Imagine waking up tomorrow and discovering that the firmware powering millions of devices such as servers, laptops, embedded systems, and cloud infrastructure have vanished.

• • No boot screens.
  • No BIOS.
  • No secure startup.
  • No system management.
  • Just silence.

Welcome to a computing world without AMI.

The Invisible Backbone 

Firmware is the unsung hero of modern computing. It’s the first code that runs when a device powers on, initializing hardware, launching operating systems, and enabling secure, stable operation. For decades, AMI has been the trusted name that’s been quietly powering everything from desktops, laptops, and hyperscale data centers to edge devices.

So what happens if AMI firmware suddenly disappears?

The Fallout: A World Without AMI

Millions of systems from enterprise servers to everyday laptops would simply stop working. Without BIOS or UEFI to initialize hardware and launch operating systems, devices wouldn’t even boot. And it’s not just about getting started, AMI firmware includes critical security features like secure boot and measured boot that protect against deep-level threats. Without it, systems would be left wide open to attacks.

System manufacturers count on AMI’s customizable, scalable firmware to bring products to market quickly and efficiently. Without it, development would slow down, costs would rise, and innovation would hit a wall. Cloud service providers and hyperscalers also rely on AMI for fast boot times, remote management, and platform stability. Without that foundation, cloud infrastructure would become unreliable, impacting the services we all depend on everyday.

With over 40 years of experience, AMI has built a deep well of knowledge and trust that can’t be replaced overnight. Losing that would mean losing decades of optimization, compatibility, and confidence across the entire computing ecosystem.

Why AMI Matters

The value that AMI brings to the industry is beyond just a firmware vendor. We are a foundational partner in the global computing ecosystem. We have deployed billions of devices throughout the years, backed by decades of engineering excellence. Our absence would ripple across industries from healthcare and finance to industrial IoT, embedded systems, AI, and beyond.

The Bottom Line

Firmware isn’t optional. It’s essential. And when it comes to firmware, AMI is the gold standard. So next time you power on your device, ask yourself: Got firmware? If it’s not from AMI, are you really ready?

Effective Management of AI servers is Paramount

AI servers, which handle complex computations and data processing, are the backbone of the AI infrastructure. As organizations increasingly rely on AI to drive innovation and efficiency, the need for effective management of AI servers becomes paramount. One of the most crucial aspects of management is remote management. In this blog, we will discover why it is so important and how AMI’s MegaRAC® Baseboard Management Controller (BMC) for AI enhances this capability.

AI Apps Require Uninterrupted Operations 

AI applications often run 24/7, processing vast amounts of data and performing critical tasks. Any downtime can lead to significant disruptions and financial losses. Remote management allows IT administrators to monitor and manage AI servers from anywhere, ensuring that any issues are promptly addressed. MegaRAC for AI provides comprehensive out-of-band control over servers, including features like Redfish, power management, KVM redirection, and much more. This capability is vital for maintaining uninterrupted operations and minimizing downtime.

Optimizing Performance

AI workloads can be highly demanding, requiring optimal performance from server hardware. MegaRAC for AI can provide telemetry data for detailed insights and control over AI server components. This can enable administrators to monitor server performance in real-time, identifying bottlenecks, optimizing configuration, and resource allocation. This proactive approach ensures that AI servers operate at peak efficiency, delivering the performance needed for complex AI tasks.

Facilitating Scalability

As AI applications grow, so is the need for scalable infrastructure. Remote management makes it easier to scale AI server deployments by allowing datacenter administrators to add, configure, and manage servers remotely. MegaRAC for AI supports scalable management solutions, enabling seamless expansion of AI capabilities. This flexibility is crucial for organizations looking to expand their AI infrastructure without the need for extensive on-site management.

Enabling Proactive Maintenance

Remote management facilitates proactive maintenance, ensuring that AI servers remain reliable and efficient. MegaRAC for AI can provide telemetry data for valuable insights into server health and performance, allowing administrators to perform proactive maintenance. By identifying potential issues before they become critical, administrators can schedule maintenance during off-peak hours, reducing the risk of unexpected downtime.

Reducing Operational Costs

MegaRAC for AI offers efficient remote management features that help minimize operational costs. Remote management reduces the need for physical presence at AI data centers. Administrators can perform routine maintenance, updates, and troubleshooting from a central location, streamlining operations and reducing overhead. This cost-effective approach is particularly beneficial for organizations with large or geographically dispersed AI server deployments.

