Method and system for managing information for a computer system

• US 20030182473A1
• Filed: 03/20/2002
• Published: 09/25/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/20/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP (Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Company)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Afshar, Farid, Hobby, John W.
• Granted Patent: US 6,816,920 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 710/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4411 Configuring for operating with peripheral devices; Loading of device drivers

Abstract

A method and system for managing I/O information for a computer system is disclosed. The method comprises gathering I/O information for a plurality of devices in the computer system when the computer system is booted, formatting the I/O information, storing the formatted I/O information and displaying the formatted I/O information on a display means to be viewed by an operator for monitoring and managing the I/O information for the computer system.

Claims

1. A method for managing input/output (I/O) information for a computer system, comprising the steps of:

(a) gathering I/O information for a plurality of devices in the computer system when the computer system is booted;

(b) formatting the I/O information;

(c) storing the formatted I/O information; and

(d) displaying the formatted I/O information on a display means to be viewed by an operator for monitoring and managing the I/O information for the computer system.

2. The method of claim 1, where the display means comprises a monitor.

3. The method of claim 1, where the display means comprises print media.

4. The method of claim 1, where the gathering step comprises:

reading data for one or more of the devices from a memory unit, wherein the data represents properties of the devices;

determining hardware path information for one or more of the devices;

determining slot information for one or more hardware paths;

determining device class information for each hardware path;

determining system model information for the computer system;

determining system swap information for the computer system; and

determining root disk information.

5. The method of claim 4, where the step of determining hardware path information comprises:

determining the hardware paths of the devices;

determining a number of devices on each hardware path; and

determining instance numbers assigned to the hardware paths.

6. The method of claim 4, where the reading step comprises:

accounting for any devices that have been rendered inaccessible to the computer system; and

disregarding the data for any devices that have been rendered inaccessible to the computer system.

7. The method of claim 1, where the step of storing the formatted I/O information comprises:

creating an electronic file for individual hardware paths; and

storing the formatted I/O information for the individual hardware paths in corresponding electronic files.

8. A system for managing I/O information for a computer system, comprising:

means for gathering I/O information for a plurality of devices in the computer system when the computer system is booted;

means for formatting the I/O information;

means for storing the formatted I/O information; and

means for displaying the formatted I/O information to be viewed by an operator for monitoring and managing the I/O information for the computer system.

9. The method of claim 8, where the means for displaying comprises a monitor.

10. The method of claim 8, where the means for displaying comprises print media.

11. The system of claim 8, where the means for gathering comprises:

means for reading data for one or more of the devices from a memory unit, wherein the data represents properties of the devices;

means for determining hardware path information for one or more of the devices;

means for determining slot information for one or more hardware paths;

means for determining device class information for each hardware path;

means for determining system model information for the computer system;

means for determining system swap information for the computer system; and

means for determining root disk information.

12. The system of claim 8, where the means for storing the formatted I/O information comprises:

means for creating an electronic file for individual hardware paths; and

means for storing the formatted I/O information for individual hardware paths in corresponding electronic files.

13. The system of claim 11, where the means for reading data comprises:

means for accounting for any devices that have been rendered inaccessible to the computer system; and

means for disregarding the data for any devices that have been rendered inaccessible to the computer system.

14. A computer-readable medium containing instructions for configuring a computer system to manage I/O information, the instructions comprising the steps of:

(a) gathering I/O information for a plurality of devices in the computer system when the computer system is booted;

(b) formatting the I/O information;

(c) storing the formatted I/O information; and

(d) displaying the formatted I/O information on a display means to be viewed by an operator for monitoring and managing the I/O information for the computer system.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 14 containing instructions for configuring a computer system to manage I/O information, where the gathering step comprises:

reading data for one or more of the devices from a memory unit, wherein the data represents properties of the devices;

determining hardware path information for one or more of the devices;

determining slot information for one or more hardware paths;

determining device class information for each hardware path;

determining system model information for the computer system;

determining system swap information for the computer system; and

determining root disk information.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 14 containing instructions for configuring a computer system to manage I/O information, where the storing step comprises:

creating an electronic file for individual hardware paths; and

storing the formatted I/O information for individual hardware paths in corresponding electronic files.

17. A computer-readable medium that stores a program, said program comprising:

means for gathering I/O information for a plurality of devices in the computer system when the computer system is booted;

means for formatting the I/O information;

means for storing the formatted I/O information; and

means for displaying the formatted I/O information to be viewed by an operator for monitoring and managing the I/O information for the computer system.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 17 that stores a program, where the means for gathering comprises:

means for reading data for one or more of the devices from a memory unit, wherein the data represents properties of the devices;

means for determining hardware path information for one or more of the devices;

means for determining slot information for one or more hardware paths;

means for determining device class information for each hardware path;

means for determining system model information for the computer system;

means for determining system swap information for the computer system; and

means for determining root disk information.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 17 that stores a program, where the means for storing the formatted I/O information comprises:

means for creating an electronic file for individual hardware paths; and

means for storing the formatted I/O information for individual hardware paths in corresponding electronic files.

20. A computer-readable medium embodying a program of instructions, said program of instructions comprising:

(a) gathering I/O information for a plurality of devices in the computer system when the computer system is booted;

(b) formatting the I/O information;

(c) storing the formatted I/O information; and

(d) displaying the formatted I/O information on a display means to be viewed by an operator for monitoring and managing the I/O information for the computer system.

21. The computer-readable medium of claim 20 embodying a program of instructions, where the instruction of gathering comprises:

reading data for one or more of the devices from a memory unit, wherein the data represents properties of the devices;

determining hardware path information for one or more of the devices;

determining slot information for one or more hardware paths;

determining device class information for each hardware path;

determining system model information for the computer system;

determining system swap information for the computer system; and

determining root disk information.

22. The computer-readable medium of claim 20 embodying a program of instructions, where the instruction of storing comprises:

creating an electronic file for individual hardware paths; and

storing the formatted I/O information for individual hardware paths in corresponding electronic files.