System for interlocking a server to a server system and a computer system utilizing the same

Abstract

A system for interlocking a plurality of servers to a server system is disclosed. In a first aspect, a computer system comprises a plurality of servers, a management module coupled to each of the plurality of servers, and an interlock mechanism coupled to the management module, wherein the interlock mechanism assigns to each of the plurality of servers an identifier that associates each of the plurality of servers to the server system, thereby defining a plurality of interlocked servers.

1 . A computer readable medium containing a plurality of executable program instructions for interlocking a plurality of servers to a server system, the instructions for:
 a) assigning an identifier to each of the plurality of servers, wherein the identifier associates each of the plurality of servers to the server system, thereby defining a plurality of interlocked servers.   
   
   
       2 . The computer readable medium of  claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of interlocked servers includes non-volatile storage. 
   
   
       3 . The computer readable medium of  claim 2  further comprising:
 b) storing the identifier in each interlocked server's non-volatile storage.   
   
   
       4 . The computer readable medium of  claim 3 , wherein the assigning instruction (a) further comprising:
 (a1) generating the identifier; and   (a2) storing the identifier in a table.   
   
   
       5 . The computer readable medium of  claim 4  further comprising the instruction for:
 c) detecting a server that is not interlocked to the server system by examining the server's non-volatile storage, wherein a non-interlocked server is not authorized to run in the server system.   
   
   
       6 . The computer readable medium of  claim 5 , wherein the detecting instruction (c) comprising:
 (c1) concluding the server is not interlocked if the non-volatile storage does not include an identifier; else   (c2) determining whether an existing identifier is valid if an identifier is found in the non-volatile storage; and   (c3) concluding that the server is not interlocked if the existing identifier is invalid.   
   
   
       7 . The computer readable medium of  claim 6 , wherein the determining instruction (c2) comprising:
 (c2i) comparing the existing identifier to the identifier stored in the table; and   (c2ii) concluding the existing identifier is invalid if the existing identifier does not match the stored identifier.   
   
   
       8 . The computer readable medium of  claim 7 , wherein the storing instruction (b) comprising:
 (b1) encrypting the identifier with a private key for each interlocked server; and   (b2) storing the encrypted identifier in each interlocked server's non-volatile storage.   
   
   
       9 . The computer readable medium of  claim 8 , wherein the determining instruction (c2) comprising:
 (c2iii) decrypting the existing identifier with a public key for the server.   
   
   
       10 . The computer readable medium of  claim 5  further comprising:
 d) protecting the server system from the non-interlocked server.   
   
   
       11 . The computer readable medium of  claim 10 , wherein the protecting instruction (d) comprising:
 (d1) isolating the server from the plurality of interlocked servers; and   (d2) notifying a system administrator that the server is not interlocked to the server system.   
   
   
       12 . The computer readable medium of  claim 11 , wherein the isolating instruction (d1) comprising:
 (d1i) holding the server in a power-off state.   
   
   
       13 . The computer readable medium of  claim 11 , wherein the isolating instruction (d1) comprising:
 (d1i) powering-down the server system.   
   
   
       14 . The computer readable medium of  claim 5 , wherein the detecting instruction (c) is performed during a power-up sequence for the server system. 
   
   
       15 . The computer readable medium of  claim 5 , wherein the detecting instruction (c) is performed if the server system senses that a new server has been placed into the system. 
   
   
       16 . The computer readable medium of  claim 4  further comprising instruction for:
 (c) adding a server to the plurality of interlocked servers.   
   
   
       17 . The computer readable medium of  claim 16 , wherein the adding instruction (c) comprising:
 (c1) providing a slot number into which the server will be placed;   (c2) assigning the identifier to the server and storing the identifier in the server's non-volatile storage; and   (c3) updating the table to include the server in the plurality of interlocked servers.   
   
   
       18 . The computer readable medium of  claim 4  further comprising instruction for:
 (c) removing a server from the plurality of interlocked servers.   
   
   
       19 . The computer readable medium of  claim 18 , wherein the removing instruction (c) comprising:
 (c1) providing the slot number from which the server will be removed;   (c2) erasing the identifier from the server's non-volatile storage; and   (c3) updating the table to exclude the server from the plurality of interlocked servers.   
   