Manageability is a Necessity

AMI’s MegaRAC for AI is a powerful BMC solution that is a necessity for today’s AI factories. Cloud Service Providers (CSPs), Enterprise Datacenters, and System Manufacturers that integrate MegaRAC for their AI servers will be better positioned to leverage the full potential of AI, ensuring that their infrastructure remains resilient and efficient. In the quest to unlock the full potential of AI, manageability stands as a critical component.

Unlocking the Full Potential of AI Infrastructure

As Artificial intelligence (AI) continues to revolutionize industries, the infrastructure supporting AI applications must evolve to meet increasing demands for performance, reliability, and scalability. AMI firmware, including BIOS/UEFI and Baseboard Management Controller (BMC) solutions, plays a crucial role in enhancing AI infrastructure. Let’s explore how AMI firmware can augment your AI infrastructure and unlock its full potential.

1. Enhancing Manageability

AMI’s MegaRAC® BMC firmware, significantly enhances the manageability of AI server infrastructure. BMC firmware provides IT administrators with tools to monitor, control, and maintain AI servers remotely. This capability is essential for managing AI infrastructure deployed across multiple locations or cloud environments. Remote management ensures uninterrupted performance, timely updates, proactive maintenance, and effective error logging, all of which are critical for maintaining robust AI operations.

2. Optimizing Hardware Performance

AI applications require powerful hardware setups, including processors, GPUs, DPUs, and other accelerators. AMI’s Aptio® BIOS/UEFI firmware ensures that these components operate at peak performance. By fine-tuning firmware settings, AMI enhances the efficiency of hardware components, reduces latency, and increases processing speed. This optimization is vital for handling complex computational tasks and ensuring that AI applications run smoothly and efficiently.

3. Intelligent Power Management

Efficient power management is crucial in AI server infrastructures due to high energy consumption. AMI’s BMC firmware allows administrators to monitor power usage at the server, chassis, and component levels. Features such as power capping and thermal optimization help manage energy consumption, ensuring that power limits are not exceeded and allowing for effective power distribution across the infrastructure. These capabilities optimize energy usage, reduce operating costs, and minimize environmental impact.

4. Comprehensive Hardware Monitoring

AI servers comprise numerous components, including processors, memory modules, storage drives, and networking interfaces. AMI’s BMC solutions offer comprehensive hardware monitoring features, providing real-time insights into the server’s health status. Enhanced support for key platform interfaces and components allows data center administrators to monitor critical parameters, optimize server performance, and mitigate issues by promptly identifying anomalies. This proactive approach prevents system downtime and improves overall reliability.

5. Facilitating Seamless Integration

Firmware acts as a bridge between hardware and software, enabling seamless integration of AI applications with various devices. AMI’s Aptio BIOS/UEFI firmware ensures that AI clients can communicate effectively with hardware components. This integration is essential for tasks such as real-time data processing, machine learning, and predictive analytics. Firmware updates enhance compatibility and ensure that AI applications run smoothly across different platforms, facilitating a cohesive and efficient AI infrastructure.

6. Enabling Advanced Features

AMI firmware can unlock advanced features that enhance the functionality of AI infrastructure. For example, firmware updates can enable support for new AI algorithms, improve sensor accuracy, and enhance connectivity options. These features can significantly improve the user experience, making AI infrastructure more versatile and capable. Whether it’s enabling advanced security protocols or improving system diagnostics, AMI firmware plays a crucial role in enhancing AI capabilities.

7. Streamlining Development

For developers, AMI firmware provides a foundation for building and optimizing AI applications. By leveraging our firmware, developers can access hardware-specific features and optimize their applications for better performance. AMI’s Aptio® and MegaRAC® firmware tools and utilities simplify the development process, allowing developers to focus on creating innovative AI solutions. This streamlined development process can lead to faster deployment of AI applications and quicker updates to address user needs.

Firmware’s role in AI infrastructure will Continue to Grow

AMI firmware solutions can be an essential component in the ecosystem of AI infrastructure. It plays a vital role in enhancing manageability, optimizing hardware performance, managing power efficiently, monitoring hardware comprehensively, facilitating seamless integration, enabling advanced features, and streamlining development. As AI evolves, firmware’s role in augmenting AI infrastructure will grow. Investing in firmware optimization ensures exceptional performance, reliability, and scalability. AMI firmware is the unsung hero, making AI applications more powerful, efficient, and secure, and will be increasingly vital in the future of AI.

 

 

 

 

In a recent AMI blog, “The New Frontier: The Enterprise OCP Model for Returning to On-premises”, we wrote about the GEICO keynote from the 2024 Open Compute Project (OCP) Global Summit and how GEICO was making the transition from a cloud datacenter model to on-premises. Within this model, GEICO leveraged OCP and ODM resources instead of turning to an OEM.

