Method of adding a sensor monitoring feature of a newly-added sensor to a system monitoring feature provided by a baseboard management controller

1. A method of adding a sensor monitoring feature of at least one additional sensor that is newly installed in a computer device to a system monitoring feature that is provided by a baseboard management controller (BMC), the BMC being included in the computer device and storing a BMC firmware that contains a main program, a sensor library and a sensor data record, said method being implemented by the BMC and comprising steps of:

A) updating the sensor library to a target sensor library that includes identification information of the at least one additional sensor, and functions used to execute the sensor monitoring feature of the at least one additional sensor, each of the functions being a sequence of program instructions that is configured to perform a specific task;

B) loading the target sensor library by executing the main program;

C) determining, by executing the main program, whether the sensor data record already has the identification information of the at least one additional sensor;

D) upon determining that the sensor data record does not have the identification information of the at least one additional sensor in step C), adding the identification information of the at least one additional sensor to the sensor data record by using the main program to call a first function that is stored in the target sensor library and that is related to the at least one additional sensor; and

E) initializing function variables that are stored in the target sensor library and that are related to the at least one additional sensor by using the main program to call a second function that is stored in the target sensor library and that is related to the at least one additional sensor,

the method further comprising, between steps B) and C), a step of: F) determining, by executing the main program and based on a number of the at least one additional sensor, whether the identification information of every single one of the at least one additional sensor is allowed to be added to the sensor data record;

wherein step C) is performed only when it is determined in step F) that the identification information of every single one of the at least one additional sensor is allowed to be added to the sensor data record;

wherein the method does not include rebooting the BMC; and

wherein the method does not include re-burning the BMC firmware.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first function is a create function configured to define the sensor monitoring feature of the at least one additional sensor in the BMC firmware, and the second function is an initializing function configured to initialize the at least one additional sensor.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising a step of maintaining the sensor data record to be unchanged when it is determined in step C) that the sensor data record already has the identification information of the at least one additional sensor.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein step F) includes sub-steps of:

F-1) obtaining a total number of sensors with reference to the target sensor library and the sensor data record; and

F-2) determining whether the identification information of each of the at least one additional sensor is allowed to be added to the sensor data record by comparing the total number of sensors with a predetermined threshold number.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein sub-step F-1) includes:

obtaining, from the sensor data record, a first sensor number which is number of sensors that are already recorded in the sensor data record;

obtaining, from the target sensor library, a second sensor number which is the number of the at least one additional sensor; and

adding the first sensor number and the second sensor number together to obtain the total number of sensors.

6. The method of claim 4 , wherein, in sub-step F-2), it is determined that not the identification information of every single one of the at least one additional sensor is allowed to be added to the sensor data record when the total number of sensors is greater than the predetermined threshold number, and that the identification information of every single one of the at least one additional sensor is allowed to be added to the sensor data record when otherwise.

7. The method of claim 4 , further comprising:

upon determining in sub-step F-2) that not the identification information of every single one of the at least one additional sensor is allowed to be added to the sensor data record, maintaining the sensor data record to be unchanged.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein, in step B), the BMC executes the main program to load the target sensor library in response to an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) command received thereby.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein step B) includes triggering the main program to create a task in response to the OEM command;

wherein, in step D), the BMC uses the task created by the main program to call the first function; and

wherein, in step E), the BMC uses the task created by the main program to call the second function.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein step C) is performed by executing the task created by the main program.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein, in step B), the BMC automatically executes the main program to load the target sensor library when the BMC is being powered on.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein, in step B), the BMC automatically executes the main program to load the target sensor library.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the BMC performs steps D) and E) by executing a function of the main program.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein, in step B), the BMC loads the target sensor library in response to an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) command received thereby, step B) includes triggering the main program to create a task in response to the OEM command, and, in step C), the BMC uses the task created by the main program to call the first function.