Patent ID: 8171174
Filing Date: 2012-05-01
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A method for characterizing server utilization out-of-band via remote access card virtual media, the method comprising: prompting a user to preselect at least one preselected desired parameter comprising at least one of at least one performance parameter, at least one process parameter, at least one preselected polling interval, and at least one preselected managed host server system to observe, using a remote application running on a remote management client; sending the at least one preselected desired parameter comprising at least one of at least one performance parameter, the at least one process parameter, and the at least one preselected polling interval to a remote access card disposed in at least one preselected managed host server system, using the remote application running on the remote management client via at least one remote access card administrative command through an out-of-band dedicated remote access card network interface card; connecting a plug-and-play virtual drive, having an auto-run data gathering executable, to the at least one preselected managed host server system at the at least one preselected polling interval via a plug-and-play virtual media interface between the remote access card and the at least one preselected managed host server system, using firmware of the remote access card, the plug-and-play virtual drive emulating at least one of a remote drive disposed in the remote management client and a local virtual key disposed in the remote access card; saving to the remote drive disposed in the remote management client the at least one preselected desired parameter from the at least one preselected managed host server system at the at least one preselected polling interval through a network without completely interrupting the at least one preselected managed host server system, using the auto-run data gathering executable running on the firmware of the remote access card disposed in the at least one preselected managed host server system that writes a performance snapshot text file to the at least one of the remote drive and the local virtual key, wherein the performance snapshot text file comprises at least one result of the collection of the at least one preselected desired parameter; repeating the saving to the remote drive the at least one preselected desired parameter from the at least one preselected managed host server system at the at least one preselected polling interval, using the auto-run data gathering executable, using firmware of the remote access card until the remote application running on the remote management client sends at least one remote access card administrative command to stop collecting the at least one preselected desired parameter from the at least one preselected managed host server system; detecting the performance snapshot text file comprising the at least one result of the collection of the at least one preselected desired parameter written to the at least one of the remote drive and the local virtual key, using the remote application; analyzing at least one trend from the at least one of the spreadsheet and the database to at least one of predict when the at least one preselected managed host server system should be scaled, predict at least one impact of at least one upgrade before purchase, do a cost/benefit analysis, and link to a vendor for at least one sales recommendation; and terminating the auto-run data gathering executable running on the firmware of the remote access card.