Method and apparatus for saving data used in error analysis

• US 20020124209A1
• Filed: 03/01/2001
• Published: 09/05/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/01/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: X Corp. (f/k/a Twitter, Inc.) (X Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Ruzek, Gary Lee, Faust, Robert Allan, Kehne, Kevin Gene, Nulu, Sayileela
• Granted Patent: US 7,010,726 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 714/37
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0712 in a virtual computing platform, e.g. logically partitioned systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0778 Dumping, i.e. gathering error/state information after a fault for later diagnosis
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0787 Storage of error reports, e.g. persistent data storage, storage using memory protection

Abstract

A method, apparatus, and computer implemented instructions for saving data in a logically partitioned data processing system. An error is detected in the logically partitioned data processing system. Data needed for error analysis of the error is saved in a power independent memory associated with a service processor.

Claims

1. A method for saving data in a logically partitioned data processing system, the method comprising:

detecting an error in the logically partitioned data processing system; and

saving data needed for error analysis of the error in a power independent memory associated with a service processor.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein flash memory is a type of electrically erasable programmable read only memory.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the data includes at least one of stack registers, general purpose registers, and floating point registers.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

retrieving the data from the flash memory for analysis.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the data is saved between system boots if the data processing system.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the flash memory has a size of 16 megabytes.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the data includes an error log.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the data includes dump data.

9. A method in a data processing system for saving data, the method comprising:

detecting a fault state in a partition manger on the data processing system; and

saving data relating to the fault state in a power independent memory associated with a service processor in the data processing system.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein memory is the power independent memory.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the power independent memory is an erasable programmable read only memory.

13. The data processing system of claim 12, wherein the bus system includes a primary bus and a secondary bus.

14. The data processing system claim 12, wherein the communications unit is an Ethernet adapter.

16. The data processing system of claim 15, wherein the bus system includes a primary bus and a secondary bus.

17. The data processing system claim 16, wherein the communications unit is an Ethernet adapter.

19. The data processing system of claim 18, wherein the power independent memory is an erasable programmable read only memory.

20. The data processing system of claim 18, wherein the data includes at least one of stack registers, general purpose registers, and floating point registers.

21. The data processing system of claim 18 further comprising:

retrieving means for retrieving the data from the power independent memory for analysis.

22. The data processing system of claim 18, wherein the data is saved between system boots if the data processing system.

23. The data processing system method of claim 18, wherein the power independent memory has a size of 16 megabytes.

24. The data processing system of claim 18, wherein the data includes an error log.

25. The data processing system of claim 18, wherein the data includes dump data.

27. The data processing system of claim 26, wherein memory is a power independent memory.

28. The data processing system of claim 27, wherein the power independent memory is an erasable programmable read only memory.

30. The computer program product of claim 29, wherein the power independent memory is an erasable programmable read only memory.

31. The computer program product of claim 29, wherein the data includes at least one of stack registers, general purpose registers, and floating point registers.

32. The computer program product of claim 29 further comprising:

third instructions for retrieving the data from the power independent memory for analysis.

33. The computer program product of claim 29, wherein the data is saved between system boots if the data processing system.

34. The computer program product of claim 29, wherein the power independent memory has a size of 16 megabytes.

35. The computer program product of claim 29, wherein the data includes an error log.

36. The computer program product of claim 29, wherein the data includes dump data.

38. The computer program product of claim 37, wherein memory is a power independent memory.

39. The computer program product of claim 38, wherein the power independent memory is an erasable programmable read only memory.

12. A data processing system comprising:

a bus system;

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

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

a service processor connected to the bus system;

a power independent memory associated with the service processor; and

a host processor connected to the bus system, wherein the host processor executes the set of instructions in firmware to detect an error in the logically partitioned data processing system; and

save data needed for error analysis of the error in a power independent memory associated with the service processor.

15. A data processing system comprising:

a bus system;

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

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

a service processor connected to the bus system;

a power independent memory associated with the service processor; and

a host processor connected to the bus system, wherein the host processor executes the set of instructions to detect a fault state in the data processing system; and

save data relating to the fault state in the power independent memory associated the service processor in the data processing system.

18. A data processing system for saving data in a logically partitioned data processing system, the data processing system comprising:

detecting means for detecting an error in the logically partitioned data processing system; and

saving means for saving data needed for error analysis of the error in a power independent memory associated with a service processor.

26. A data processing system for saving data, the data processing system comprising:

detecting means for detecting a fault state in a partition manger on the data processing system; and

saving means for saving data relating to the fault state in a power independent memory associated with a service processor in the data processing system.

29. A computer program product in a computer readable medium for saving data in a logically partitioned data processing system, the computer program product comprising:

first instructions for detecting an error in the logically partitioned data processing system; and

second instructions for saving data needed for error analysis of the error in a power independent memory associated with a service processor.

37. A computer program product in a computer readable medium for saving data, the method comprising:

first instructions for detecting a fault state in a partition manger on the data processing system; and

second instructions for saving data relating to the fault state in a power independent memory associated with a service processor in the data processing system.