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Diffstat (limited to 'drivers/misc/mei/mei.txt')
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diff --git a/drivers/misc/mei/mei.txt b/drivers/misc/mei/mei.txt new file mode 100644 index 000000000000..2785697da59d --- /dev/null +++ b/drivers/misc/mei/mei.txt @@ -0,0 +1,215 @@ +Intel(R) Management Engine Interface (Intel(R) MEI) +======================= + +Introduction +======================= + +The Intel Management Engine (Intel ME) is an isolated and protected computing +resource (Co-processor) residing inside certain Intel chipsets. The Intel ME +provides support for computer/IT management features. The feature set +depends on the Intel chipset SKU. + +The Intel Management Engine Interface (Intel MEI, previously known as HECI) +is the interface between the Host and Intel ME. This interface is exposed +to the host as a PCI device. The Intel MEI Driver is in charge of the +communication channel between a host application and the Intel ME feature. + +Each Intel ME feature (Intel ME Client) is addressed by a GUID/UUID and +each client has its own protocol. The protocol is message-based with a +header and payload up to 512 bytes. + +Prominent usage of the Intel ME Interface is to communicate with Intel(R) +Active Management Technology (Intel AMT)implemented in firmware running on +the Intel ME. + +Intel AMT provides the ability to manage a host remotely out-of-band (OOB) +even when the operating system running on the host processor has crashed or +is in a sleep state. + +Some examples of Intel AMT usage are: + - Monitoring hardware state and platform components + - Remote power off/on (useful for green computing or overnight IT + maintenance) + - OS updates + - Storage of useful platform information such as software assets + - Built-in hardware KVM + - Selective network isolation of Ethernet and IP protocol flows based + on policies set by a remote management console + - IDE device redirection from remote management console + +Intel AMT (OOB) communication is based on SOAP (deprecated +starting with Release 6.0) over HTTP/S or WS-Management protocol over +HTTP/S that are received from a remote management console application. + +For more information about Intel AMT: +http://software.intel.com/sites/manageability/AMT_Implementation_and_Reference_Guide + +Intel MEI Driver +======================= + +The driver exposes a misc device called /dev/mei. + +An application maintains communication with an Intel ME feature while +/dev/mei is open. The binding to a specific features is performed by calling +MEI_CONNECT_CLIENT_IOCTL, which passes the desired UUID. +The number of instances of an Intel ME feature that can be opened +at the same time depends on the Intel ME feature, but most of the +features allow only a single instance. + +The Intel AMT Host Interface (Intel AMTHI) feature supports multiple +simultaneous user applications. Therefore, the Intel MEI driver handles +this internally by maintaining request queues for the applications. + +The driver is oblivious to data that is passed between firmware feature +and host application. + +Because some of the Intel ME features can change the system +configuration, the driver by default allows only a privileged +user to access it. + +A code snippet for an application communicating with +Intel AMTHI client: + struct mei_connect_client_data data; + fd = open(MEI_DEVICE); + + data.d.in_client_uuid = AMTHI_UUID; + + ioctl(fd, IOCTL_MEI_CONNECT_CLIENT, &data); + + printf("Ver=%d, MaxLen=%ld\n", + data.d.in_client_uuid.protocol_version, + data.d.in_client_uuid.max_msg_length); + + [...] + + write(fd, amthi_req_data, amthi_req_data_len); + + [...] + + read(fd, &amthi_res_data, amthi_res_data_len); + + [...] + close(fd); + +IOCTL: +====== +The Intel MEI Driver supports the following IOCTL command: + IOCTL_MEI_CONNECT_CLIENT Connect to firmware Feature (client). + + usage: + struct mei_connect_client_data clientData; + ioctl(fd, IOCTL_MEI_CONNECT_CLIENT, &clientData); + + inputs: + mei_connect_client_data struct contain the following + input field: + + in_client_uuid - UUID of the FW Feature that needs + to connect to. + outputs: + out_client_properties - Client Properties: MTU and Protocol Version. + + error