Device resource allocation

• US 20030188062A1
• Filed: 03/28/2002
• Published: 10/02/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Lewalski-Brechter, Norbert, Massa, Dieter E., Luse, Paul E.
• Application Number:
  US10/113,458
• Publication Number:
  US 20030188062A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 710/104
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5011 the resources being hardware resources other than CPUs, Servers and Terminals

Abstract

In one embodiment, a method is provided. The method of this embodiment may include the allocating of a first set of resources to a first device, and the allocating, by the first device, of a second set of resources to a second device. The first set of resources may include the second set of resources. If the first set of resources is changed, the method of this embodiment may also including the changing, by the first device, of the second set of resources. Of course, many modifications, variations, and alternatives are possible without departing from this embodiment.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

allocating a first set of resources to a first device;

allocating, by the first device, a second set of resources to a second device, the first set of resources comprising the second set of resources; and

if the first set of resources is changed, changing, by the first device, the second set of resources.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the first set of resources comprises an address space; and

the second set of resources comprises another address space.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

requesting, by the first device, an amount of resources comprised in the first set of resources from a third device.

3. The method of claim I, further comprising:

if the first set of resources is changed, and the first set of resources, as changed, no longer comprises the a second set of resources, changing the second set of resources to be comprised in the first set of resources, as changed.

5. A method comprising:

enabling, by a first device, a second device to perform one or more pending operations; and

prior to the enabling of the second device to perform the one or more pending operations, determining, by the first device, whether a change has occurred to a first set of resources associated with the first device, the second device being associated with a second set of resources comprised in the first set of resources.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

if the first device determines that the first set of resources has changed, changing, by the first device, the second set of resources associated with the second device.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

after the second device has performed the one or more pending operations, disabling, by the first device, the second device from performing an additional operation; and

if a predetermined event occurs, enabling the second device to perform the additional operation.

8. An apparatus comprising:

a first device to be allocated a first set of resources, to allocate to a second device a second set of resources comprised in the first set of resources, and to change the second set of resources if the first set of resources is changed.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein:

the first set of resources comprises one address space; and

the second set of resources comprises another address space.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein:

if the first set of resources is changed, and the first set of resources, as changed, no longer comprises the second set of resources, the first device is also to change the second set of resources to be comprised in the first set of resources, as changed.

11. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein:

the first device is also to request from the third device an amount of resources comprised in the first set of resources.

12. An apparatus comprising:

a first device to be associated with a first set of resources, to enable a second device to perform one or more pending operations, and to determine, prior to enabling the second device to perform the one or more pending operations, whether a change has occurred to the first set of resources, the second device being associated with a second set of resources comprised in the first set of resources.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein:

if the first device determines that the change has occurred to the first set of resources, the first device is capable of changing the second set of resources associated with the second device, prior to the enabling the second device to perform the one or more pending operations.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein:

after the second device has performed the one or more pending operations, the first device is also capable of disabling the second device from performing an additional operation; and

if a predetermined event occurs, the first device is also capable enabling the second device to perform the additional operation.

15. An article comprising:

a storage medium having stored thereon instructions that when executed by a machine result in the following;

allocating, by a first device, a first set of resources to a second device, the first set of resources being a subset of a second set of resources allocated to the first device; and

if the second set of resources is changed, changing, by the first device, the first set of resources.

16. The article of claim 15, wherein:

the first set of resources comprises one address space; and

the second set of resources comprises another address space.

17. The article of claim 15, wherein the instructions, when executed, also result in:

if the second set of resources is changed, and the second set of resources, as changed, no longer comprises the first set of resources, changing of the first set of resources to be comprised in the second set of resources, as changed.

18. The article of claim 15, wherein the instructions, when executed, also result in:

requesting, by the first device, of an amount of resources comprised in the second set of resources from a third device.

19. An article comprising:

a storage medium having stored thereon instructions that when executed by a machine result in the following;

enabling, by a first device, of a second device to perform one or more pending operations; and

prior to the enabling of the second device to perform the one or more pending operations, determining, by the first device, whether a change has occurred to a first set of resources associated with the first device, the second device being associated with a second set of resources comprised in the first set of resources.

20. The article of claim 19, wherein the instructions, when executed, also result in:

if the first device determines that the first set of resources has changed, changing, by the first device, of the second set of resources associated with the second device.

21. The article of claim 19, wherein the instructions, when executed, also result in:

after the second device has performed the one or more pending operations, disabling, by the first device, of the second device from performing an additional operation; and

if a predetermined event occurs, enabling, by the first device, of the second device to perform the additional operation.

22. A system comprising:

a bus;

at least one device coupled to the bus; and

circuitry that is capable of being coupled to the bus, and when the circuitry is coupled to the bus, the circuitry is also capable of being allocated a set of resources, of allocating to the at least one device at least one subset of the set of resources, and, if the set of resources is changed, of changing the at least one subset.

23. The system of claim 22, further comprising:

a circuit board that comprises the bus and the at least one device; and

a circuit card that comprises the circuitry.

24. The system of claim 22, wherein:

the at least one device comprises at least one of a data storage controller, a network data communication controller, and a server management controller; and

the circuitry comprises an input/output (I/O) processor.

25. A system comprising:

a bus;

at least one device coupled to the bus; and

circuitry that is capable of being coupled to the bus, and when the circuitry is coupled to the bus, the circuitry is also capable of;

enabling the at least one device to perform one or more pending operations; and

prior to the enabling of the at least one device to perform the one or more pending operations, determining whether a change has occurred to a set of resources associated with the circuitry, the at least one device being associated with at least one subset of the set of resources.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein:

the set of resources comprises an address space allocated to the circuitry by a processor.

27. The system of claim 25, wherein:

the at least one subset comprises at least one address space allocated to the at least one device by the circuitry; and

the at least one device comprises memory to store information that specifies the at least one address space.

28. The system of claim 25, wherein:

the system further comprises a processor that is coupled to the bus; and

when the circuitry is coupled to the bus, the circuitry is also capable of issuing to a resource allocation request to the processor, the request being based, at least in part, upon an amount of resources determined to be allocated to the at least one device by the circuitry.

29. The system of claim 25, further comprising:

a circuit board comprising the bus, the at least one device, and a modular redundant array of inexpensive disks (RAID) on motherboard (MROMB) mechanism; and

the circuitry comprises a processor to control the mechanism, at least in part.

30. The system of claim 25, wherein:

the system further comprises a processor that is capable of changing the set of resources;

the circuitry includes memory to store information that specifies, at least in part, the set of resources; and

when the circuitry is coupled to the bus, if the processor changes the set of resources, the circuitry is also capable of determining, based at least in part upon the information, that the set of resources has been changed.