US-12619443-B2 - Systems and methods for shared and scalable display controller without peripheral component interconnect interface

US12619443B2US 12619443 B2US12619443 B2US 12619443B2US-12619443-B2

Abstract

An information handling system may include a host system configured to boot an operating system and a management controller communicatively coupled to the host system and configured to provide management facilities for management of the host system. The management controller may further configured to, during a power-on/self-test of the host system, in concert with a basic input/output system of the host system, perform a handshake to transition a port of the information handling system from a host system-owned port to a management controller-owned port and take ownership of the port for redirection of input to a serial console of the management controller.

Inventors

Jeffrey L. Kennedy
Timothy M. Lambert

Assignees

DELL PRODUCTS L.P.

Dates

Publication Date: 20260505
Application Date: 20240528

Claims (19)

1 . An information handling system comprising: a host system configured to boot an operating system; and a management controller communicatively coupled to the host system and configured to provide management facilities for management of the host system, the management controller further configured to, during a power-on/self-test of the host system: in concert with a basic input/output system of the host system, perform a handshake to transition a port of the information handling system from a host system-owned port to a management controller-owned port such that the management controller takes ownership of the port to detect and redirect input from the port to a port of a serial console of the management controller that receives the input.
2 . The information handling system of claim 1 , wherein the port is a Universal Serial Bus Port.
3 . The information handling system of claim 1 , wherein the input is a keyboard input.
4 . The information handling system of claim 1 , wherein the management controller is configured to display video output to a display device coupled to the information handling system during three different host states of the host system.
5 . The information handling system of claim 4 , wherein the three different host states of the host system are a first state in which the host system is off, a second state in which the host system is booting to the operating system, and a third state in which the host system is in operating system runtime.
6 . The information handling system of claim 5 , wherein: in the first state, the management controller writes to a frame buffer memory in order to display management control messages to the display device; in the second state, the management controller converts incoming serial text from the host system into a character buffer of the frame buffer memory in order to display serial text to the display device; and in the third state, the management controller virtualizes an emulated video device to the host system, and in response to communication of video output from the host system to the emulated video device, displays the video output to the display device via the port.
7 . A method comprising, in an information handling system comprising a host system configured to boot an operating system and a management controller communicatively coupled to the host system and configured to provide management facilities for management of the host system, the method comprising: during a power-on/self-test of the host system: in concert with a basic input/output system of the host system, performing, by the management controller, a handshake to transition a port of the information handling system from a host system-owned port to a management controller-owned port such that the management controller takes ownership of the port to detect and redirect input from the port to a port of a serial console of the management controller that receives the input.
8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the port is a Universal Serial Bus Port.
9 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the input is a keyboard input.
10 . The method of claim 7 , further comprising displaying, by the management controller, video output to a display device coupled to the information handling system during three different host states of the host system.
11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the three different host states of the host system are a first state in which the host system is off, a second state in which the host system is booting to the operating system, and a third state in which the host system is in operating system runtime.
12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein: in the first state, the management controller writes to a frame buffer memory in order to display management control messages to the display device; in the second state, the management controller converts incoming serial text from the host system into a character buffer of the frame buffer memory in order to display serial text to the display device; and in the third state, the management controller virtualizes an emulated video device to the host system, and in response to communication of video output from the host system to the emulated video device, displays the video output to the display device via the port.
13 . An article of manufacture comprising: a non-transitory computer-readable medium; and computer-executable instructions carried on the computer-readable medium, the instructions readable by a processor, the instructions, when read and executed, for causing the processor to, in a management controller communicatively coupled to a host system and configured to provide management facilities for management of the host system: during a power-on/self-test of the host system: in concert with a basic input/output system of the host system, perform a handshake to transition a port of an information handling system that includes the host system and the management controller from a host system-owned port to a management controller-owned port such that the management controller takes ownership of the port to detect and redirect input from the port to a port of a serial console of the management controller that receives the input.
14 . The article of claim 13 , wherein the port is a Universal Serial Bus Port.
15 . The article of claim 13 , wherein the input is a keyboard input.
16 . The article of claim 13 , the instructions for further causing the management controller to display video output to a display device coupled to the information handling system during three different host states of the host system.
17 . The article of claim 16 , wherein the three different host states of the host system are a first state in which the host system is off, a second state in which the host system is booting to the operating system, and a third state in which the host system is in operating system runtime.
