US-12627555-B2 - Device lockdown remediation in enterprise labs

US12627555B2US 12627555 B2US12627555 B2US 12627555B2US-12627555-B2

Abstract

A method for providing a backup connection to a computing device for remediation after detecting network connection loss includes determining that a computing device has lost a network connection to an off-site management server. The method includes establishing a backup connection to a local server in response to determining that the computing device has lost connection to the off-site management server. The backup connection is a wired connection or a wireless connection and the local server is located on-site with the computing device. The method includes diagnosing, using a connectivity problem tool executing at least partially on the local server, a problem with connectivity between the computing device and the off-site management server, identifying, using the connectivity problem tool, one or more solutions directed at restoring connectivity between the computing device and the off-site management server, and executing the one or more solutions.

Inventors

Shyam Sareen
Rod D. Waltermann

Assignees

LENOVO ENTERPRISE SOLUTIONS (SINGAPORE) PTE. LTD.

Dates

Publication Date: 20260512
Application Date: 20231120

Claims (20)

1 . A method comprising: determining that a computing device has lost a network connection to an off-site management server, the off-site management server located at a different location than the computing device; establishing a backup connection to a local server in response to determining that the computing device has lost connection to the off-site management server, the backup connection comprising one of a wired connection and a wireless connection, the local server located on-site with the computing device; diagnosing, using a connectivity problem tool executing at least partially on the local server, a cause of a problem with connectivity between the computing device and the off-site management server; identifying, in response to the diagnosis of the cause of the problem with the connectivity and using the connectivity problem tool, one or more solutions directed at restoring connectivity between the computing device and the off-site management server; and executing the one or more solutions.
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the connectivity problem tool uses a machine learning algorithm to diagnose the problem with connectivity between the computing device and the off-site management server and to identify the one or more solutions.
3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the machine learning algorithm uses data from a plurality of computing devices, the data gathered during a training phase, the data comprising conditions related to connectivity between the computing devices and a corresponding off-site management server connected over a network and/or one or more solutions used to resolve the connectivity between the plurality of computing devices and the corresponding off-site management server.
4 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the machine learning algorithm uses data from diagnosing the problem with the connectivity between the computing device and the off-site management server and/or results from executing the one or more solutions in an operational phase to revise the machine learning algorithm.
5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein, in response to a failure of the one or more solutions restoring connectivity between the computing device and the off-site management server, further comprising transmitting an alert to a system administrator over a secondary connection.
6 . The method of claim 5 , further comprising, in response to the transmission of the alert, receiving input from a system administrator to manually restore the connectivity between the computing device and the off-site management server, wherein a manual repair command in response to the input is received over the backup connection.
7 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the secondary connection comprises a network different from the network connection between the computing device and the off-site management server.
8 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising execution, by the computing device, of a preliminary solution to restore loss of connectivity between the computing device and the off-site management server prior to establishing the backup connection, wherein establishing the backup connection is in response to a failure of the execution of the preliminary solution.
9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the network connection between the computing device and the off-site management server is between a management controller within the computing device and the off-site management server and/or is over a management network separate from a data network used by the computing device to send and receive data from a client.
10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein determining that the computing device has lost the network connection to the off-site management server comprises determining that the computing device has lost a network connection between a management controller within the computing device and the off-site management server over a management network and has lost a connection between the computing device and a client over a data network.
11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein diagnosing the problem with the connectivity between the computing device and the off-site management server comprises at least two of a group consisting of: determining that the computing device is not security compliant; determining that computing resources of the computing device are used for excessive out-of-band network communications; determining that the computing device is under attack by a computer virus; determining that the network connection is not operational; and determining that a hardware device in the computing device is not functioning properly.
12 . An apparatus comprising: a connectivity problem tool executing at least partially on a local server comprising: a backup connection receiver module configured to receive a backup connection to a local server in response to determining that a computing device has lost connection to an off-site management server, the backup connection comprising one of a wired connection and a wireless connection, the off-site management server located at a different location than the computing device, the local server located on-site with the computing device; a diagnosis module configured to diagnose a cause of a problem with connectivity between the computing device and the off-site management server; and a solution module configured to identify, in response to the diagnosis of the cause of the problem with the connectivity, one or more solutions directed at restoring connectivity between the computing device and the off-site management server; and a solution execution module configured to execute the one or more solutions, wherein said modules comprise hardware circuits, a programmable hardware device, and/or executable code, the executable code stored on computer readable storage media.
13 . The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the connectivity problem tool uses a machine learning algorithm to diagnose the problem with connectivity between the computing device and the off-site management server and to identify the one or more solutions.
14 . The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the machine learning algorithm uses data from a plurality of computing devices, the data gathered during a training phase, the data comprising conditions related to connectivity between the computing devices and a corresponding off-site management server connected over a network and/or one or more solutions used to resolve the connectivity between the plurality of computing devices and the corresponding off-site management server.
15 . The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the machine learning algorithm uses data from diagnosing the problem with the connectivity between the computing device and the off-site management server and/or results from executing the one or more solutions in an operational phase to revise the machine learning algorithm.
16 . The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the computing device comprises a monitoring apparatus comprising: a connection module configured to determine that the computing device has lost the network connection to the off-site management server; a backup connection module configured to establishing the backup connection to the local server in response to determining that the computing device has lost connection to the off-site management server; and/or a preliminary solution module configured to execute, on the computing device, a preliminary solution to restore loss of connectivity between the computing device and the off-site management server prior to establishing the backup connection, wherein establishing the backup connection is in response to a failure of the execution of the preliminary solution.
17 . The apparatus of claim 12 , further comprising: an alert module configured to, in response to a failure of the one or more solutions restoring connectivity between the computing device and the off-site management server, transmit an alert to a system administrator over a secondary connection; and/or a manual repair module configured to, in response to the transmission of the alert, receive input from a system administrator to manually restore the connectivity between the computing device and the off-site management server, wherein a manual repair command in response to the input is received over the backup connection.
18 . The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the network connection between the computing device and the off-site management server is between a management controller within the computing device and the off-site management server and/or is over a management network separate from a data network used by the computing device to send and receive data from a client.
19 . 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: receiving, using a connectivity problem tool, a backup connection to a local server in response to determining that a computing device has lost connection to an off-site management server, the backup connection comprising one of a wired connection and a wireless connection, the off-site management server located at a different location than the computing device, the local server located on-site with the computing device; diagnosing, using the connectivity problem tool executing at least partially on the local server, a cause of a problem with connectivity between the computing device and the off-site management server; identifying, in response to the diagnosis of the cause of the problem with the connectivity using the connectivity problem tool, one or more solutions directed at restoring connectivity between the computing device and the off-site management server; and executing the one or more solutions.
20 . The program product of claim 19 , wherein the connectivity problem tool uses a machine learning algorithm to diagnose the problem with connectivity between the computing device and the off-site management server and to identify the one or more solutions and wherein the machine learning algorithm uses data from a plurality of computing devices, the data gathered during a training phase, the data comprising conditions related to connectivity between the computing devices and a corresponding off-site management server connected over a network and/or one or more solutions used to resolve the connectivity between the plurality of computing devices and the corresponding off-site management server.

