second remote access controller being coupled to the support system through the out-of-band network.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the second server device is configured to:

provide, via the second remote access controller and through the out-of-band network to the support system, second server device support data.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the second server device is configured to:

retrieve, from the first remote access controller and through the remote access controller network, first server device support data; and

provide, via the second remote access controller and through the out-of-band network to the support system, the first server device support data.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first server device is configured to:

provide, via the first remote access controller and through the out-of-band network to the support system, first server device support data when the first remote access controller is coupled to the out-of-band network.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the second server device is configured to:

create a local cluster that includes the first remote access controller and the second remote access controller;

detect a third remote access controller being coupled to the second remote access controller via the remote access controller network;

add the third remote access controller to the local cluster;

retrieve, via communications with the third remote access controller through the remote access controller network, a third remote access controller service tag; and

provide, using the second remote access controller and via communications with the support system through the out-of-band network, the third remote access controller service tag to the support system to enroll the third remote access controller with the support system.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the second server device is configured to:

provide, in response to a support data collection event detected at least one of the second remote access controller and the third remote access controller that belong to the local cluster, second server device support data to the support system.

9. An information handling system (IHS), comprising:

a first remote access controller, wherein the first remote access controller is coupled to a support system through an out-of-band network connection and coupled to a second remote access controller that is housed by a server device through a remote access controller network connection, and wherein the first remote access controller is configured to:

register and enroll, via communications with the support system through the out-of-band network connection, the first remote access controller with the support system by providing the support system with a first service tag;

retrieve, via communications with the second remote access controller through the remote access controller network connection, a second service tag from the second remote access controller, wherein the second remote access controller does not satisfy a registration prerequisite such that the server device cannot use the second remote access controller and perform communications with the support system through the out-of-band network connection to register and enroll the second remote access controller with the support system by providing the support system with the second service tag; and

provide, via communications with the support system through the out-of-band network connection, the second service tag to the support system to enroll the second remote access controller with the support system.

10. The IHS of claim 9 , wherein the first remote access controller is configured to:

determine, prior to the registering of the first remote access controller with the support system, that the first remote access controller has satisfied at least one registration prerequisite.

11. The IHS of claim 10 , wherein the at least one registration prerequisite includes a supported operating system coupled to the first remote access controller, a remote access controller service module running on the supported operating system, and the first remote access controller being coupled to the support system through the out-of-band network connection.

12. The IHS of claim 9 , wherein the first remote access controller is configured to:

provide, through the out-of-band network connection to the support system, first server device support data.

13. The IHS of claim 9 , wherein the first remote access controller is configured to:

retrieve, from the second remote access controller and through the remote access controller network connection, second server device support data; and

provide, through the out-of-band network connection to the support system, the second server device support data.

14. The IHS of claim 9 , wherein the first remote access controller is configured to:

create a local cluster that includes the first remote access controller and the second remote access controller;

detect a third remote access controller being coupled to the first remote access controller via the remote access controller network connection;

add the third remote access controller to the local cluster;

retrieve, via communications with the third remote access controller through the remote access controller network connection, a third service tag; and

provide, via communications with the support system through the out-of-band network connection, the third service tag to the support system to enroll the third remote access controller with the support system.

15. A method of registering a remote access controller of a server device with a support system, comprising:

registering and enrolling, using a first remote access controller and via communications with a support system through an out-of-band network connection, the first remote access controller with the support system by providing the support system with a first service tag;

retrieving, using the first remote access controller and via communications with a second remote access controller through a remote access controller network connection, a second service tag from the second remote access controller, wherein the second remote access controller does not satisfy a registration prerequisite such that the second remote access controller cannot perform communications with the support system through the out-of-band network connection to register and enroll the second remote access controller with the support system by providing the support system with the second service tag; and

providing, using the first remote access controller and via communications with the support system through the out-of-band network connection, the second service tag to the support system to enroll the second remote access controller with the support system.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:

determining, prior to the registering of the first remote access controller with the support system, that the first remote access controller has satisfied at least one registration prerequisite.

17. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:

providing, using the first remote access controller and through the out-of-band network connection to the support system, first server device support data.

18. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:

retrieving, using the first remote access controller and from the second remote access controller and through the remote access controller network connection, second server device support data; and

providing, using the first remote access controller and through the out-of-band network connection to the support system, the second server device support data.

Assignments (6)
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 AT REEL 052771 FRAME 0906 Recorded Nov 2, 2021
From: CREDIT SUISSE AG, CAYMAN ISLANDS BRANCH
To: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
Reel/Frame 058001/0298 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded May 28, 2020
From: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
To: CREDIT SUISSE AG, CAYMAN ISLANDS BRANCH
Reel/Frame 052771/0906 →
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 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 31, 2018
From: RAO, SANJAY; VIJAYVARGIYA, DIVYA
To: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.
Reel/Frame 047374/0190 →