Techniques to initialize from a remotely accessible storage device

摘要

Examples are disclosed for remotely initializing or booting a client or host device. In some examples, a network (NW) input/output (I/O) device coupled to a host device connects to a remote server via a NW communication link. For these examples, modules of the network I/O device establishes a control path to a non-volatile memory express (NVMe) controller maintained at the remote server using a remote direct memory access (RDMA) protocol. Properties of a storage device controlled by the NVMe controller have an RDMA service tag (STag) to indicate accessible allocated portions of the storage device. A system basic I/O system (BIOS) is capable of using the RDMA STag to access the storage device and load an operating system (OS) kernel. Also, one or more device drivers can remotely boot the host device using the RDMA STag.

主权项

1. An apparatus comprising:
circuitry for a network input/output (I/O) device; a parameter module for execution by the circuitry to receive one or more parameters to enable the network I/O device to connect to a remote server via a network communication link; a connect module for execution by the circuitry to connect to the remote server using the one or more parameters; a path module for execution by the circuitry to establish a control path to a non-volatile memory express (NVMe) controller maintained at the remote server using a remote direct memory access (RDMA) protocol; a receive module for execution by the circuitry to receive an RDMA service tag (STag) from the NVMe controller to access an operating system (OS) kernel and one or more device drivers; a store module for execution by the circuitry to store the RDMA STag in a non-volatile memory at the network I/O device that is accessible to a system basic input/output system (BIOS) for a host device coupled to the network I/O device to enable the system BIOS to use the RDMA STag to access a storage device controlled by the NVMe controller and load the OS kernel and the one or more device drivers to remotely boot the host device; a property module for execution by the circuitry to discover one or more properties for the storage device controlled by the NVMe controller, the one or more properties including identified access rights to the storage device, the identified access rights to include read only access rights or read/write access rights; and a register module for execution by the circuitry to register the storage device and the one or more properties with the system BIOS.