Baseboard-management-controller storage module

Abstract

A system including a baseboard management controller (BMC) and a socket is described. The BMC is configured to provide a management interface to a network device. The socket is configured to accept an edge connector of a removable storage card. The BMC is configured to access via the socket at least a portion of the firmware of the BMC stored on the removable storage card.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system, comprising:
 a baseboard management controller (BMC) configured to provide a management interface to a network device; and   a circuit board including a socket configured to accept an edge connector of a removable storage card, wherein the BMC is embedded on the circuit board and configured to access via the socket at least one of security credentials or sensitive data for the BMC stored on the removable storage card.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the removable storage card includes:
 at least one flash memory device.   
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the at least one flash memory devices stored the portion of the firmware. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the BMC receives data for the network device, the BMC storing the data on the removable storage card. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein the data includes at least one of temperature data, network device power data, humidity data and accelerometer data. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein the removable storage card circularly stores the data. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the removable storage card further includes an embedded multimedia card (eMMC). 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the BMC is configured to be unable to boot up without accessing the at least one of the security credentials or the sensitive data. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the removable storage card further includes a storage card identifier. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the BMC has a BMC identifier, a unique identifier including the storage card identifier and the BMC identifier. 
     
     
         11 . A removable storage card, comprising:
 an edge connector configured to removably fit a socket of a circuit board, the circuit board including a baseboard management controller (BMC) configured to provide a management interface to a network device; and   a memory for storing at least one of security credentials or sensitive data for the BMC, the BMC being configured to access via the socket the at least one of security credentials or sensitive data for the BMC stored on the removable storage card.   
     
     
         12 . The removable storage card of  claim 11 , wherein the memory includes:
 at least one flash memory device.   
     
     
         13 . The removable storage card of  claim 11 , wherein the memory further stores data for the network device, the BMC storing the data in the memory of the removable storage card. 
     
     
         14 . The removable storage card of  claim 12 , wherein the removable storage card circularly stores the data. 
     
     
         15 . The removable storage card of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 an embedded multimedia card (eMMC).   
     
     
         16 . The removable storage card of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 a storage card identifier.   
     
     
         17 . A method, comprising:
 accessing, by a baseboard management controller (BMC) configured to provide a management interface to a network device, at least one of security credentials or sensitive data for the BMC stored on a removable storage card, the removable storage card being removably coupled to a socket, the BMC accessing the at least one of security credentials or sensitive data for the BMC via the socket.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the removable storage card includes at least one flash memory device and wherein the method further includes:
 storing, by the BMC, data for the network device on the removable storage card.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the removable storage card circularly stores the data. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the BMC has a BMC identifier, the removable storage card has a storage card identifier, the method further comprising:
 associating the BMC identifier with the storage card identifier to provide a unique identifier system identifier.