Alert Standard Format (ASF) Specification

Alert Standard Format (ASF) Specification v2.0 DMTF Document DSP0136
DSP0136 23 April 2003 Page 48 of 94
4 Firmware Interfaces
A managed client’s ASF configuration and capabilities are reported by the system firmware (or
BIOS) via ACPI description tables and control methods and, optionally, as static information
stored within an SEEPROM. OS-present software uses this information to customize the
system’s ASF-aware alert-sending device(s).
An ASF-enabled system firmware provides:
1. An ACPI description table that identifies
• If present, undiscoverable fixed-address sensor devices in the system and their
characteristics
• The system’s ASF capabilities, and system type for use in the Platform Event Trap
messages
• Any legacy sensor-access information, if present in the system.
• Any remote-control actions supported by the system hardware, and the associated
device information.
• The system’s (optional) support for RMCP, and the last RMCP command completed by
the system firmware.
2. ACPI Control Methods that identify
• The methods that provide configuration of the system's power-on wait time.
3. SMBIOS structures that identify
• The UUID/GUID for use in the Platform Event Trap messages
A managed client might also provide SEEPROM devices that duplicate the static information
provided by the ACPI description table.
4.1 ACPI Definitions
System firmware identifies the system’s ASF support and configuration requirements via ACPI
interfaces.
4.1.1 Control Methods
An ASF managed client’s firmware uses ACPI control methods (required elements are marked in
bold) to provide OS-present access to ASF configuration information that is dynamically
updateable:
Scope(_SB) {
Device(ASF) {
Name(_HID, “ASF0001”) // Hardware ID (PnP ID)
Method(GPWT, 0) {…} // ASF Get Power-on Wait Time
Method(SPWT, 1) {…} // ASF Set Power-on Wait Time
}
}
ASF-defined object names must follow the ASL naming convention defined in section 16.1.2 of
[ACPI]. The recommended format for specifying the name of the ASF object
is Device (ASF)
The ASF object utilizes the _HID device identification object, providing ‘automatic’ enumeration
by the ACPI-aware operating system:
Name(_HID, “ASF0001”)
Used to specify the Plug and Play hardware ID for the ASF object