Electrical computers and digital processing systems: multicomput – Network computer configuring
Reexamination Certificate
2001-03-01
2004-11-23
Gaffin, Jeffrey (Department: 2182)
Electrical computers and digital processing systems: multicomput
Network computer configuring
C709S221000, C709S222000, C370S254000, C710S008000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06823375
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Technical Field
The present invention relates generally to the field of computer systems and, more specifically, to a method, system, and apparatus for configuring multiple remote input/output hubs.
2. Description of Related Art
A logical partitioning option (LPAR) within a data processing system (platform) allows multiple copies of a single operating system (OS) or multiple heterogeneous operating systems to be simultaneously run on a single data processing system platform. A partition, within which an operating system image runs, is assigned a non-overlapping sub-set of the platform's resources. These platform allocable resources include one or more architecturally distinct processors with their interrupt management area, regions of system memory, and input/output (I/O) adapter bus slots. The partition's resources are represented by its own open firmware device tree to the OS image.
Each distinct OS or image of an OS running within the platform is protected from each other such that software errors on one logical partition can not affect the correct operation of any of the other partitions. This is provided by allocating a disjoint set of platform resources to be directly managed by each OS image and by providing mechanisms for ensuring that the various images can not control any resources that have not been allocated to it. Furthermore, software errors in the control of an OS's allocated resources are prevented from affecting the resources of any other image. Thus, each image of the OS (or each different OS) directly controls a distinct set of allocable resources within the platform.
In many systems, I/O devices are incorporated into the data processing system using I/O drawers. These I/O drawers are modular structures that are easy to install and remove allowing for easy modification of the data processing system. The I/O drawers typically contain several I/O expansion slots in which I/O devices may be “plugged” into and used by the data processing system. For example, many I/O drawers allow for 8 or 16 I/O expansion slots.
Each I/O drawer and expansion slot within the I/O drawer must be assigned addresses by the data processing system such that input and output requests from various components within the system may utilize the new hardware. In prior art RIO systems, open firmware peripheral component interconnect (PCI) Host Bridge (PHB) unit addresses are dynamically generated based on dynamic discovery of PHBs on successive Remote Input/Output (RIO) loop probes. A RIO system employs a special I/O bridge, which is called an RIO hub and has several ports to connect to I/O drawers via special high-speed cables. An I/O drawer has two ports. There are two typical RIO loops: 1) one port of a hub connected to the input port of an I/O drawer, and the output port of this I/O drawer connected to the companion port of the same hub; 2) one port of a hub connected to the input port of an I/O drawer, the output port of this I/O drawer connected to the input port of another I/O drawer, and the output port of the other I/O drawer connected to the companion port of the same hub. An RIO loop probe refers to the discovery process to determine the presence of one of these two RIO loops. The ODM of some operating systems, such as, for example, Advanced Interactive Executive (AIX) operating system, use the open firmware device path (e.g. /pci@fba0000000/scsi) as the identifier of an Object Database Management (ODM) object. ODM is a software component of AIX. Hardware functional components such as PCI Host Bridges (PHBs) are represented as ODM objects in the database to be managed by the ODM software.
In known multiple processor, multiple input/output hub data processing systems, the master processor performs the configuration of the remote input/output (RIO) hubs. The other processors in the system, i.e. the slave processors, are idling in a spinning loop waiting for the master processor to complete the RIO configuration before the slave processors are allowed to proceed. With multiple RIO hubs and multiple I/O drawers connected to them, the master processor will take longer to finish the RIO discovery and configuration.
Therefore, a need exists for a multiple processor, multiple RIO hub data processing system in which RIO hubs may be configured approximately simultaneously by the slave processors included within the data processing system.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A method, system, and product are described for configuring remote input/output (RIO) hubs within a data processing system. Each one of the RIO hubs is assigned to one of multiple slave processors which are included within the data processing system. Each one of the slave processors which has an assigned RIO hub then configures its assigned RIO hub. Each RIO hub has an associated data structure that is updated with current configuration information by the slave processor assigned to configure that RIO hub. When the slave processor has finished configuring its assigned RIO hub, the slave processor then sets a configuration flag to indicate the completion of the configuration of the RIO hub.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5938765 (1999-08-01), Dove et al.
patent: 6158000 (2000-12-01), Collins
patent: 6502162 (2002-12-01), Blumenau et al.
patent: 6523082 (2003-02-01), Yoshida
patent: 6725317 (2004-04-01), Bouchier et al.
Lee Van Hoa
Tran Kiet Anh
Gaffin Jeffrey
International Business Machines - Corporation
McBurney Mark E.
Patel Niketa
Yee Duke W.
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