AManagementController(MC)orBaseboardManagementController(BMC)usuallyrequiresEthernetconnectivityforremotemanagement.Initially,MC’shadadedicatedEthernetporttoachievethisconnectivity.Later,EthernetmanufacturersstartedusingproprietarysidebandinterfacestoprovideamechanismbywhichtheMCcouldshareanEthernetportwiththeOperatingSystem.ThisinterfacewasgenerallybasedupontheI2C/SMBusinterface,buthadaproprietaryprotocol.TheDMTFsetouttocreateanindustrystandardsidebandinterfacethatwouldoperateatamuchgreaterspeedthanSMBusandalleviatesomeoftheburdenonBMCengineerswho,foryears,hadbeenwritingdifferentEthernetcodebasedonwhichmanufacturers’EthernetdevicewasusedastheLOM(LANonMotherboard)fortheserverboard.
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