returns: + EINVAL Wrong IOCTL Number + ENODEV Device or Connection is not initialized or ready. + (e.g. Wrong UUID) + ENOMEM Unable to allocate memory to client internal data. + EFAULT Fatal Error (e.g. Unable to access user input data) + EBUSY Connection Already Open + + Notes: + max_msg_length (MTU) in client properties describes the maximum + data that can be sent or received. (e.g. if MTU=2K, can send + requests up to bytes 2k and received responses upto 2k bytes). + +Intel ME Applications: +============== + +1) Intel Local Management Service (Intel LMS) + + Applications running locally on the platform communicate with Intel AMT Release + 2.0 and later releases in the same way that network applications do via SOAP + over HTTP (deprecated starting with Release 6.0) or with WS-Management over + SOAP over HTTP. This means that some Intel AMT features can be accessed from a + local application using the same network interface as a remote application + communicating with Intel AMT over the network. + + When a local application sends a message addressed to the local Intel AMT host + name, the Intel LMS, which listens for traffic directed to the host name, + intercepts the message and routes it to the Intel MEI. + For more information: + http://software.intel.com/sites/manageability/AMT_Implementation_and_Reference_Guide + Under "About Intel AMT" => "Local Access" + + For downloading Intel LMS: + http://software.intel.com/en-us/articles/download-the-latest-intel-amt-open-source-drivers/ + + The Intel LMS opens a connection using the Intel MEI driver to the Intel LMS + firmware feature using a defined UUID and then communicates with the feature + using a protocol called Intel AMT Port Forwarding Protocol(Intel APF protocol). + The protocol is used to maintain multiple sessions with Intel AMT from a + single application. + + See the protocol specification in the Intel AMT Software Development Kit(SDK) + http://software.intel.com/sites/manageability/AMT_Implementation_and_Reference_Guide + Under "SDK Resources" => "Intel(R) vPro(TM) Gateway(MPS)" + => "Information for Intel(R) vPro(TM) Gateway Developers" + => "Description of the Intel AMT Port Forwarding (APF)Protocol" + + 2) Intel AMT Remote configuration using a Local Agent + A Local Agent enables IT personnel to configure Intel AMT out-of-the-box + without requiring installing additional data to enable setup. The remote + configuration process may involve an ISV-developed remote configuration + agent that runs on the host. + For more information: + http://software.intel.com/sites/manageability/AMT_Implementation_and_Reference_Guide + Under "Setup and Configuration of Intel AMT" => + "SDK Tools Supporting Setup and Configuration" => + "Using the Local Agent Sample" + + An open source Intel AMT configuration utility, implementing a local agent + that accesses the Intel MEI driver, can be found here: + http://software.intel.com/en-us/articles/download-the-latest-intel-amt-open-source-drivers/ + + +Intel AMT OS Health Watchdog: +============================= +The Intel AMT Watchdog is an OS Health (Hang/Crash) watchdog. +Whenever the OS hangs or crashes, Intel AMT will send an event +to any subscriber to this event. This mechanism means that +IT knows when a platform crashes even when there is a hard failure on the host. + +The Intel AMT Watchdog is composed of two parts: + 1) Firmware feature - receives the heartbeats + and sends an event when the heartbeats stop. + 2) Intel MEI driver - connects to the watchdog feature, configures the + watchdog and sends the heartbeats. + +The Intel MEI driver uses the kernel watchdog to configure the Intel AMT +Watchdog and to send heartbeats to it. The default timeout of the +watchdog is 120 seconds. + +If the Intel AMT Watchdog feature does not exist (i.e. the connection failed), +the Intel MEI driver will disable the sending of heartbeats. + +Supported Chipsets: +================== +7 Series Chipset Family +6 Series Chipset Family +5 Series Chipset Family +4 Series Chipset Family +Mobile 4 Series Chipset Family +ICH9 +82946GZ/GL +82G35 Express +82Q963/Q965 +82P965/G965 +Mobile PM965/GM965 +Mobile GME965/GLE960 +82Q35 Express +82G33/G31/P35/P31 Express +82Q33 Express +82X38/X48 Express + +--- +linux-mei@linux.intel.com |
