IP Library Granted Patent US 11,799,944
Granted Patent B1
US 11,799,944 · App. 18/082,068 · Granted Oct 24, 2023

Intelligent multi-path call home

Inventors: Caihong Zhang (Shanghai, CN); Fred Allison Bower, III (Durham, NC)
Assignee: Lenovo Enterprise Solutions (Singapore) Pte. Ltd.
H04L67/025H04L67/1029
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,799,944
App. No.
18/082,068
Granted
Oct 24, 2023
Kind
B1
Abstract

A method for an intelligent multi-path call home includes detecting, at a BMC, an error in a computing device managed by the BMC and sending a call home message to a management server. The computing device is one of a plurality of computing devices each with a BMC in communication with the management server. The management server is programmed to relay the call home message to a call home destination remote from the computing devices and management server. The method includes determining that the management server failed to receive the call home message and/or failed to successfully relay the call home message to the call home destination, and transmitting, from the BMC, the call home message to the call home destination in response to determining that the management server failed to receive the call home message and/or failed to successfully relay the call home message to the call home destination.

Claims (41)

1. A method comprising:

detecting, at a baseboard management controller (“BMC”), an error in a computing device managed by the BMC;

sending, from the BMC, a call home message to a management server, the computing device comprising one of a plurality of computing devices each with a BMC in communication with the management server, wherein the management server is programmed to relay the call home message to a call home destination remote from the computing devices and management server;

determining, at the BMC, that the management server failed to receive the call home message and/or failed to successfully relay the call home message to the call home destination; and

transmitting, from the BMC, the call home message to the call home destination in response to determining that the management server failed to receive the call home message and/or failed to successfully relay the call home message to the call home destination.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining that the management server failed to receive the call home message and/or failed to successfully relay the call home message to the call home destination comprises the BMC determining that transmission of the call home message to the management server failed.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining that the management server failed to receive the call home message and/or failed to successfully relay the call home message to the call home destination comprises the BMC failing to receive a message from the management server that the call home message was successfully relayed to the call home destination.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein transmitting, from the BMC, the call home message to the call home destination comprises transmitting the call home message independent from the management server.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein transmitting, from the BMC, the call home message to the call home destination comprises transmitting the call home message to a proxy, wherein the proxy relays the call home message to the call home destination.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein transmitting, from the BMC, the call home message to the call home destination comprises transmitting the call home message to a router in communication with the call home destination.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising receiving, at the BMC, call home instructions from the management server, wherein the call home instructions comprise an address of the call home destination, instructions for transmitting the call home message independent from the management server, and/or code to install the call home instructions on the BMC.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the BMC communicates with the management server and the call home destination over a management network separate from a network used by the computing devices to transmit data.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the BMC comprises a first BMC, the management server comprises a first management server of a plurality of first management servers and wherein a second management server is in communication with each of the first management servers, each first management server in communication with a plurality of BMCs, each within a computing device:

wherein the first management server in communication with the first BMC relays the call home message received from the first BMC to the second management server and the second management server relays the call home message to the call home destination,

wherein determining, at the first BMC, that the management server failed to receive the call home message and/or failed to successfully relay the call home message to the call home destination comprises determining that the first management server and/or the second management server failed to receive the call home message, and/or the second management server failed to successfully relay the call home message to the call home destination.

10. An apparatus comprising:

a processor; and

non-transitory computer readable storage media storing code, the code

being executable by the processor to perform operations comprising:

detecting, at a baseboard management controller (“BMC”), an error in a computing device managed by the BMC;

sending, from the BMC, a call home message to a management server, the computing device comprising one of a plurality of computing devices each with a BMC in communication with the management server, wherein the management server is programmed to relay the call home message to a call home destination remote from the computing devices and management server;

determining, at the BMC, that the management server failed to receive the call home message and/or failed to successfully relay the call home message to the call home destination; and

transmitting, from the BMC, the call home message to the call home destination in response to determining that the management server failed to receive the call home message and/or failed to successfully relay the call home message to the call home destination.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein determining that the management server failed to receive the call home message and/or failed to successfully relay the call home message to the call home destination comprises the BMC determining that transmission of the call home message to the management server failed.

12. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein determining that the management server failed to receive the call home message and/or failed to successfully relay the call home message to the call home destination comprises the BMC failing to receive a message from the management server that the call home message was successfully relayed to the call home destination.

13. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein transmitting, from the BMC, the call home message to the call home destination comprises transmitting the call home message independent from the management server.

14. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein transmitting, from the BMC, the call home message to the call home destination comprises transmitting the call home message to a proxy, wherein the proxy relays the call home message to the call home destination.

15. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein transmitting, from the BMC, the call home message to the call home destination comprises transmitting the call home message to a router in communication with the call home destination.

16. The apparatus of claim 10 , the operations further comprising receiving, at the BMC, call home instructions from the management server, wherein the call home instructions comprise an address of the call home destination, instructions for transmitting the call home message independent from the management server, and/or code to install the call home instructions on the BMC.

17. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the BMC comprises a first BMC, the management server comprises a first management server of a plurality of first management servers and wherein a second management server is in communication with each of the first management servers, each first management server in communication with a plurality of BMCs, each within a computing device:

wherein the first management server in communication with the first BMC relays the call home message received from the first BMC to the second management server and the second management server relays the call home message to the call home destination,

wherein determining, at the first BMC, that the management server failed to receive the call home message and/or failed to successfully relay the call home message to the call home destination comprises determining that the first management server and/or the second management server failed to receive the call home message, and/or the second management server failed to successfully relay the call home message to the call home destination.

18. A program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing code, the code being configured to be executable by a processor to perform operations comprising:

detecting, at a baseboard management controller (“BMC”), an error in a computing device managed by the BMC;

sending, from the BMC, a call home message to a management server, the computing device comprising one of a plurality of computing devices each with a BMC in communication with the management server, wherein the management server is programmed to relay the call home message to a call home destination remote from the computing devices and management server;

determining, at the BMC, that the management server failed to receive the call home message and/or failed to successfully relay the call home message to the call home destination; and

transmitting, from the BMC, the call home message to the call home destination in response to determining that the management server failed to receive the call home message and/or failed to successfully relay the call home message to the call home destination.

19. The program product of claim 18 , wherein determining that the management server failed to receive the call home message and/or failed to successfully relay the call home message to the call home destination comprises:

the BMC determining that transmission of the call home message to the management server failed; and/or

the BMC failing to receive a message from the management server that the call home message was successfully relayed to the call home destination.

20. The program product of claim 18 , wherein transmitting, from the BMC, the call home message to the call home destination comprises transmitting the call home message to a proxy, wherein the proxy relays the call home message to the call home destination.

Assignments (4)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 20, 2025
From: LENOVO ENTERPRISE SOLUTIONS (SINGAPORE) PTE LTD.
To: LENOVO GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES INTERNATIONAL LTD.
Reel/Frame 070267/0177 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 20, 2025
From: LENOVO GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES INTERNATIONAL LIMITED
To: LENOVO GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES SWITZERLAND INTERNATIONAL GMBH
Reel/Frame 070269/0207 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 6, 2023
From: LENOVO GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY (UNITED STATES) INC.
To: LENOVO ENTERPRISE SOLUTIONS (SINGAPORE) PTE LTD.
Reel/Frame 064298/0335 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 22, 2022
From: ZHANG, CAIHONG; BOWER, FRED ALLISON, III
To: LENOVO GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY (UNITED STATES) INC.
Reel/Frame 062191/0281 →