Method and system for hardware enforcement of logical partitioning of a channel adapter's resources in a system area network

• US 20050071472A1
• Filed: 09/30/2003
• Published: 03/31/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Arndt, Richard Louis, Fuhs, Ronald Edward, Walk, Bruce Marshall, Craddock, David F., Beukema, Bruce Leroy, Schmidt, Donald William, Gregg, Thomas Anthony
• Granted Patent: US 7,979,548 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/226
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/205 Quality of Service based
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/30 Peripheral units, e.g. input or output ports
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/358 Infiniband Switches
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1097 for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A method and system are disclosed for logically partitioning resources of a single channel adapter for use in a system area network. Each resource includes a partition identifier register within which is stored a partition identifier. A first one of the resources is assigned to a first partition by storing a first partition identifier in the partition identifier register within the first one of the resources. A second one of the resources is assigned to a second partition by storing a second partition identifier in the partition identifier register within the second one of the resources. Partitioning of the resources is enforced by permitting access to the first resource by only the first partition and permitting access to the second resource by only the second partition by checking the partition identifiers of each resource.

Claims

1. A method of logically partitioning a plurality of resources of a single channel adapter for use in a system area network, wherein said single channel adapter is shared by different partitions, comprising:

assigning a first one of said plurality of resources to a first partition;

assigning a second one of said plurality of resources to a second partition; and

enforcing partitioning of said plurality of resources by permitting access to said first one of said plurality of resources by said first partition and permitting access to said second one of said plurality of resources by said second partition.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

enforcing partitioning of said plurality of resources by permitting access to said first one of said plurality of resources only by said first partition and permitting access to said second one of said plurality of resources only by said second partition.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

determining a partition to which one of said plurality of resources is assigned utilizing a partition identifier that is stored within said one of said plurality of resources.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

enforcing partitioning of said plurality of resources utilizing a hardware register included within each one of said plurality of resources.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

attempting, by said second one of said plurality of resources, to access said first one of said plurality of resources;

determining whether said first and second ones of said plurality of resources are assigned to the same partition by determining whether said second partition and said first partition are the same partition;

in response to a determination that said second partition and said first partition are the same partition, permitting said access of said first one of said plurality of resources by said second one of said plurality of resources; and

in response to a determination that said second partition and said first partition are different partitions, prohibiting said access of said first one of said plurality of resources by said second one of said plurality of resources.

6. The method according to claim 5, further comprising the steps of:

in response to a determination that said second partition and said first partition are different partitions, reporting an error.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

requesting, by an operating system, one of said plurality of resources of a particular type;

selecting, by a hypervisor, a particular one of said plurality of resources that is said particular type;

determining a partition to which said operating system is assigned;

storing a partition identifier that identifies said partition in a hardware register within said particular one of said plurality of resources; and

using said partition identifier that is stored within said hardware register to enforce partitioning of said plurality of resources.

8. The method according to claim 7, further comprising the steps of:

permitting only said hypervisor to alter contents of said hardware register.

9. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

permitting software to set arbitrary relationships between ones of said plurality of resources after said ones of said plurality of resources are partitioned.

10. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

enforcing said partitioning using hardware within said channel adapter.

11. A system of logically partitioning a plurality of resources of a single channel adapter for use in a system area network, wherein said single channel adapter is shared by different partitions, comprising:

a first one of said plurality of resources assigned to a first partition;

a second one of said plurality of resources assigned to a second partition; and

said channel adapter enforcing partitioning of said plurality of resources by permitting access to said first one of said plurality of resources by said first partition and permitting access to said second one of said plurality of resources by said second partition.

12. The system according to claim 11, further comprising:

said channel adapter enforcing partitioning of said plurality of resources by permitting access to said first one of said plurality of resources only by said first partition and permitting access to said second one of said plurality of resources only by said second partition.

13. The system according to claim 11, further comprising:

said channel adapter determining a partition to which one of said plurality of resources is assigned utilizing a partition identifier that is stored within said one of said plurality of resources.

14. The system according to claim 11, further comprising:

said channel adapter enforcing partitioning of said plurality of resources utilizing a hardware register included within each one of said plurality of resources.

15. The system according to claim 11, further comprising:

said second one of said plurality of resources attempting to access said first one of said plurality of resources;

said channel adapter determining whether said first and second ones of said plurality of resources are assigned to the same partition by determining whether said second partition and said first partition are the same partition;

in response to a determination that said second partition and said first partition are the same partition, said channel adapter permitting said access of said first one of said plurality of resources by said second one of said plurality of resources; and

in response to a determination that said second partition and said first partition are different partitions, said channel adapter prohibiting said access of said first one of said plurality of resources by said second one of said plurality of resources.

16. The system according to claim 15, further comprising:

in response to a determination that said second partition and said first partition are different partitions, said channel adapter reporting an error.

17. The system according to claim 11, further comprising:

an operating system requesting one of said plurality of resources of a particular type;

a hypervisor selecting a particular one of said plurality of resources that is said particular type;

said channel adapter determining a partition to which said operating system is assigned;

said hypervisor storing a partition identifier that identifies said partition in a hardware register within said particular one of said plurality of resources; and

said channel adapter using said partition identifier that is stored within said hardware register to enforce partitioning of said plurality of resources.

18. The system according to claim 17, further comprising:

said channel adapter permitting only said hypervisor to alter contents of said hardware register.

19. The system according to claim 11, further comprising:

said channel adapter permitting software to set arbitrary relationships between ones of said plurality of resources after said ones of said plurality of resources are partitioned.

20. The system according to claim 11, further comprising:

said channel adapter enforcing said partitioning using hardware within said channel adapter.