Real-time Board Management using an FPGA

Abstract

Server-level computers usually have a BMC (baseboard management controller), that is responsible for setting up and maintaining an environment where all of the components of a system can function. This includes time sensitive tasks like triggering an emergency shutdown of a component or the whole system. The Enzian BMC runs based on OpenBMC, one of the few open source BMC projects. It is based on python scripts communication over D-Bus. This entails that there are no strong timing guarantees. Thus, the goal is to achieve real-time board management with the BMC’s FPGA. This thesis examines the feasibility of that goal by implementing and testing a PID-based fan control on Enzian’s BMC FPGA. The functioning PID controller shows that FPGA board management is possible. It also exposes difficulties that still have to be overcome, when board management tasks should be handled exclusively by the FPGA. The main difficulty lies in communication between the BMC FPGA and other devices on Enzian.