Method and apparatus for limiting standby subnet managers

• US 20050071473A1
• Filed: 09/30/2003
• Published: 03/31/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Emerson Network Power Embedded Computing Inc.
• Original Assignee: Emerson Network Power Embedded Computing Inc.
• Inventors: Dykiel, Richard, Duthie, Peter, Rosenstock, Harold N., Lagueux, Richard
• Application Number:
  US10/676,744
• Publication Number:
  US 20050071473A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/226
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/042 comprising distributed management centres cooperatively managing the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5022 by giving priorities, e.g. assigning classes of service
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5025 by proactively reacting to service quality change, e.g. by reconfiguration after service quality degradation or upgrade

Abstract

A method and apparatus for selecting a limited number of standby subnet managers includes providing an InfiniBand architecture subnet (100, 200, 300, 400, 500, 600) having a plurality of nodes (102), where each of the plurality of nodes has a priority value (307, 308) and a globally unique identifier (309, 310). Each of the plurality of nodes includes a subnet manager (305, 306). Each of the plurality of nodes is ranked according to the priority value and the globally unique identifier. The subnet manager is selected to be one of a set of standby subnet managers (328) based on the priority value and the globally unique identifier of each of the plurality of nodes.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

providing an InfiniBand architecture subnet having a plurality of nodes, wherein each of the plurality of nodes has a priority value and a globally unique identifier;

providing each of the plurality of nodes with a subnet manager;

ranking each of the plurality of nodes according to the priority value and the globally unique identifier; and

selecting if the subnet manager is included in a set of standby subnet managers based on the priority value and the globally unique identifier of each of the plurality of nodes.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting comprises selecting if the subnet manager is included in the set of standby subnet managers up to a limit value.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein ranking each of the plurality of nodes comprises ranking each of the plurality of nodes from a highest priority value to a lowest priority value, and wherein if the priority value for a first node is identical to the priority value of a second node, further ranking the first node and the second node from a lowest globally unique identifier to a highest globally unique identifier.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein selecting comprises selecting the subnet manager to be included in the set of standby subnet managers by selecting the subnet manager from each of the plurality of nodes with a highest set of priority values.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein selecting comprises selecting the subnet manager to be included in the set of standby subnet managers by selecting the subnet manager from each of the plurality of nodes with a lowest set of globally unique identifiers.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein ranking each of the plurality of nodes comprises ranking each of the plurality of nodes from a lowest priority value to a highest priority value, and wherein if the priority value for a first node is identical to the priority value of a second node, further ranking the first node and the second node from a highest globally unique identifier to a lowest globally unique identifier.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein selecting comprises selecting the subnet manager to be included in the set of standby subnet managers by selecting the subnet manager from each of the plurality of nodes with a lowest set of priority values.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein selecting comprises selecting the subnet manager to be included in the set of standby subnet managers by selecting the subnet manager from each of the plurality of nodes with a highest set of globally unique identifiers.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein ranking each of the plurality of nodes comprises ranking each of the plurality of nodes from a highest priority value to a lowest priority value, and wherein if the priority value for a first node is identical to the priority value of a second node, further ranking the first node and the second node from a highest globally unique identifier to a lowest globally unique identifier.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein selecting comprises selecting the subnet manager to be included in the set of standby subnet managers by selecting the subnet manager from each of the plurality of nodes with a highest set of priority values.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein selecting comprises selecting the subnet manager to be included in the set of standby subnet managers by selecting the subnet manager from each of the plurality of nodes with a highest set of globally unique identifiers.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein ranking each of the plurality of nodes comprises ranking each of the plurality of nodes from a lowest priority value to a highest priority value, and wherein if the priority value for a first node is identical to the priority value of a second node, further ranking the first node and the second node from a lowest globally unique identifier to a highest globally unique identifier.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein selecting comprises selecting the subnet manager to be included in the set of standby subnet managers by selecting the subnet manager from each of the plurality of nodes with a lowest set of priority values.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein selecting comprises selecting the subnet manager to be included in the set of standby subnet managers by selecting the subnet manager from each of the plurality of nodes with a lowest set of globally unique identifiers.

15. An InfiniBand architecture subnet, comprising:

a plurality of nodes, wherein each of the plurality of nodes has a priority value and a globally unique identifier;

a set of standby subnet managers; and

a subnet manager for each of the plurality of nodes, wherein the plurality of nodes, are ranked according to -the priority value and the globally unique identifier, and wherein the subnet manager from each of the plurality of nodes is selected to be included in the set of standby subnet managers based on the priority value and the globally unique identifier of each of the plurality of nodes.

16. The InfiniBand architecture subnet of claim 15, wherein the subnet manager from each of the plurality of nodes is selected to be included in the set of standby subnet managers up to a limit value.

17. The InfiniBand architecture subnet of claim 15, wherein the plurality of nodes comprise a first node and a second node, wherein each of the plurality of nodes is ranked from a highest priority value to a lowest priority value, and wherein if the priority value for the first node is identical to the priority value of the second node, the first node and the second node are further ranked from a lowest globally unique identifier to a highest globally unique identifier.

18. The InfiniBand architecture subnet of claim 17, wherein the subnet manager is selected from each of the plurality of nodes with a highest set of priority values.

19. The InfiniBand architecture subnet of claim 17, wherein the subnet manager is selected from each of the plurality of nodes with a lowest set of globally unique identifiers.