A recent survey by Barclay’s found that 83% of enterprises plan to move their workloads back to the private cloud from the public cloud.  The main reason for this move is that today the cloud model has become overly expensive for enterprises and lacks flexibility. As with GEICO, these transitions will not come without challenges.  One of the important challenges will be with the flexibility and uniformity of platform firmware.

Common-source and Vendor-supported Applications

As a potential solution, AMI’s Kelly Bryant presented, “Firmware Management for Tomorrow, as Data Centers” at the 2024 OCP Global Summit. In this presentation, Kelly outlined how building firmware from a common-source and using vendor-supported applications can better enable the enterprise transition to on-premise using ODM hardware.

Platform firmware exists everywhere throughout the enterprise datacenter. It can be found where controls are needed for general operations, communication, and system or device management. Examples of firmware applications in a server include system boot firmware, BMC for out-of-band system management, security, communications, and power delivery. Each system in the datacenter provides the necessary firmware to operate within its own configuration profile. In an OEM model uniformity in systems provides for uniformity in firmware configurations. In an ODM model where heterogeneous systems and platform types are supported, and open-source firmware is leveraged, profiles differ.

Figure 1 below shows an example of how different ODM servers and racks are utilized across a datacenter.

Efficiency in the datacenter relies on the ability to have matching firmware profiles with configurations that are optimized for application workloads. Utilizing a purely ODM-based model that leverages open-source firmware such as OpenBMC, Redfish, LinuxBoot, and OpenEDK2 introduces mismatched configurations and ultimately inefficiencies. The inability to optimize intra-system protocols reduces remote processability resulting in application lag. A more obvious issue is where different BMC firmware throughout the datacenter creates configuration complexity, expands software overhead, and complicates administration.

Figure 2 below Illustrates how different system firmware can derive inconsistencies in responses

Net Effect of Common-source Firmware

To overcome the inefficiencies from ODM-based firmware mismatches, enterprise datacenters should turn to common-source firmware with vendor-supported applications. By using common-source firmware with ODM Hardware, enterprise datacenters are given complete control over their infrastructure. Configurable for enterprise workloads, common-source firmware delivers uniform and accurate command responses and commonality for integrators. Integration and customization of the common code base enables automation with scaling, streamlines operations, and enhances system management while maintaining compliance and security.

The net effect of using common-source firmware is that inefficient processes are eliminated, and overall operational efficiency is improved. This improvement in efficiency has been stated in an Enterprise Management Associates White Paper, “Optimizing Data Center Efficiency” where it was said that “implementing common firmware across a data center reduces the resource cushion put in place to overcome inefficient processes by around 10-20%.”

Conclusion

To better orchestrate and administer to the datacenter and the system firmware, enterprises can leverage vendor-supported applications that work alongside or with the common-source firmware. By ensuring compatibility with the common-source firmware, these applications simplify the build out process while diminishing administrative tasks. Examples of common-source firmware available through the OCP community include Aptio boot firmware, MegaRAC for BMC, and Tektagon for Hardware Root of Trust. Combined with AMI’s Data Center Manager and AMI’s Meridian cloud firmware management, enterprise datacenters can fill the gaps left by moving from OEM to ODM hardware while optimizing for their workloads.

 

 

During the 2024 Open Compute Project (OCP) Global Summit, a keynote was given by GEICO outlining the reasons why in 2023 they made the decision to reverse direction for their compute infrastructure and move it back from the cloud to on-premises. Server and storage resources had become unfit, with unfit profiles for GEICO workloads while escalating costs for those resources made the cloud model impractical for their business.

The move to on-premises would carry a number of perceived challenges. The accepted model for enterprises and next-wave datacenters had been to stress the capital budget by partnering with OEMs, who would deliver more cookie-cutter solutions. The OEM hardware model turned out to be effective for managing workloads but carried limitations and little flexibility.

Figure 1 below shows the issues Geico identified with Cloud and OEM solutions.

Open-source computing was a new consideration. Widely used to outfit hyperscale datacenters and driven primarily by cloud service providers, open source was considered to be unattainable for enterprises and next-wave datacenters that didn’t carry the same volume requirements or development resources. But the benefits of being able to deliver on performance, offering simplified management and flexibility with open standard support in a future-proof lower-cost solution were too good for GEICO to pass up.

Figure 2 below shows the advantages GEICO uncovered by working through an OCP model.

