Enhanced VPD (Vital Product Data) structure

• US 20040025089A1
• Filed: 07/30/2002
• Published: 02/05/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle America, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sun Microsystems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: DiMambro, Francesco R., Kahn, David M., Kamatala, Sumanth R., Visariya, Anil Umarshi, Haswarey, Asif H.
• Granted Patent: US 7,149,820 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 714/42
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/4221 being an input/output bus, e.g. ISA bus, EISA bus, PCI bus, SCSI bus
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99942 Manipulating data structure, e.g. compression, compaction, compilation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface

Abstract

An enhanced VPD structure includes a type field to indicate whether a particular property is a general property to be associated with an interface card or other computer system component, or a device- or function-specific property to be associated with one or more devices or functions. The enhanced VPD structure also includes fields for identifying the device(s) and/or function(s) to which a device- or function-specific property applies, along with the value of the property, a data type and length of the property, and a meaningful name of the property. The enhanced VPD structure may be accessed during system boot, during hot-swapping of an interface card or other component, or at other times.

Claims

1. A nonvolatile computer readable storage medium containing a data structure configured to store properties associable with one or more electronic devices, the data structure comprising:

a key, wherein said key is unique within the data structure;

a property name comprising a name of a property;

a property value comprising a value for said property;

a property length comprising a length of said property value;

a data type of said property value;

a device identifier configured to identify one or more devices of a computer system; and

a function identifier configured to identify a function of said one or more devices.

2. The nonvolatile computer readable storage medium of claim 1, further comprising a record type comprising one of:

a first code if said property is associable with a computer system component comprising a set of devices; and

a second code if said property is associable with said one or more devices.

3. The nonvolatile computer readable storage medium of claim 2, wherein said device identifier comprises a predetermined value if said property value is associable with every device in said set of devices.

4. The nonvolatile computer readable storage medium of claim 2, wherein the computer system component is an interface card.

12. The computer system of claim 11, wherein said set of properties further includes:

a function-specific property of a first function of a second device in said set of devices;

wherein said function-specific property includes an identifier of said first function.

13. The computer system of claim 11, wherein said operating system comprises a device driver configured to access said nonvolatile memory.

5. A nonvolatile computer readable storage medium containing a data structure configured to store a device-specific property associable with one or more electronic devices, the data structure comprising:

a key, wherein said key is unique within the data structure;

a property name comprising a meaningful name of a property;

a property value comprising a value for said property;

a property length comprising a length of said property value;

a data type of said property value;

a record type comprising one of;

a first code if said property is associable with a computer system component comprising a set of devices; and

a second code if said property is associable with one or more of said devices; and

if said record type comprises said second code;

a device identifier configured to identify said one or more devices; and

a function identifier configured to identify a function of said one or more devices.

6. The nonvolatile computer readable storage medium of claim 5, further comprising:

a record length indicating a combined length of said property name, said property value, said property length, said data type, said record type, said device identifier and said function identifier.

7. An interface module for a computer system, the interface module comprising:

one or more electronic devices, including a first device having one or more functions;

a nonvolatile memory configured to store a set of properties associable with one or more of;

the interface module; and

said first device; and

a set of computer executable instructions configured to facilitate retrieval of said set of properties from said nonvolatile memory;

wherein one or more of said properties include an identifier of said first device.

8. The interface module of claim 7, wherein each property in said set of properties comprises:

a value of said property;

a name of said property;

a data type of said value;

a scope configured to identify a scope of said property;

if said scope indicates a device scope;

a device identifier configured to identify said first device; and

a function identifier configured to identify a first function of said first device.

9. The interface module of claim 8, wherein said device identifier is configured to identify multiple devices, including said first device.

10. The interface module of claim 8, wherein said function identifier is configured to identify multiple functions, including said first function.

11. A computer system, comprising:

a processor;

an operating system configured for execution by said processor;

an interface card, comprising;

a set of devices; and

a nonvolatile memory configured to store a set of properties, including;

a meta property of the interface card; and

a device-specific property of a first device in said set of devices;

wherein said device-specific property includes an identifier of said first device.

14. The computer system of claim 11, wherein each property in said set of properties comprises:

a value of said property;

a value type configured to indicate a data type of said value;

a name of said property; and

a property type configured to indicate that said property is one of;

a meta property to be associated with the interface card; and

a device-specific property to be associated with one or more devices of the interface card.

15. The computer system of claim 14, wherein said device-specific property further comprises:

a device identifier configured to identify a set of devices of the interface card.

16. The computer system of claim 15, wherein said device identifier is configured to store a special value if said property is to be associated with multiple devices.

17. The computer system of claim 14, wherein said device-specific property further comprises:

a function identifier configured to identify a set of functions of a device of the interface card.

18. The computer system of claim 15, wherein said function identifier is configured to store a special value if said property is to be associated with multiple functions.

19. A method of associating a property with an electronic device within a computer system, comprising:

accessing a nonvolatile memory configured to store properties of one or more devices of a computer system;

retrieving from the nonvolatile memory a first property, said first property comprising;

a value of said first property;

a name of said first property;

a data type of said value; and

a device identifier configured to identify a first device; and

associating said value with said first device.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein said first property further comprises:

a scope configured to indicate a scope of said first property, wherein said scope is one of;

a first scope indicating that said first property is to be associated with a device; and

a second scope indicating that said first property is to be associated with a component of the computer system that comprises a device.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein said first property further comprises a function identifier configured to identify a first function of said first device;

wherein said associating comprises associating said first property value with said first function.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein said function identifier is configured to identify multiple functions, including said first function.

23. The method of claim 19, wherein said accessing, retrieving and associating are performed by a device driver of the computer system.

24. The method of claim 19, wherein said accessing, retrieving and associating are performed in conjunction with the hot-swapping of a component of the computer system;

and

wherein said component comprises said first device.

25. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

executing an FCode program stored in the nonvolatile memory with said first property.

26. The method of claim 19, wherein said device identifier is configured to identify multiple devices, including said first device.

27. The method of claim 19, wherein the nonvolatile memory is part of a component of the computer system that comprises multiple devices, including said first device.

28. The method of claim 19, wherein the nonvolatile memory is part of a first component of the computer system;

and

wherein said first device is part of a second component of the computer system.

29. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

determining whether said first property is a meta property to be associated with a computer system module that comprises said first device.

30. A computer readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform a method of associating a property with an electronic device within a computer system, the method comprising:

accessing a nonvolatile memory configured to store properties of one or more devices of a computer system;

retrieving from the nonvolatile memory a first property, said first property comprising;

a value of said first property;

a name of said first property;

a data type of said value; and

a device identifier configured to identify a first device; and

associating said value with said first device.

31. A method of applying an enhanced Vital Product Data (VPD) data structure, comprising:

identifying one or more devices, including a first device, on a computer system interface module;

accessing a non-volatile memory of the interface module, wherein the non-volatile memory comprises a VPD data structure;

parsing a first record of the VPD data structure, wherein said first record comprises;

a record type;

a first property;

a value of said first property;

determining, from said record type, whether said first property corresponds to the interface module or said first device;

if said first property corresponds to the interface module, associating said first property with the interface module; and

if said first property corresponds to said first device, associating said first property with said first device.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein said associating said first property with said first device comprises:

storing said value in a data structure corresponding to said first device, wherein said data structure is maintained by a device driver of said first device.