Patent Application
20130166896
1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to a management system for a network card.
2. Description of Related Art
A server includes a plurality of components, such as a basic input/output system (BIOS) and a baseboard management controller (BMC), to perform certain functions. The BIOS does a power-on self test when the server is powered on, to determine whether the components are normal or not. The BMC is employed to take observation on the performance of the server, and enables a user to control the server remotely. The server can be controlled remotely on the condition that an internet protocol (IP) address is predefined through the BIOS. The user, then, could access the BMC of the server by using the IP address. However, if the BIOS needs to be reset, the network chip is also reset at the same time. Thus, the communication between the BMC and the user will be interrupted, and data may be lost, which could decrease the stability of the server.
Therefore, there is room for improvement in the art.
Many aspects of the present disclosure can be better understood with reference to the following drawing. The components in the drawing are not necessarily drawn to scale, the emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present disclosure. Moreover, in the drawing, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the view.
The FIGURE is a block diagram of an embodiment of a management system for a network card of the present disclosure.
The FIGURE illustrates an embodiment of a management system 80 of the present disclosure. The management system 80 is used to control communication between a baseboard management controller (BMC) 40 and a basic input/output (I/O) system (BIOS) 60 coupled to a platform controller hub (PCH) 50. The management system 80 includes a network chip 10, a switch unit 20 coupled to the network chip 10, and a control unit 30 coupled to the switch unit 20. In the embodiment, the BMC 40 is coupled to the network chip 10, and the PCH 50 is coupled to the network chip 10 through the switch unit 20. The BMC 40 can be accessed by a user through a network port 70 and the network chip 10 in that order.
The control unit 30 is used to output a control signal. In the embodiment, the control unit 30 includes a jumper apparatus 300. The jumper apparatus 300 includes a base 302 and a jumper block 301. The base 302 includes a first pin 1, a second pin 2, and a third pin 3. The first pin 1 is coupled to a power terminal VCC, the second pin 2 is coupled to the switch unit 20 to control the switch unit 20 to turn on or turn off, and the third pin 3 is grounded. The jumper block 301 is selectively connected to the pin 2 and one of the first and third pins 1 and 3. When the jumper block 301 is connected to the first pin 1 and the second pin 2 of the base 302, the control unit 30 outputs a first control signal, such as a logic 1, to the switch unit 20. When the jumper block 301 is connected to the second pin 2 and the third pin 3, the control unit 30 outputs a second control signal, such as logic 0, to the switch unit 20.
In the embodiment, the switch unit 20 includes a first I/O pin 11, a second I/O pin 12, a third I/O pin 13, and a fourth I/O pin 14. The first I/O pin 11 is coupled to the PCH 50, the second I/O pin 12 is idle, the third I/O pin 13 is coupled to the network chip 10, and the fourth I/O pin 14 is connected to the second pin 2 of the base 302, to receive the control signal. The switch unit 20 controls the connection between the first I/O pin 11 and the third I/O pin 13 according to the control signal output by the control unit 30. When the control signal received by the switch unit 20 from the fourth I/O pin 14 is the first control signal, the first I/O pin 11 is connected to the third I/O pin 13, and when the control signal received by the switch unit 20 is the second control signal, the first I/O pin 11 is disconnected from the third I/O pin 13.
In a normal state, the jumper block 301 is connected to the first pin 1 and the second pin 2 of the base 302. In that way, the control unit 30 outputs the first control signal, and the switch unit 20 enables the first I/O pin 11 to connect the third I/O pin 13 in response to receiving the first control signal. Thus, the BIOS 60 can communicate with the network chip 10 through the PCH 50 and the switch unit 20 in that order.
When the BIOS 60 is reset, the jumper block 301 is connected to the second pin 2 and the third pin 3 of the base 302. The control unit 30 outputs the second control signal. The switch unit 20 disables the connection between the first I/O pin 11 and the third I/O pin 13, to protect the network chip 10 from being reset. Accordingly, the communication between the BMC 40 and the user will not be interrupted when the BIOS 60 is reset.
While the disclosure has been described by way of example and in terms of preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that the disclosure is not limited thereto. To the contrary, it is intended to cover various modifications and similar arrangements as would be apparent to those skilled in the art. Therefore, the range of the appended claims should be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and similar arrangements.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 201110437427.4 | Dec 2011 | CN | national |
