Serial output redirection using HTTP

Abstract

A service controller on a computing device can be configured to redirect serial output over a network using HTTP. For example, the service controller can be configured with a web server that can receive the serial output and stream the serial output to a web browser over an HTTP connection. In some implementations, the HTTP connection can be a WebSocket connection, as defined by the HTML5 specification. In some implementations, a proxy server can be configured with a web server that can receive serial over LAN (SOL) output from multiple servers and stream the SOL to a web browser on a client device.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method comprising:
 receiving, at a service controller of a computing device, serial output messages from a processor of the computing device destined for a serial port; 
 monitoring the service controller with a web server on a proxy server; 
 redirecting, by the service controller of the computing device, the serial output messages to a the proxy server; 
 translating, using a HTML parser associated with the proxy server, the serial output messages into corresponding HTML messages; 
 establishing, by the proxy server, a connection with a web browser on a client device using a native HTML mechanism; and 
 streaming, by the proxy server, the corresponding HTML messages to the web browser using the native HTML connection. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the service controller is configured with a web server. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the connection is an HTML5 WebSocket connection. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the service controller is a baseboard management controller. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the connection is an out-of-band connection using a network interface controller dedicated to the service controller. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the connection is established using hypertext transfer protocol. 
     
     
       7. A system comprising:
 a baseboard management controller (BMC); 
 a first server, the first server comprising a processor; 
 the first server further comprising a serial output port; and 
 a computer-readable medium including one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by the baseboard management controller, causes: 
 receiving, at via the BMC, serial output messages from the processor destined for the serial output port of the first server; and, 
 redirecting, by the BMC, the serial output messages to a proxy server, which the proxy server is independent of the first server; 
 translating, using a HTML parser associated with the proxy server, the serial output messages into corresponding HTML messages; 
 establishing, by the proxy server, a connection with a web browser on a client device using a native HTML mechanism; and 
 streaming, by the proxy server, the corresponding HTML messages to the web browser using the native HTML connection. 
 
     
     
       8. The system of  claim 7 , wherein the BMC comprises a web server. 
     
     
       9. The system of  claim 7 , wherein the connection is an HTML5 WebSocket connection. 
     
     
       10. The system of  claim 7 , wherein the connection is an out-of-band connection using a network interface controller dedicated to the BMC. 
     
     
       11. The system of  claim 7 , wherein the connection is established using hypertext transfer protocol. 
     
     
       12. A method comprising:
 monitoring one or more managed servers by a web server running on a proxy server, which proxy server is independent from the one or more managed servers; 
 establishing, by a the proxy server, one or more first connections to the one or more managed servers via a respective service controller on each of the one or more managed servers, the proxy server being independent from the one or more managed servers; 
 receiving, at the proxy server, serial output messages from the one or more managed servers destined for a respective serial output port on each of the one or more managed servers and redirected the serial output messages to the proxy server by the respective service controller in response to a request from the web server; 
 translating, using a HTML parser associated with the proxy server, the serial output messages into corresponding HTML messages; 
 establishing, by the proxy server, a second connection to a web browser on a client device using a native HTML mechanism; and 
 streaming, by the proxy server, the corresponding HTML messages to the web browser using the native HTML connection. 
 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 12 , wherein the proxy server includes a web server and the proxy server receives the serial output messages using an intelligent platform management interface connection to a the respective service controller on each of the one or more managed servers. 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 13 , wherein the respective service controller is a baseboard management controller. 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 13 , wherein each of the one or more first connections are out-of-band connections using a network interface controller dedicated to the respective service controller. 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 13 , wherein each of the one or more first connections to the one or more managed servers uses an IPMI interface of the respective service controller. 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 12 , wherein the second connection is an HTML5 WebSocket connection. 
     
     
       18. The method of  claim 12 , wherein the second connection is established using hypertext transfer protocol. 
     
     
       19. The method of  claim 12 , wherein the corresponding HTML messages are streamed to the web browser in near real-time. 
     
     
       20. The method of  claim 12 , wherein the serial output messages include console messages that are presented on a user interface of the web browser.