Methods, systems, and computer readable mediums for identifying components of a computing system

1. A method for identifying a component of a computing system, the method comprising:

starting a component with a custom basic input/output system (BIOS) extension that responds to an identification information request with identification information;

receiving, while the component is in a low power state, a request for identification information about the component from a requesting entity; and

after receiving the request for the identification information, the custom BIOS extension triggers a change in power state of the component prior to sending, by the component, the identification information about the component to the requesting entity.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the request includes at least one member selected from a group consisting of a network message, an Ethernet message, an Ethernet packet, an Ethernet frame, an Internet protocol (IP) packet, a transmission control protocol (TCP) packet, a user datagram protocol (UDP) packet, a magic packet, an identification on local area network (IDOL) message, a wake on wireless local area network (WoWLAN) message, and a wake on local area network (WOL) message.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the request triggers the component to change from the low power state to a higher power state.

4. The method of claim 1 comprising determining whether the request is authorized prior to sending the identification information.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein determining whether the request is authorized includes determining whether the request originates from at least one member selected from a group consisting of an authorized entity, an authorized location, and an authorized device.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the identification information about the component includes at least one member selected from a group consisting of a system metric, a serial number, a component identifier (ID), a globally unique ID (GUID), a version number, a release number, a purchase order ID, a current user, and a location.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the component includes at least one member selected from a group consisting of a converged infrastructure system (CIS), a computing platform, a computing device, a virtual machine, a hypervisor, a compute component, a network component, a storage component, software, an operating system, firmware, hardware, a physical resource, and a virtual resource.

8. A system for identifying a component of a computing system, the system comprising:

a component that is in a low power state, wherein the component is started with a custom basic input/output system (BIOS) extension that responds to an identification information request with identification information, wherein after receiving the request for the identification information, the custom BIOS extension triggers a change in power state of the component prior to the identification information being sent, the component comprising:

memory; and

an identification module implementing using the memory and a processor, wherein the identification module is configured to receive, while the component is in a low power state, a request for identification information about the component from a requesting entity and after receiving the request for the identification information, to send the identification information about the component to the requesting entity.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein the request includes at least one member selected from a group consisting of a network message, an Ethernet message, an Ethernet packet, an Ethernet frame, an Internet protocol (IP) packet, a transmission control protocol (TCP) packet, a user datagram protocol (UDP) packet, a magic packet, an identification on local area network (IDOL) message, a wake on wireless local area network (WoWLAN) message, and a wake on local area network (WOL) message.

10. The system of claim 8 wherein the component is configured to change from the low power state to a higher power state in response to receiving the request.

11. The system of claim 8 wherein the component is configured to determine whether the request is authorized prior to sending the identification information.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the component is configured to determine whether the request is authorized by determining whether the request originates from at least one member selected from a group consisting of an authorized entity, an authorized location, and an authorized device.

13. The system of claim 8 wherein the identification information about the component includes at least one member selected from a group consisting of a system metric, a serial number, a component identifier (ID), a globally unique ID (GUID), a version number, a release number, a purchase order ID, a current user, and a location.

14. The system of claim 8 wherein the component includes at least one member selected from a group consisting of a converged infrastructure system (CIS), a computing platform, a computing device, a virtual machine, a hypervisor, a compute component, a network component, a storage component, software, an operating system, firmware, hardware, a physical resource, and a virtual resource.

15. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon executable instructions which, when executed by a processor of a computer, cause the computer to perform steps comprising:

starting a component with a custom basic input/output system (BIOS) extension that responds to an identification information request with identification information;

receiving, while the component is in a low power state, a request for identification information about the component from a requesting entity; and

after receiving the request for the identification information, the custom BIOS extension triggers a change in power state of the component prior to sending, by the component, the identification information about the component to the requesting entity.

16. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15 wherein the request includes at least one member selected from a group consisting of a network message, an Ethernet message, an Ethernet packet, an Ethernet frame, an Internet protocol (IP) packet, a transmission control protocol (TCP) packet, a user datagram protocol (UDP) packet, a magic packet, an identification on local area network (IDOL) message, a wake on wireless local area network (WoWLAN) message, and a wake on local area network (WOL) message and wherein the request triggers the component to change from the low power state to a higher power state.

17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15 comprising determining whether the request is authorized prior to sending the identification information.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17 wherein determining whether the request is authorized includes determining whether the request originates from at least one member selected from a group consisting of an authorized entity, an authorized location, and an authorized device.

19. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15 wherein the identification information about the component includes at least one member selected from a group consisting of a system metric, a serial number, a component identifier (ID), a globally unique ID (GUID), a version number, a release number, a purchase order ID, a current user, and a location.

20. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15 wherein the component includes at least one member selected from a group consisting of a converged infrastructure system (CIS), a computing platform, a computing device, a virtual machine, a hypervisor, a compute component, a network component, a storage component, software, an operating system, firmware, hardware, a physical resource, and a virtual resource.