20. The InfiniBand architecture subnet of claim 15, wherein the plurality of nodes comprise a first node and a second node, wherein each of the plurality of nodes is ranked from a lowest priority value to a highest priority value, and wherein if the priority value for the first node is identical to the priority value of the second node, the first node and the second node are further ranked from a highest globally unique identifier to a lowest globally unique identifier.

21. The InfiniBand architecture subnet of claim 20, wherein the subnet manager is selected from each of the plurality of nodes with a lowest set of priority values.

22. The InfiniBand architecture subnet of claim 20, wherein the subnet manager is selected from each of the plurality of nodes with a highest set of globally unique identifiers.

23. The InfiniBand architecture subnet of claim 15, wherein the plurality of nodes comprise a first node and a second node, wherein each of the plurality of nodes is ranked from a highest priority value to a lowest priority value, and wherein if the priority value for the first node is identical to the priority value of the second node, the first node and the second node are further ranked from a highest globally unique identifier to a lowest globally unique identifier.

24. The InfiniBand architecture subnet of claim 23, wherein the subnet manager is selected from each of the plurality of nodes with a highest set of priority values.

25. The InfiniBand architecture subnet of claim 23, wherein the subnet manager is selected from each of the plurality of nodes with a highest set of globally unique identifiers.

26. The InfiniBand architecture subnet of claim 15, wherein the plurality of nodes comprise a first node and a second node, wherein each of the plurality of nodes is ranked from a lowest priority value to a highest priority value, and wherein if the priority value for the first node is identical to the priority value of the second node, the first node and the second node are further ranked from a lowest globally unique identifier to a highest globally unique identifier.

27. The InfiniBand architecture subnet of claim 26, wherein the subnet manager is selected from each of the plurality of nodes with a lowest set of priority values.

28. The InfiniBand architecture subnet of claim 26, wherein the subnet manager is selected from each of the plurality of nodes with a lowest set of globally unique identifiers.

29. An InfiniBand-architecture node comprising a computer-readable medium containing computer instructions for instructing a processor to perform a method of limiting a set of standby subnet managers, the instructions comprising:

providing an InfiniBand architecture subnet having a plurality of nodes, wherein each of the plurality of nodes has a priority value and a globally unique identifier;

providing each of the plurality of nodes with a subnet manager;

ranking each of the plurality of nodes according to the priority value and the globally unique identifier; and

selecting if the subnet manager is included in the set of standby subnet managers based on the priority value and the globally unique identifier of each of the plurality of nodes.

30. The InfiniBand architecture node of claim 29, wherein selecting comprises selecting if the subnet manager is included in the set of standby subnet managers up to a limit value.

31. The InfiniBand architecture node of claim 29, wherein ranking each of the plurality of nodes comprises ranking each of the plurality of nodes from a highest priority value to a lowest priority value, and wherein if the priority value for a first node is identical to the priority value of a second node, further ranking the first node and the second node from a lowest globally unique identifier to a highest globally unique identifier.

32. The InfiniBand architecture node of claim 31, wherein selecting comprises selecting the subnet manager to be included in the set of standby subnet managers by selecting the subnet manager from each of the plurality of nodes with a highest set of priority values.

33. The InfiniBand architecture node of claim 31, wherein selecting comprises selecting the subnet manager to be included in the set of standby subnet managers by selecting the subnet manager from each of the plurality of nodes with a lowest set of globally unique identifiers.

34. The InfiniBand architecture node of claim 29, wherein ranking each of the plurality of nodes comprises ranking each of the plurality of nodes from a lowest priority value to a highest priority value, and wherein if the priority value for a first node is identical to the priority value of a second node, further ranking the first node and the second node from a highest globally unique identifier to a lowest globally unique identifier.

35. The InfiniBand architecture node of claim 34, wherein selecting comprises selecting the subnet manager to be included in the set of standby subnet managers by selecting the subnet manager from each of the plurality of nodes with a lowest set of priority values.

36. The InfiniBand architecture node of claim 34, wherein selecting comprises selecting the subnet manager to be included in the set of standby subnet managers by selecting the subnet manager from each of the plurality of nodes with a highest set of globally unique identifiers.

37. The InfiniBand architecture node of claim 29, wherein ranking each of the plurality of nodes comprises ranking each of the plurality of nodes from a highest priority value to a lowest priority value, and wherein if the priority value for a first node is identical to the priority value of a second node, further ranking the first node and the second node from a highest globally unique identifier to a lowest globally unique identifier.

38. The InfiniBand architecture node of claim 37, wherein selecting comprises selecting the subnet manager to be included in the set of standby subnet managers by selecting the subnet manager from each of the plurality of nodes with a highest set of priority values.

39. The InfiniBand architecture node of claim 37, wherein selecting comprises selecting the subnet manager to be included in the set of standby subnet managers by selecting the subnet manager from each of the plurality of nodes with a highest set of globally unique identifiers.

40. The InfiniBand architecture node of claim 29, wherein ranking each of the plurality of nodes comprises ranking each of the plurality of nodes from a lowest priority value to a highest priority value, and wherein if the priority value for a first node is identical to the priority value of a second node, further ranking the first node and the second node from a lowest globally unique identifier to a highest globally unique identifier.

41. The InfiniBand architecture node of claim 40, wherein selecting comprises selecting the subnet manager to be included in the set of standby subnet managers by selecting the subnet manager from each of the plurality of nodes with a lowest set of priority values.

42. The InfiniBand architecture node of claim 40, wherein selecting comprises selecting the subnet manager to be included in the set of standby subnet managers by selecting the subnet manager from each of the plurality of nodes with a lowest set of globally unique identifiers.