computer science

Redfish (specification)

Redfish (specification) is a computer 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 Redfish (specification) rather than just read about it. In short: The Redfish standard is a suite of specifications that deliver an industry standard protocol providing a RESTful interface for the management of servers, storage, networking, and converged infrastructure. History The Redfish standard has been elaborated under the SPMF umbrella at the DMTF in 2014.

Key takeaways

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

Reference excerpt

History The Redfish standard has been elaborated under the SPMF umbrella at the DMTF in 2014. The first specification with base models (1.0) was published in August 2015. In 2016, models for BIOS, disk drives, memory, storage, volume, endpoint, fabric, switch, PCIe device, zone, software/firmware inventory & update, multi-function NICs, host interface (KCS replacement) and privilege mapping were added. In 2017, Models for Composability, Location and errata were added. There is work in progress for Ethernet Switching, DCIM, and OCP. In August 2016, SNIA released a first model for network storage services (Swordfish), an extension of the Redfish specification.

Industry adoption

Redfish support on server Advantech SKY Server BMC Dell iDRAC BMC with minimum iDRAC 7/8 FW 2.40.40.40, iDRAC9 FW 3.00.00.0 Fujitsu iRMCS5 BMC HPE iLO BMC with minimum iLO4 FW 2.30, iLO5 and more recent HPE Moonshot BMC with minimum FW 1.41 Lenovo XClarity Controller (XCC) BMC with minimum XCC FW 1.00 Supermicro X10 BMC with minimum FW 3.0 and X11 with minimum FW 1.0 IBM Power Systems BMC with minimum OpenPOWER (OP) firmware level OP940 IBM Power Systems Flexible Service Processor (FSP) with minimum firmware level FW860.20 Cisco Integrated Management Controller with minimum IMC SW Version 3.0 Pi-KVM with minimum KVMd version 2.0, also offers an alternative HTTP API

Redfish support on BMC Insyde Software Supervyse BMC OpenBMC a Linux Foundation collaborative open-source BMC firmware stack American Megatrends MegaRAC Remote Management Firmware Vertiv Avocent Core Insight Embedded Management Systems

Software using Redfish APIs OpenStack Ironic bare metal deployment project has a Redfish driver. Ansible has multiple Redfish modules for Remote Management including redfish_info, redfish_config, and redfish_command ManageIQ Apache CloudStack

Redfish libraries and tools DMTF libraries and tools GoLang gofish Mojo::Redfish::Client python-redfish Sushy Redfish is used by both proprietary software (such as HPE OneView) as well as open source software (such as OpenBMC).

See also Intelligent Platform Management Interface (IPMI) Create, read, update and delete (CRUD) JSON OData – Protocol for REST APIs

References

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Redfish (specification)

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Redfish (specification) claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In computer 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 Redfish (specification) 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 Redfish (specification) 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 Redfish (specification)

In research: Redfish (specification) appears in computer 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 Redfish (specification) 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: Redfish (specification) is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Computer hardware standards, DMTF standards, Networking standards, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Redfish (specification) 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 Redfish (specification) in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Redfish (specification) 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 Redfish (specification) out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Redfish (specification) in simple terms?

The Redfish standard is a suite of specifications that deliver an industry standard protocol providing a RESTful interface for the management of servers, storage, networking, and converged infrastructure. History The Redfish standard has been elaborated under the SPMF umbrella at the DMTF in 2014.

Why does Redfish (specification) matter?

Because it connects several computer 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 Redfish (specification)?

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 Redfish (specification).