A method and system of interchassis and intrachassis computer component
command and control. The existing power rail is used for network
connectivity for intrachassis command and control. An existing common
power mains can be used for interchassis command and control. Further, a
protocol, for example, the Consumer Electronic Bus (CEBus) protocol (or a
CEBus protocol modified for the particular power rail) can be used to
provide interchassis and intrachassis platform management functionality.
This management functionality is similar to that provided by the proposed
Intelligent Platform Management Interface (IPMI) specification. A chassis
bridge controller is used to interface the intrachassis power rail command
and control infrastructure to an exterior network. External systems
(interchassis communications) can communicate to the bridge via the
particular protocol over an existing common power mains as a secondary
channel exterior network. However, the management functionality is
implemented intrachassis, that is, it is applied to the internal
components of the machine.