Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
This action is responsive to the following communications: remarks filed on April 13, 2026.
This application has been examined. Claims 1-20 are pending.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. § 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art t which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
Claims 1-5, 8-11, 14-15, 18 are rejected under AIA 35 U.S.C. § 103 as being unpatentable over Ma et al. (“Ma”) (US NO. 12,045,081) in view of Shekar CS et al. (“Shekar”) (US No. 8,122,111).
In order to expedite and avoid piecemeal prosecution, the following rejection is made to the extent that the claims are understood, by considering those elements which are understood and interpreting their function in a manner which is consistent with the recited goals of the claims, and then applying the best available art.
The examiner relies on the entire teachings of Ma and Shekar references; the applicant should carefully consider the entire teachings of the above-mentioned references to better understand the examiner’s position.
In regard to claims 1, 14, 18, Ma discloses an article of manufacture comprising a non-transitory processor-readable storage medium having stored therein program code of one or more software programs (i.e. BMC firmware stored on non-transitory storage), an apparatus and a method comprising: collecting time configuration data from respective ones of a plurality of components of a chassis (as shown in Fig. 2, which is reproduced below for ease of reference and convenience, Ma discloses the BMC includes a BMC time manager module (processing device) with memory performing time management operations. BMC time manager module communicates with host OS, host devices (i.e., collects time parameters from multiple components). See Claim 1, col. 5:49 thru col. 6:12);
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analyzing the time configuration data to determine whether at least two components of the plurality of components have different time configurations from each other (in Ma, BMC maintains master time parameter and synchronizes subordinate parameters that implicitly detects discrepancy. See Col. 7:10-35); generating a time configuration profile in response to determining that the at least two components have different time configurations from each other (in Ma, BMC time manager establishes master time parameter as the authoritative time profile. Generation is implicit upon detecting discrepancy. See col. 5:49 thru col. 6:36); and propagating the time configuration profile to the plurality of components, wherein the plurality of components are configured to respectively apply the time configuration profile to synchronize time settings between the plurality of components (in Ma, Claims 1, 9-10: BMC synchronizes subordinate time parameters (host OS time, host device time parameters) to master time (i.e., propagates time configuration so each component applies it). See col. 5:49 thru col. 6:36); wherein the steps of the method are executed by at least one processing device operatively coupled to a memory (in Ma, Claim 1: BMC includes a BMC time manager module (processing device) with memory performing time management operations). But Ma does not expressly disclose the term of chassis for collecting time configuration data and does not explicitly recite comparing to detect differences. In the same field of endeavor, Skedar discloses a method comprising steps executed by at least one processing device operatively coupled to a memory (as shown in Fig. 2, which is reproduced below for ease of reference and convenience, Skedar discloses Abstract & Col. 3:1-17: Management workstation (processing device + memory) executes configuration management operations);
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collecting config data from respective components (in Skedar, Col. 5:1-14: import logic 410 collects configuration information from various subsystems/components. Col. 3:38-53: servers in a farm/data center are managed components); analyzing to determine whether components have different configurations (in Skedar, Col. 6:53 thru col. 7:19: retrieves first configuration (step 510), retrieves second configuration (step 520), compares element-by-element (step 530), detects differences that directly teaches analyzing to determine whether components have different configurations). It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to combine the teaching of Ma and Skedar because (1) both address configuration management of multiple components in a server/data-center environment; (2) both share the objective of ensuring consistent configuration across system components. A POSITA would be motivated to apply the Skedar's proven collect-compare-detect-profile-propagate workflow to Ma's time management system to add mismatch detection and structured profile generation.
In regard to claims 2, Ma et al. disclose the type of smart devices as wherein the plurality of components comprise two or more of a multi-system management console, an embedded controller, a baseboard management controller and an operating system of at least one host device corresponding to the plurality of components (in Ma, Claims 1, 9: Components include BMC, host OS time parameter, host device time parameters. Col. 7:10-35: the BMC is a baseboard management controller. Host OS maps to operating system of host device).
In regard to claim 3, Ma et al. disclose wherein the baseboard management controller comprises a remote access controller (in Ma, Col. 5:10-48: BMC communicates out-of-band with host system. BMC functions as remote access controller. Dell iDRAC is a well-known remote access controller variant of BMC).
In regard to claim 4, Ma et al. disclose wherein the time configuration data comprises one or more network time protocol settings (in Ma, Claim 2: time source includes NTP resource configured to receive time information from an NTP server. Col. 6:13-36: NTP settings are the configuration data used by the BMC).
In regard to claim 5, Ma et al. disclose the time configuration profile (in Ma, Claim 2: NTP resource is the time source; the master time parameter encapsulates NTP-derived time that profile comprises NTP settings. Col. 6:13-36)
In regard to claims 8, 15, Skedar discloses further: generating one or more notifications identifying the at least two components having different time configurations from each other (in Skedar, Col. 5:3-19: step 550: the differences detected are reported to a user. Reports may be sent as email or generating a notification event at a network management station. Col. 6:27-46: configuration change alerter may detect configuration changes and transmit the current operating configuration to a central management station that directly teaches notifications identifying differing components). It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to combine the teaching of Ma and Skedar because (1) both address configuration management of multiple components in a server/data-center environment; (2) both share the objective of ensuring consistent configuration across system components. A POSITA would be motivated to apply the Skedar's proven collect-compare-detect-profile-propagate workflow to Ma's time management system to add mismatch detection and structured profile generation.
In regard to claim 9, Skedar discloses wherein the one or more notifications comprise one or more logs including the time configuration data from the respective ones of a plurality of components (in Skedar, Col. 5:3-53: reports of differences may list configuration elements in plain text format, in XML or HTML, or in CSV. Reports include the actual configuration data (values, keys) from each system (i.e., logs including configuration data from respective components). It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to combine the teaching of Ma and Skedar because (1) both address configuration management of multiple components in a server/data-center environment; (2) both share the objective of ensuring consistent configuration across system components. A POSITA would be motivated to apply the Skedar's proven collect-compare-detect-profile-propagate workflow to Ma's time management system to add mismatch detection and structured profile generation.
In regard to claim 10, Ma discloses further: utilizing at least one of a multi-system management user interface, a remote access controller user interface, an embedded controller application programming interface, a multi-system management application programming interface and an operating system event viewer to provide the one or more notifications to at least one user (in Ma, Col. 6:13-36: BMC provides management interface to host system; out-of-band management UI is standard BMC functionality. BMC has user interface for time management).
In regard to claim 11, Skedar discloses further: providing access for at least one user to modify the time configuration profile before propagating the time configuration profile to the plurality of components (in Skedar, Col. 6:47 thru col. 7:15: user interface allows administrator to activate control 772 to reject the change and revert to the generic configuration, activate control 775 to accept the change, or forbid local changes. Control 793 causes configuration to be pushed to remote systems. Manager explicitly modifies/approves profile before propagation what teaches user modification access before propagation). It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to combine the teaching of Ma and Skedar because (1) both address configuration management of multiple components in a server/data-center environment; (2) both share the objective of ensuring consistent configuration across system components. A POSITA would be motivated to apply the Skedar's proven collect-compare-detect-profile-propagate workflow to Ma's time management system to add mismatch detection and structured profile generation.
Examiner's note:
Examiner has cited particular columns and line numbers in the references applied to the claims above for the convenience of the Applicant. Although the specified citations are representative of the teachings of the art and are applied to specific limitations within the individual claim, other passages and figures may apply as well. It is respectfully requested from the Applicant in preparing responses, to fully consider the references in entirety as potentially teaching all or part of the claimed invention, as well as the context of the passages as taught by the prior art or disclosed by the Examiner.
Allowable Subject Matter
5. Claims 6-7, 12-13, 16-17, 19-20 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
6. The following is an Examiner's statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: Claims 6, 12, 16, 19 are allowable over the prior art of record because the prior arts, cited in its entirety, or in combination, do not teach
the serial peripheral interface to store the time configuration data (claims 6);
establishing a communication channel structure connecting each of the plurality of components, wherein the communication channel structure comprises at least one passthrough channel (claims 12, 16, 19).
Response to Amendment
7. Applicant’s arguments, see pages 6-8, filed on April 13, 2026, with respect to the rejections of claims 1-5, 14, 18 under 35USC102 have been fully considered and are persuasive. Therefore, the rejection has been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, a new ground of rejection is made in view of Ma and Skedar.
Conclusion
8. Claims 1-5, 8-11, 14-15, 18 are rejected. Claims 6-7, 12-13, 16-17, 19-20 are objected
9. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to examiner Raymond Phan, whose telephone number is (571) 272-3630. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Friday from 6:30AM- 3:00PM. The Group Fax No. (571) 273-8300.
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Any inquiry of a general nature or relating to the status of this application should be directed to the TC 2100 central telephone number is (571) 272-2100.
/RAYMOND N PHAN/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2175
Prosecution Insights