Today, using OCP inspired and approved hardware for enterprise and next-wave datacenter builds is highly attainable. Reliability of configurable CRB-proven hardware has been steadily increasing, providing new areas of flexibility. One flexible area is uniformity of server management and platform security through Redfish and DC-SCM 2.0. Complimenting hardware flexibility are firmware/ software packages from suppliers like AMI that ensure interoperability and deliver on firmware updates, security and full datacenter resource management. With the introduction of these products and features, enterprise customers are able to fill the gaps that OEMs typically provide through their product uniformity.

Logistically speaking the OCP model is far more workable today as well. Participating ODMs are seeing more healthy business opportunities where product hardware is now under commoditization pressures. This is further enabled through new standards that are giving ODMs a greater ability to own product definition, where they can accept requirements from enterprise customers. And where integration and deployments have been requiring support and expertise, OCP contributors like AMI are able to provide the tools and expertise that get the datacenters up and running.

Conclusion

In the end, GEICO leveraged OCP partnerships to build out their datacenter infrastructure saying they had achieved multiple successful deployments. The presentation concluded with some challenges for consideration going forward. These challenges will continue to get answered as enterprise and next-wave datacenters look more toward contributor expertise and the available firmware, software and tools that fill the gaps for a successful deployment. Today AMI is engaging with its ecosystem partners to ensure this model works, going forward. Solutions that will address the challenges identified by GEICO will be available to better streamline implementation.

 

As AI technology evolves, data centers must support denser, more complex AI clusters. With high-performance GPUs central to AI workloads, managing thermal, power, and efficiency challenges while meeting sustainability goals is increasingly critical. To address these needs, Wiwynn and AMI have partnered to deliver a solution tailored for high-density liquid-cooled AI environments.

Challenges of Managing AI Cluster Density

AI clusters demand careful management of power, temperature, and component health to prevent issues like overheating and downtime. Traditional data center tools were not built for such densely packed clusters with thousands of GPUs and compute nodes. Managing these environments efficiently requires a new, integrated approach to keep every component optimized.

The Wiwynn-AMI Solution

AMI and Wiwynn have collaborated so that AMI’s Data Center Manager (DCM) and Wiwynn’s Universal Management System (UMS100) work in tandem to create a management platform specifically for high-density liquid-cooled AI clusters. Wiwynn’s UMS100 handles liquid cooling units, providing real-time monitoring to maintain ideal operating temperatures for GPUs and other components which reduces the risk of thermal issues and prolongs equipment life. And on the other hand, AMI DCM v6.0 (soon to be released) serves as a central platform that tracks power, thermal, health, and carbon metrics across the entire cluster. This allows data center managers to monitor and adjust resources in real-time, ensuring efficient and reliable performance.

Key capabilities of AMI DCM include:

• Enhanced GPU Management in DCM v6.0: Given the importance of GPUs in AI clusters, DCM v6.0 introduces new GPU management features, including the ability to monitor GPU utilization, temperatures, and power use, along with diagnostics such as GPU resets and power capping. These features in combination with UMS100 capabilities provide additional insights such as leak detection, reservoir level notifications, and changes in flow rates, allowing for actionable preemptive measures to be taken.
• Meeting Performance and Sustainability Goals: Balancing AI cluster performance with environmental responsibility is a key challenge. Together, AMI DCM and Wiwynn UMS100 optimize power and cooling use, helping data centers reduce excess energy consumption while ensuring efficient operation. This integrated approach supports data centers in achieving both operational excellence and sustainability goals, crucial for meeting today’s industry standards.

Addressing the Firmware Conundrum

By centralizing and automating firmware management, AMI DCM eliminates the complexities of manual tracking and updates, enabling IT administrators to maintain consistent firmware versions across all devices. The tool’s powerful features not only improve security and performance but also minimize downtime by allowing batch and scheduled updates. Because AMI DCM’s firmware management is done out-of-band, administrators can check firmware versions and perform updates without needing physical access to servers or installing anything on their operating systems. This feature is particularly useful in distributed environments where accessing systems directly is difficult or impractical.

Learn More  

Download the whitepaper and discover how AMI and Wiwynn are redefining AI cluster management with DCM v6.0. For more information about AMI DCM, download the brochure and schedule a demo today!

 

 

 

On October 10, 2024, the highly anticipated Cyber Resilience Act (CRA) was adopted by the European Commission (EU) Council. The new law provides for a 36-month period after signing and publication before the requirements in the act will be enforced. However, the CRA goes into force only 20 days after its publication. Signing and publication are projected to take place in the coming weeks.

