science

MegaRAC

MegaRAC is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand MegaRAC rather than just read about it. In short: The MegaRAC from American Megatrends is a product line of baseboard management controller (BMC) firmware packages and formerly Service Processors providing complete Out-of-band, or Lights-out remote management of computer systems independently of the operating system status or location to troubleshoot computers and assure continuity of service. MegaRAC Service Processors came in various formats - PCI cards, embedded…

Key takeaways

MegaRAC belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect MegaRAC to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of MegaRAC from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

The MegaRAC from American Megatrends is a product line of baseboard management controller (BMC) firmware packages and formerly Service Processors providing complete Out-of-band, or Lights-out remote management of computer systems independently of the operating system status or location to troubleshoot computers and assure continuity of service. MegaRAC Service Processors came in various formats - PCI cards, embedded modules and software-only.

History The MegaRAC remote management controller was introduced in 1998 for Dell, that later developed the DRAC. The second generation card, MegaRACG2 (2002), provided console, KVM graphical redirection, firewall, and battery backup.

Products AMI currently offers three MegaRAC packages: MegaRAC OneTree, AMI's latest BMC firmware package that is based on OpenBMC; MegaRAC SP-X, an earlier BMC firmware package that is based on Linux; and MegaRAC CommunityEdition, an open source BMC firmware package that is based on OpenBMC.

MegaRAC SP Firmware The MegaRAC SP firmware is composed of four major functionality groups:

Complete IPMI 2.0 implementation, providing sensor and health monitoring, alerting, event logging serial over LAN, and so on. This firmware utilizes Linux 2.6. Virtual KVM for redirection of Video, Keyboard and Mouse signals. This uses AMI's proprietary compression technology. Virtual Media for redirection of CD/DVD. This is used to utilize a local CD/DVD to install an operating system or software on a remote host. DMTF compliant management infrastructure, implementing CIM, SMASH and WS-MAN. The MegaRAC SP firmware is marketed to Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs), not end-users.

References

"American Megatrends Offers MegaRAC Remote Assistance Card to Channel Market". encyclopedia.com. Cengage Learning. Retrieved 2010-06-21. "MegaRAC G2". scmagazineus.com. Haymarket. Retrieved 2010-06-18.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) "AMI MegaRAC: An almost perfect product". theinquirer.net. Register. Archived from the original on June 7, 2011. Retrieved 2010-06-21. "AMI Debuts MegaRAC SP Service Processor Firmware Stack for AST2000". edageek.com 2007. Online Destiny LTD. Retrieved 2010-06-21. "AMI announces MegaRAC SP Software Support for ServerEngines Pilot Server Management Controller". serverengines.com. Server Engines. Retrieved 2010-06-21. "AMI introduces MegaRAC SP for Winbond WPCM450". Nuvoton 2008. Retrieved 2010-06-21. "American Megatrends introduces MegaRAC PM for the Renesas H8S/2462 Baseboard Management Controller". AMI 2009. Retrieved 2010-06-21. "American Megatrends Celebrates Twelve Years of Success with MegaRAC". ami.com. AMI 2009. Retrieved 2010-06-21.

External links Official website

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with MegaRAC

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what MegaRAC claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to MegaRAC before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about MegaRAC ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of MegaRAC

In research: MegaRAC appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses MegaRAC in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: MegaRAC is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Out-of-band management, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for MegaRAC outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study MegaRAC in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what MegaRAC means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain MegaRAC out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is MegaRAC in simple terms?

Why does MegaRAC matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study MegaRAC?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on MegaRAC.