18 . The article of claim 17 , wherein: the first state, the management controller writes to a frame buffer memory in order to display management control messages to the display device; in the second state, the management controller converts incoming serial text from the host system into a character buffer of the frame buffer memory in order to display serial text to the display device; and in the third state, the management controller virtualizes an emulated video device to the host system, and in response to communication of video output from the host system to the emulated video device, displays the video output to the display device via the port.
19 . A method comprising, in an information handling system comprising a host system configured to boot an operating system and a management controller communicatively coupled to the host system and configured to provide management facilities for management of the host system: displaying, by the management controller, video output to a display device coupled to the information handling system during: a first state in which the host system is off, wherein the management controller writes to a frame buffer memory in order to display management control messages to the display device; a second state in which the host system is booting to the operating system, wherein the management controller: converts incoming serial text from the host system into a character buffer of the frame buffer memory in order to display setup menus and pre-operating system environments to the display device; and detects and redirects input from a port of the information handling system to a port of a serial console of the management controller that receives the input; and a third state in which the host system is in operating system runtime, wherein the management controller virtualizes an emulated video device to the host system, and in response to communication of video output from the host system to the emulated video device, displays the video output to the display device via the port.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present disclosure relates in general to information handling systems, and more particularly to methods and systems for providing a shared and scalable display controller without a peripheral component interconnect (PCI) interface. BACKGROUND As the value and use of information continues to increase, individuals and businesses seek additional ways to process and store information. One option available to users is information handling systems. An information handling system generally processes, compiles, stores, and/or communicates information or data for business, personal, or other purposes thereby allowing users to take advantage of the value of the information. Because technology and information handling needs and requirements vary between different users or applications, information handling systems may also vary regarding what information is handled, how the information is handled, how much information is processed, stored, or communicated, and how quickly and efficiently the information may be processed, stored, or communicated. The variations in information handling systems allow for information handling systems to be general or configured for a specific user or specific use such as financial transaction processing, airline reservations, enterprise data storage, or global communications. In addition, information handling systems may include a variety of hardware and software components that may be configured to process, store, and communicate information and may include one or more computer systems, data storage systems, and networking systems. Dense computing architectures (e.g., a server rack having multiple modular information handling systems) may benefit significantly from multi-node management using a single management controller. Using traditional approaches, a management controller (e.g., a baseboard management controller) may require a Peripheral Component Interconenct Express (PCIe) endpoint within the application-specific integrated circuit for each host node managed by the management controller for the purpose of a video controller function. Integrated circuit die area and input/output pins available on a management controller may not be able to scale to many host nodes. Further, licensing costs for video controllers may be very expensive and may be required for each independent node which is managed. SUMMARY In accordance with the teachings of the present disclosure, the disadvantages and problems associated with existing approaches for providing video control in an information handling system may be reduced or eliminated. In accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure, an information handling system may include a host system configured to boot an operating system and a management controller communicatively coupled to the host system and configured to provide management facilities for management of the host system. The management controller may further configured to, during a power-on/self-test of the host system, in concert with a basic input/output system of the host system, perform a handshake to transition a port of the information handling system from a host system-owned port to a management controller-owned port and take ownership of the port for redirection of input to a serial console of the management controller. In accordance with these and other embodiments of the present disclosure, a method may be provided for use in an information handling system comprising a host system configured to boot an operating system and a management controller communicatively coupled to the host system and configured to provide management facilities for management of the host system. The method may include during a power-on/self-test of the host system, in concert with a basic input/output system of the host system, performing, by the management controller, a handshake to transition a port of the information handling system from a host system-owned port to a management controller-owned port, and taking ownership, by the management controller, of the port for redirection of input to a serial console of the management controller. In accordance with these and other embodiments of the present disclosure, an article of manufacture may include a non-transitory computer-readable medium and computer-executable instructions carried on the computer-readable medium, the instructions readable by a processor, the instructions, when read and executed, for causing the processor to, in a management controller communicatively coupled to the host system and configured to provide management facilities for management of the host system and during a power-on/self-test of the host system, in concert with a basic input/output system of the host system, perform a handshake to transition a port of an information handling system that includes the host system and the management controller from a host system-owned port to a management controller-owned port, and take ownership, by the management