Enterprises Must Start Designing for the CRA Now

What does this mean for companies that produce and ship critical products with digital elements (PDEs)? Starting in late 2027, the EU will begin enforcing CRA requirements on products that started shipping 20 days after publication, in 2024. Developers and manufacturers should plan accordingly to ensure compliance and avoid any potential fines or disruptions in shipping, come late 2027.

Changes in Technology and Practice are Required 

Included in CRA requirements are key elements that should be addressed as initial units are shipped before the 2027 enforcement date. Through the CRA’s definition of “software”, any “part of an electronic system that consists of computer code” will need to have an associated software bill of materials (SBOM) and be resilient from cyber-attacks. This includes all firmware, as it is the foundational computer code for all electronic systems.

Firmware Must be Resilient

To ensure compliance in late 2027, developers of PDEs must design capabilities to detect corrupted firmware at power-on, prevent firmware corruption during runtime, and recover corrupted firmware to a trusted firmware image. Additionally, all versions of firmware running on PDEs must have an associated SBOM where vulnerabilities can be traced and managed.

How AMI Can Help?

Aligning with these requirements, AMI offers products and services that help our customers comply with the EU CRA, along with other international standards and regulations. This includes firmware with all associated SBOMs, vulnerability management through our Product Security Incident Response Team (PSIRT) and AMI’s Tektagon Platform Root of Trust (PRoT) solution for platform firmware resilience.

Customers should contact their associated AMI sales representative to learn more about how AMI can help them comply with the CRA and other cyber security regulations.

 

 

 

 

ATLANTA, GEORGIA – AMI^®, the global leader in Dynamic Firmware for worldwide computing, is excited to announce its participation in the upcoming 2024 Open Compute Project (OCP) Global Summit on October 15-17 in San Jose, California. This year’s Summit theme, “From Ideas to Impact,” reflects OCP’s commitment to fostering industry partnerships and showcasing collaborative, cutting-edge advancements that drive openness, efficiency, sustainability, scalability, and growth in the data center industry.

Following suit, AMI is poised to make a mark at this year’s Summit, delivering dynamic and intelligent firmware and software solutions at the heart of the compute supply-chain ecosystem. Aimed at bridging the gap between manufacturers and data centers through a simplified, secure, and resilient firmware experience while enabling cutting-edge technologies, AMI is at the forefront of OCP collaborations with a record number of over 20 different industry partners represented at this year’s Summit.

AMI Presentations and Panel Discussions

• • • Executive Presentation (Sanjoy Maity, CEO): Modular Firmware for Modern Data Centers: A Collaborative Approach to Scalability and Sustainability – Tue, October 15, 3:00 PM – 3:20 PM | SJCC – Concourse Level – 210CG
    • Expo Hall Session (Kelly Bryant, CPO): Firmware Management for Tomorrow’s Data Centers – Wed, October 16, 11:20 AM – 11:35 AM | SJCC – Concourse Level – Expo Hall Stage
    • Special Focus: OCP Market Impact & Supply Chain (Stefano Righi, SVP): Device Security in the OCP Supply Chain: Overview of How OCP SAFE Addresses the Challenges of Device Firmware – Thu, October 17, 9:45 AM – 10:25 AM | SJCC – Concourse Level – 220C
    • Open Platform Firmware (OPF) Panel Discussion (Srini Narayana, Sr. Director): Overcoming industry challenges in at-scale system firmware life cycle – Thu, October 17, 2:45 PM- 3:20 PM | SJCC – Concourse Level – 210DH
    • Open Platform Firmware (OPF) Breakout Session (Zach Bobroff, VP): Advancing Arm Custom-Built Silicon with Open-Source Firmware – Thu, October 17, 1:10 PM – 1:30 PM | SJCC – Concourse Level – 210DH
    • Open Platform Firmware (OPF) Breakout Session (Brian Vandecoevering, Sr. Director): DC-Wide Rack Management and Beyond: Exploring Scalable Rack Management Solutions for Gen AI Infrastructure – Thu, October 17, 1:30 PM – 1:50 PM | SJCC – Concourse Level – 210DH

Let us know your thoughts on the insights shared during our presentations. Be sure to stop by our booth (A27) for deep dives and conversations with our team. Our experts will be on hand to provide in-depth demonstrations and answer questions. To learn more about AMI’s participation in this year’s event, please visit AMI 2024 OCP Global Summit page.

Follow AMI on LinkedIn and Twitter to receive the latest news and announcements.

AMI is a registered trademark in the US and/or elsewhere. All other trademarks and registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners.