1.. SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-2.0
2
3Intel(R) Active Management Technology (Intel AMT)
4=================================================
5
6Prominent usage of the Intel ME Interface is to communicate with Intel(R)
7Active Management Technology (Intel AMT) implemented in firmware running on
8the Intel ME.
9
10Intel AMT provides the ability to manage a host remotely out-of-band (OOB)
11even when the operating system running on the host processor has crashed or
12is in a sleep state.
13
14Some examples of Intel AMT usage are:
15   - Monitoring hardware state and platform components
16   - Remote power off/on (useful for green computing or overnight IT
17     maintenance)
18   - OS updates
19   - Storage of useful platform information such as software assets
20   - Built-in hardware KVM
21   - Selective network isolation of Ethernet and IP protocol flows based
22     on policies set by a remote management console
23   - IDE device redirection from remote management console
24
25Intel AMT (OOB) communication is based on SOAP (deprecated
26starting with Release 6.0) over HTTP/S or WS-Management protocol over
27HTTP/S that are received from a remote management console application.
28
29For more information about Intel AMT:
30https://software.intel.com/sites/manageability/AMT_Implementation_and_Reference_Guide/default.htm
31
32
33Intel AMT Applications
34----------------------
35
36    1) Intel Local Management Service (Intel LMS)
37
38       Applications running locally on the platform communicate with Intel AMT Release
39       2.0 and later releases in the same way that network applications do via SOAP
40       over HTTP (deprecated starting with Release 6.0) or with WS-Management over
41       SOAP over HTTP. This means that some Intel AMT features can be accessed from a
42       local application using the same network interface as a remote application
43       communicating with Intel AMT over the network.
44
45       When a local application sends a message addressed to the local Intel AMT host
46       name, the Intel LMS, which listens for traffic directed to the host name,
47       intercepts the message and routes it to the Intel MEI.
48       For more information:
49       https://software.intel.com/sites/manageability/AMT_Implementation_and_Reference_Guide/default.htm
50       Under "About Intel AMT" => "Local Access"
51
52       For downloading Intel LMS:
53       https://github.com/intel/lms
54
55       The Intel LMS opens a connection using the Intel MEI driver to the Intel LMS
56       firmware feature using a defined GUID and then communicates with the feature
57       using a protocol called Intel AMT Port Forwarding Protocol (Intel APF protocol).
58       The protocol is used to maintain multiple sessions with Intel AMT from a
59       single application.
60
61       See the protocol specification in the Intel AMT Software Development Kit (SDK)
62       https://software.intel.com/sites/manageability/AMT_Implementation_and_Reference_Guide/default.htm
63       Under "SDK Resources" => "Intel(R) vPro(TM) Gateway (MPS)"
64       => "Information for Intel(R) vPro(TM) Gateway Developers"
65       => "Description of the Intel AMT Port Forwarding (APF) Protocol"
66
67    2) Intel AMT Remote configuration using a Local Agent
68
69       A Local Agent enables IT personnel to configure Intel AMT out-of-the-box
70       without requiring installing additional data to enable setup. The remote
71       configuration process may involve an ISV-developed remote configuration
72       agent that runs on the host.
73       For more information:
74       https://software.intel.com/sites/manageability/AMT_Implementation_and_Reference_Guide/default.htm
75       Under "Setup and Configuration of Intel AMT" =>
76       "SDK Tools Supporting Setup and Configuration" =>
77       "Using the Local Agent Sample"
78
79Intel AMT OS Health Watchdog
80----------------------------
81
82The Intel AMT Watchdog is an OS Health (Hang/Crash) watchdog.
83Whenever the OS hangs or crashes, Intel AMT will send an event
84to any subscriber to this event. This mechanism means that
85IT knows when a platform crashes even when there is a hard failure on the host.
86
87The Intel AMT Watchdog is composed of two parts:
88    1) Firmware feature - receives the heartbeats
89       and sends an event when the heartbeats stop.
90    2) Intel MEI iAMT watchdog driver - connects to the watchdog feature,
91       configures the watchdog and sends the heartbeats.
92
93The Intel iAMT watchdog MEI driver uses the kernel watchdog API to configure
94the Intel AMT Watchdog and to send heartbeats to it. The default timeout of the
95watchdog is 120 seconds.
96
97If the Intel AMT is not enabled in the firmware then the watchdog client won't enumerate
98on the me client bus and watchdog devices won't be exposed.
99
100---
101linux-mei@linux.intel.com
102