   
       20 . The computer readable medium of  claim 4  further comprising:
 (c) sensing a removal of one of the plurality of interlocked servers;   (d) marking the identifier in the table corresponding to the removed server; and   (e) protecting the server system.   
   
   
       21 . The computer readable medium of  claim 20 , wherein the protecting instruction (e) further comprising:
 (e1) notifying a system administrator that the server has been removed; and   (e2) isolating the removed server from the plurality of interlocked servers if the removed server is reinserted into the system.   
   
   
       22 . The computer readable medium of  claim 21 , wherein the isolating step (e2) further comprising:
 (e2i) comparing the removed server's identifier with the identifier stored in the table when the system senses that the removed server has been reinserted into the system; and   (e2ii) holding the removed server in a power-off state if the identifier stored in the table is marked.   
   
   
       23 . A mechanism for interlocking a plurality of servers to a server system comprising:
 an interlock mechanism for assigning an identifier to each of the plurality of servers, wherein the identifier associates each of the plurality of servers to the server system, thereby defining a plurality of interlocked servers.   
   
   
       24 . The mechanism of  claim 23 , wherein each of the plurality of interlocked servers includes non-volatile storage. 
   
   
       25 . The mechanism of  claim 24 , wherein each of the plurality of interlocked servers comprising:
 means for storing the identifier in each interlocked server's non-volatile storage.   
   
   
       26 . The mechanism of  claim 25 , wherein the interlock mechanism further comprising a utility for generating the identifier and a table for storing information related to each of the interlocked servers and their respective identifiers. 
   
   
       27 . The mechanism of  claim 26  wherein the interlock mechanism further comprising:
 means for detecting a server that is not interlocked to the server system, wherein a non-interlocked server is not authorized to run in the server system.   
   
   
       28 . The mechanism of  claim 27 , wherein the means for detecting comprising means for examining the server's non-volatile storage and means for determining whether an existing identifier is valid if an identifier is found in the non-volatile storage, wherein the server is not interlocked if the existing identifier is invalid. 
   
   
       29 . The mechanism of  claim 28 , wherein the interlock mechanism further comprising:
 means for protecting the server system from the non-interlocked server.   
   
   
       30 . The mechanism of  claim 27 , wherein the utility further comprising means for adding a server to the plurality of interlocked servers. 
   
   
       31 . The mechanism of  claim 27 , wherein the utility further comprising means for removing a server from the plurality of interlocked servers. 
   
   
       32 . A computer server system comprising:
 a plurality of servers;   a management module coupled to the plurality of servers; and   an interlock mechanism coupled to the management module, wherein the interlock mechanism assigns to each of the plurality of servers an identifier that associates each of the plurality of servers to the server system, thereby defining a plurality of interlocked servers.   
   
   
       33 . The server system of  claim 32 , wherein each server comprising:
 means for storing the identifier in each server's non-volatile storage.   
   
   
       34 . The server system of  claim 32 , wherein the interlock mechanism comprises a table, wherein the table stores information related to each of the interlocked servers and their associated identifiers. 
   
   
       35 . The server system of  claim 32 , wherein the interlock mechanism further comprises means for detecting a server that is not interlocked to the server system. 
   
   
       36 . The server system of  claim 35 , wherein the means for detecting comprising means for examining the server's non-volatile storage and means for determining whether an existing identifier is valid if an identifier is found in the non-volatile storage, wherein the server is not interlocked if the existing identifier is invalid. 
   
   
       37 . The server system of  claim 35 , wherein the interlock mechanism further comprises means for protecting the server system from the non-interlocked server. 
   
   
       38 . The server system of  claim 32 , wherein the interlock mechanism further comprising a utility for adding a server to the plurality of interlocked servers. 
   
   
       39 . The server system of  claim 32 , wherein the interlock mechanism further comprising a utility for removing a server from the plurality of interlocked servers. 
   
   
       40 . The server system of  claim 32 , wherein the identifier is a nonce based on a serial number for the management module. 
   
   
       41 . The server system of  claim 40 , wherein each server comprising:
 means for encrypting the nonce; and   means for storing the encrypted nonce in each server's non-volatile storage.   
   
   
       42 . The server system of  claim 41 , wherein the interlock mechanism further comprising means for examining the server's non-volatile storage and means for decrypting the encrypted nonce so that the interlock mechanism can determine whether the identifier is valid.