METHOD AND INFRASTRUCTURE FOR RECOGNITION OF THE RESOURCES OF A DEFECTIVE HARDWARE UNIT

• US 20070011487A1
• Filed: 07/06/2005
• Published: 01/11/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/06/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Probst, Juergen, Milligan, Charles
• Granted Patent: US 7,454,687 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 714/5
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2289 by configuration test

Abstract

A system and method of recognizing resources of a computer comprising a system serial number and a broken hardware unit comprising a non-volatile memory unit and enablement definition data relating to functions of the broken hardware unit, wherein the method comprises starting the computer; entering a serial number in a read/write non-volatile memory field of the non-volatile memory unit; reading the read/write non-volatile memory field; and matching the serial number of the read/write non-volatile memory field with the system serial number. The method may further comprise detecting failure of the broken hardware unit after the starting of the computer. Preferably, a reading that the serial number of the read/write non-volatile memory field matches with the system serial number permits acceptance of the enablement definition data of the broken hardware unit.

Claims

1. A method of recognizing resources of a computer comprising a system serial number and a broken hardware unit comprising a non-volatile memory unit and enablement definition data relating to functions of said broken hardware unit, said method comprising:

starting said computer;

entering a serial number in a read/write non-volatile memory field of said non-volatile memory unit;

reading said read/write non-volatile memory field; and

matching said serial number of said read/write non-volatile memory field with said system serial number.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising detecting failure of said broken hardware unit after said starting of said computer.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein a reading that said serial number of said read/write non-volatile memory field matches with said system serial number permits acceptance of said enablement definition data of said broken hardware unit.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein a reading that said serial number of said read/write non-volatile memory field does not match with said system serial number prevents acceptance of said enablement definition data of said broken hardware unit.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein a reading that said serial number of said read/write non-volatile memory field does not match with said system serial number discourages transferring said enablement definition data to an alternate computer having a system serial number different from said serial number of said read/write non-volatile memory unit.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein a transferring of said read/write non-volatile memory unit to an alternate computer having said system serial number different from said serial number of said read/write non-volatile memory unit results in a non-acceptance of said enablement definition data in said alternate computer.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting an error message upon obtaining a reading that said serial number of said read/write non-volatile memory field does not match with said system serial number.

8. A program storage device readable by computer, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by said computer to perform a method of recognizing resources of a computer comprising a system serial number and a broken hardware unit comprising a non-volatile memory unit and enablement definition data relating to functions of said broken hardware unit, said method comprising:

starting said computer;

entering a serial number in a read/write non-volatile memory field of said non-volatile memory unit;

reading said read/write non-volatile memory field; and

matching said serial number of said read/write non-volatile memory field with said system serial number.

9. The program storage device of claim 8, wherein said method further comprises detecting failure of said broken hardware unit after said starting of said computer.

10. The program storage device of claim 8, wherein a reading that said serial number of said read/write non-volatile memory field matches with said system serial number permits acceptance of said enablement definition data of said broken hardware unit.

11. The program storage device of claim 8, wherein a reading that said serial number of said read/write non-volatile memory field does not match with said system serial number prevents acceptance of said enablement definition data of said broken hardware unit.

12. The program storage device of claim 8, wherein a reading that said serial number of said read/write non-volatile memory field does not match with said system serial number discourages transferring said enablement definition data to an alternate computer having a system serial number different from said serial number of said read/write non-volatile memory unit.

13. The program storage device of claim 12, wherein a transferring of said read/write non-volatile memory unit to an alternate computer having said system serial number different from said serial number of said read/write non-volatile memory unit results in a non-acceptance of said enablement definition data in said alternate computer.

14. The program storage device of claim 8, wherein said method further comprises transmitting an error message upon obtaining a reading that said serial number of said read/write non-volatile memory field does not match with said system serial number.

15. A system comprising:

a computer comprising;

a system serial number; and

a broken hardware unit comprising;

a non-volatile memory unit comprising a read/write non-volatile memory field; and

enablement definition data relating to functions of said broken hardware unit;

a power unit adapted to start said computer;

a first control mechanism adapted to enter a serial number in said read/write non-volatile memory field;

a second control mechanism adapted to read said read/write non-volatile memory field; and

a processor adapted to match said serial number of said read/write non-volatile memory field with said system serial number.

16. The system of claim 15, further comprising a diagnostic unit adapted to detect failure of said broken hardware unit after said power unit starts said computer.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein a reading that said serial number of said read/write non-volatile memory field matches with said system serial number permits acceptance of said enablement definition data of said broken hardware unit.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein a reading that said serial number of said read/write non-volatile memory field does not match with said system serial number prevents acceptance of said enablement definition data of said broken hardware unit.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein a reading that said serial number of said read/write non-volatile memory field does not match with said system serial number discourages transferring said broken hardware unit to an alternate computer having a system serial number different from said serial number of said read/write non-volatile memory unit.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein a transferring of said read/write non-volatile memory unit to an alternate computer having said system serial number different from said serial number of said read/write non-volatile memory unit results in a non-acceptance of said enablement definition data of said broken hardware unit.