Facilitating system management functionality via interaction between hardware domains

摘要

A computer system comprises an platform hardware domain coupled to a service processor hardware domain. An information passing arrangement provided between the hardware domains is configured for enabling information to be transferred between the service processor hardware domain and the platform hardware domain. The service processor hardware domain includes a first physical layer network device and the operating platform hardware domain includes a second physical layer network device, thus providing a network interface for a respective one of the hardware domains and enabling asynchronous transfer of information between the hardware domains. The information passing arrangement includes a translation routine for translating information from a format interpretable within the service processor hardware domain to a format interpretable within the hardware domain, and for formatting the information into a message having a transmission protocol enabling message transmission over one of the hardware domain network interface.