IP Library Granted Patent US 11,340,991
Granted Patent B2
US 11,340,991 · App. 16/787,591 · Granted May 24, 2022

Time keeping system and method therefor

Inventors: Timothy M. Lambert (Austin, TX); Elie Jreij (Pflugerville, TX); Jeffrey Kennedy (Austin, TX); Akkiah Choudary Maddukuri (Austin, TX)
Assignee: Dell Products L.P.
G06F11/1417G06F1/14G06F11/3476G06F13/4282
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,340,991
App. No.
16/787,591
Granted
May 24, 2022
Kind
B2
Abstract

A method may include initializing operation of a baseboard management controller at an information handling system. The baseboard management controller includes a real time clock. The method further includes receiving clock information from a real time clock circuit included at a field programmable gate array. The clock information at the real time clock at the baseboard management controller can be updated with the clock information received from the real time clock circuit included at the field programmable gate array.

Claims (54)

1. A method comprising:

initializing operation of a baseboard management controller (BMC) at an information handling system, the BMC including a first real time clock (RTC);

receiving clock information from a second RTC included at a field programmable gate array (FPGA);

updating the first RTC with the clock information received from the second RTC;

receive clock information from a host RTC during initialization of the information handling system; and

periodically update the second RTC at the FPGA with the clock time information maintained at the first RTC.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving a first indication at the FPGA that power at the information handling system is interrupted; and

copying the clock information from the second RTC to a non-volatile memory device.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:

receiving a second indication at the FPGA that power at the information handling system is restored following the interruption; and

copying the clock information from the non-volatile memory device to the second RTC.

4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising incrementing count registers at the second RTC periodically to update the clock information at the second RTC after the copying of the clock information from the non-volatile memory device.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

updating the first RTC with the clock information received from the host RTC.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising incrementing the clock information at the first RTC periodically so that the first RTC maintains a representation of present time.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising updating the second RTC at the FPGA periodically with present time information at the first RTC.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising associating an event log entry generated by the BMC with the clock information maintained at the first RTC following the updating of the first RTC with the clock information received from the second RTC.

9. An information handling system comprising:

a host real time clock (RTC) to maintain an indication of present time;

a field programmable gate array (FPGA); and

a baseboard management controller (BMC) to maintain a first RTC, the BMC configured to:

initialize operation of the BMC;

receive clock information from a second RTC included at the FPGA;

update the first RTC with the clock information received from the second RTC;

receive clock information from the host RTC during initialization of the information handling system; and

periodically update the second RTC at the FPGA with the clock time information maintained at the first RTC.

10. The information handling system of claim 9 , wherein the FPGA is configured to:

receive a first indication that power at the information handling system is interrupted; and

copy the clock information from the second RTC to a non-volatile memory device.

11. The information handling system of claim 10 , wherein the FPGA is further configured to:

receive a second indication that power at the information handling system is restored following the interruption; and

copy the clock information from the non-volatile memory device to the second RTC.

12. The information handling system of claim 11 , wherein the FPGA is further configured to periodically increment count registers at the second RTC after the copying of the clock information from the non-volatile memory device, the incrementing to update the clock information at the second RTC.

13. The information handling system of claim 9 , wherein the BMC is further configured to:

updating the first RTC with the clock information received from the host RTC.

14. The information handling system of claim 13 , wherein the BMC is further configured to increment the clock information at the first RTC periodically so that the first RTC maintains a representation of present time.

15. The information handling system of claim 14 , wherein the BMC is further configured to periodically update the second RTC at the FPGA with the time information maintained at the first RTC.

16. The information handling system of claim 9 , wherein the BMC is further configured to associate an event log entry generated by the BMC with the clock information maintained at the first RTC following the updating of the first RTC with the clock information received from the second RTC.

17. An information handling system comprising:

a host real time clock (RTC) to maintain an indication of present time;

a baseboard management controller (BMC) configured to maintain clock information at a first RTC; and

a field programmable gate array (FPGA) configured to:

maintain clock information at a second RTC implemented at the FPGA; and

provide the clock information maintained at the second RTC to the BMC to update the first RTC,

wherein the BMC further to:

receive clock information from the host RTC during initialization of the information handling system; and

periodically update the second RTC at the FPGA with the clock time information maintained at the first RTC.

18. The information handling system of claim 17 , wherein the FPGA is further configured to:

receive a first indication that power at the information handling system is interrupted; and

copy the clock information from the second RTC to a non-volatile memory device.

19. The information handling system of claim 18 , wherein the FPGA is further configured to:

receive a second indication that power at the information handling system is restored following the interruption; and

copy the clock information from the non-volatile memory device to the second RTC.

Assignments (13)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL/FRAME (052851/0917) Recorded Jun 23, 2022
From: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
To: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
Reel/Frame 060436/0509 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL/FRAME (052852/0022) Recorded Jun 23, 2022
From: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
To: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
Reel/Frame 060436/0582 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL/FRAME (053311/0169) Recorded Jun 23, 2022
From: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
To: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC CORPORATION; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
Reel/Frame 060438/0742 →
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 IN PATENTS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL/FRAME (052851/0081) Recorded Jun 23, 2022
From: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
To: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
Reel/Frame 060436/0441 →
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 INTEREST Recorded Jun 5, 2020
From: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC CORPORATION; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
To: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 053311/0169 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jun 5, 2020
From: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC; THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 052851/0081 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jun 5, 2020
From: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
To: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 052851/0917 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jun 5, 2020
From: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
To: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 052852/0022 →
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 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 11, 2020
From: LAMBERT, TIMOTHY M.; JREIJ, ELIE; KENNEDY, JEFFREY; MADDUKURI, AKKIAH
To: DELL PRODUCTS, LP
Reel/Frame 051785/0604 →