From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Return-Path: Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org via listexpand id S1757929AbYFIAyo (ORCPT ); Sun, 8 Jun 2008 20:54:44 -0400 Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org id S1755507AbYFIAyf (ORCPT ); Sun, 8 Jun 2008 20:54:35 -0400 Received: from usermail.globalproof.net ([194.146.153.18]:36803 "EHLO usermail.globalproof.net" rhost-flags-OK-OK-OK-OK) by vger.kernel.org with ESMTP id S1752626AbYFIAye (ORCPT ); Sun, 8 Jun 2008 20:54:34 -0400 From: "Denys Fedoryshchenko" To: linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org, netdev@vger.kernel.org Cc: greg@kroah.com Subject: Intel ASF support Date: Mon, 9 Jun 2008 03:54:26 +0300 Message-Id: <20080609003521.M40819@visp.net.lb> X-Mailer: OpenWebMail 2.52 X-OriginatingIP: 195.69.208.251 (denys@visp.net.lb) MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=koi8-r Sender: linux-kernel-owner@vger.kernel.org List-ID: X-Mailing-List: linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org If i am writing to wrong maillists and persons, then sorry :-) Intel have support of ASF in their desktop motherboards, and recently they moved to AMT platform, which is much more powerful, but also more complicated. I am already using IPMI, very impressed by IPMI 2.0 and BMC in Sun servers, and Dell PERC card. But more i am impressed from IPMI support and tools, it is not great, still there is no kernel drivers for IPMI over SMBus, even there was unofficial patches before. But right now i have failures of regular linux kernel on servers made from simple desktop boards. Additionally i submit bugreport about DP35DP motherboard, where iTCO_wdt driver not firing watchdog, and it is unresolved for few month. Maintainer is even not answering now... I seen similar reports about "35" series of Intel motherboards. Maybe it is just hardware bug of this series. So i don't have capability to reboot failed server now, and i was forced to install power switch on that location (it's hard to reach area, and i cannot install there full-scale server). So i start reading about ASF and very interested about RMCP, which is described inside ASF standard. Shortly - it seems i can reboot and monitor my board remotely! I think Intel and Linux developers must be interested in this solution, as soon it let's to manage unreliable software/hardware, people will love such capability. For me it is VERY important to test unstable features, as soon as many hardware can be just far away, or even located in dangerous places, where i need time to get access. Also it will bump sales of Intel-based solutions and provide cheaper options, instead of buying power switches("rebooters"). For example my DP35DP sometimes freezing, and probably it is some bug in kernel. I want to test also "rc" kernels and provide bug reports before kernel got released, so i can help a bit for kernel developers, but i cannot take risk, cause iTCO_wdt not working in this motherboard, software watchdog not able to reboot PC, and same for nmi_watchdog and hangcheck timer module. So question is, there is any chance ASF will be supported? At least in some simple form, just to be able reboot remotely and use ASF watchdog, Btw watchdog seems accessed over SMBus, i read it in asfwdg.c, Intel ASF driver, they made it in 2003, but seems it is abandoned now. -- Denys Fedoryshchenko Technical Manager Virtual ISP S.A.L.