Method and apparatus for maintaining profiles for terminals in a configurable data processing system

• US 20020124063A1
• Filed: 03/01/2001
• Published: 09/05/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/01/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Willoughby, David R., McLaughlin, Charles Andrew, Lipp, Walter Manfred, Foster, Robert Kimberlin
• Granted Patent: US 7,039,692 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/221
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5077 Logical partitioning of resources; Management or configuration of virtualized resources specific details on emulation or internal functioning of virtual machines G06F9/455

Abstract

The present invention provides a method, apparatus, and computer implemented instructions for managing a set of objects for a plurality of terminals. The set of objects are stored in a memory, such as a nonvolatile random access memory in a data processing system. The set of objects are used to configure logical partitions within the data processing system. Access to the set of objects is provided to the plurality of terminals through a service processor.

Claims

1. A method in a data processing system for managing a set of objects for a plurality of terminals, the method comprising:

storing the set of objects in memory, wherein the set of objects are used to configure logical partitions within the data processing system; and

providing access to the set of objects to the plurality of terminals through a service processor.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the memory is a nonvolatile memory.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the nonvolatile memory is a nonvolatile random access memory connected to the service processor.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of objects is a set of profiles.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

responsive to a change in the set of objects, sending the change to the plurality of terminals.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the change is a change to an object within the set of objects.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the change is an addition of another object to the set of objects.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of terminals is a plurality of hardware system consoles.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the steps of storing and providing are executed by a service processor and wherein the plurality of hardware system consoles communicate with the service processors through an input/output unit.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein a terminal within the set of terminals makes a change to an object within a set of objects and further comprising:

responsive to the terminal requesting a notification of the change, sending the notification to the set of terminals.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the set of terminals request objects from the set of objects in response to receiving the notification.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the input/output processor is connected to the service processor by a bus.

15. The data processing system claim 14, wherein communications between the service processor and the terminal are facilitated by an input/output unit connected to the service processor.

16. The data processing system of claim 14, wherein the bus system includes a primary bus and a secondary bus.

17. The data processing system claim 14, wherein the communications unit is an Ethernet adapter.

18. The data processing system of claim 14, wherein the input/output unit is at least one of a serial port, an Ethernet adapter, and a modem.

20. The data processing system of claim 19, wherein the memory is a nonvolatile memory.

21. The data processing system of claim 20, wherein the nonvolatile memory is a nonvolatile random access memory connected to the service processor.

22. The data processing system of claim 19, wherein the set of objects is a set of profiles.

23. The data processing system of claim 19 further comprising:

sending means, responsive to a change in the set of objects, for sending the change to the plurality of terminals.

24. The data processing system of claim 23, wherein the change is a change to an object within the set of objects.

25. The data processing system of claim 23, wherein the change is an addition of another object to the set of objects.

26. The data processing system of claim 19, wherein the plurality of terminals is a plurality of hardware system consoles.

27. The data processing system of claim 26, wherein the storing means and providing means are located in a service processor and wherein the plurality of hardware system consoles communicate with the service processors through an input/output unit.

28. The data processing system of claim 19, wherein a terminal within the set of terminals makes a change to an object within a set of objects and further comprising:

sending means, responsive to the terminal requesting a notification of the change, for sending the notification to the set of terminals.

29. The data processing system of claim 28, wherein the set of terminals request objects from the set of objects in response to receiving the notification.

12. A system comprising:

a service processor;

an input/output unit connected to the service processor, wherein the input/output unit sends and receives data; and

a nonvolatile memory connected to the service processor, wherein a set of profiles are stored in the nonvolatile memory, the set of profiles being used by a set of terminals to configure logical partitions.

14. A data processing system comprising:

a bus system;

a plurality of processors;

a communications unit connected to the bus system, wherein data is sent and received using the communications unit;

a memory connected to the bus system, wherein a set of instructions are located in the memory; and

a service processor unit connected to the bus system, wherein the processor unit executes the set of instructions to store profiles for configuring logical partitions within the data processing system, and provide access to the profiles to a terminal in communications with the service processor.

19. A data processing system in a data processing system for managing a set of objects for a plurality of terminals, the data processing system comprising:

storing means for storing the set of objects in memory, wherein the set of objects are used to configure logical partitions within the data processing system; and

providing means for providing access to the set of objects to the plurality of terminals through a service processor.

30. A computer program product in a computer readable medium for use managing a set of objects for a plurality of terminals, the computer program product comprising:

first instructions for storing the set of objects in memory, wherein the set of objects are used to configure logical partitions within the data processing system; and

second instructions for providing access to the set of objects to the plurality of terminals through a service processor.

31. The computer program product of claim 30, wherein the memory is a nonvolatile memory.

32. The computer program product of claim 31, wherein the nonvolatile memory is a nonvolatile random access memory connected to the service processor.

33. The computer program product of claim 30, wherein the set of objects is a set of profiles.

34. The computer program product of claim 30 further comprising:

third instructions, responsive to a change in the set of objects, sending the change to the plurality of terminals.

35. The computer program product of claim 34, wherein the change is a change to an object within the set of objects.

36. The computer program product of claim 34, wherein the change is an addition of another object to the set of objects.

37. The computer program product of claim 30, wherein the plurality of terminals is a plurality of hardware system consoles.

38. The computer program product of claim 37, wherein the first instructions and the second instructions executed by a service processor and wherein the plurality of hardware system consoles communicate with the service processors through an input/output unit.

39. The computer program product of claim 30, wherein a terminal within the set of terminals makes a change to an object within a set of objects and further comprising:

third instructions, responsive to the terminal requesting a notification of the change, for sending the notification to the set of terminals.

40. The computer program product of claim 39, wherein the set of terminals request objects from the set of objects in response to receiving the notification.