Description

FIELD The subject matter disclosed herein relates to access to computing devices and more particularly relates to providing a backup connection to computing devices for remediation after detecting network connection loss. BACKGROUND In environments where a computing device is connected to an off-site management server, loss of connection to the off-site management server typically requires a system administrator go to the computing device to restore connectivity between the computing device and the off-site management server. BRIEF SUMMARY A method for providing a backup connection to a computing device for remediation after detecting network connection loss includes determining that a computing device has lost a network connection to an off-site management server. The off-site management server is located at a different location than the computing device. The method includes establishing a backup connection to a local server in response to determining that the computing device has lost connection to the off-site management server, the backup connection comprising one of a wired connection and a short-range wireless connection, the local server located on-site with the computing device. The method includes diagnosing, using a connectivity problem tool executing at least partially on the local server, a problem with connectivity between the computing device and the off-site management server, identifying, using the connectivity problem tool, one or more solutions directed at restoring connectivity between the computing device and the off-site management server, and executing the one or more solutions. An apparatus for using a backup connection to a computing device for remediation after detecting network connection loss includes a backup connection receiver module configured to receive a backup connection to a local server in response to determining that a computing device has lost connection to an off-site management server. The backup connection includes a wired connection or a wireless connection, the off-site management server located at a different location than the computing device, and the local server is located on-site with the computing device. The apparatus includes a connectivity problem tool executing at least partially on the local server that includes a diagnosis module configured to diagnose a problem with connectivity between the computing device and the off-site management server and a solution module configured to identify one or more solutions directed at restoring connectivity between the computing device and the off-site management server. The apparatus includes a solution execution module configured to execute the one or more solutions. The modules include hardware circuits, a programmable hardware device, and/or executable code. The executable code is stored on computer readable storage media. A program product for using a backup connection to a computing device for remediation after detecting network connection loss includes a non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing code. The code is configured to be executable by a processor to perform operations that include receiving, using a connectivity problem tool, a backup connection to a local server in response to determining that a computing device has lost connection to an off-site management server. The backup connection includes a wired connection or a wireless connection, the off-site management server located at a different location than the computing device, and the local server is located on-site with the computing device. The operations include diagnosing, using the connectivity problem tool executing at least partially on the local server, a problem with connectivity between the computing device and the off-site management server and identifying, using the connectivity problem tool, one or more solutions directed at restoring connectivity between the computing device and the off-site management server. The operations include executing the one or more solutions. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS A more particular description of the embodiments briefly described above will be rendered by reference to specific embodiments that are illustrated in the appended drawings. Understanding that these drawings depict only some embodiments and are not therefore to be considered to be limiting of scope, the embodiments will be described and explained with additional specificity and detail through the use of the accompanying drawings, in which: FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram illustrating a system for providing a backup connection to a computing device for remediation after detecting network connection loss, according to various embodiments; FIG. 2 is a schematic block diagram illustrating a server with a hypervisor and virtual machines, according to various embodiments; FIG. 3A is a schematic block diagram illustrating a system with a monitoring apparatus during normal operation, according to various embodiments; FIG. 3B is