--- /dev/null
+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 feature 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 connected applications. The Intel MEI driver
+handles this internally by maintaining request queues for the applications.
+
+The driver is transparent to data that are 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 up to 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 API 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
Code Review / kvmfornfv.git / blobdiff