SYNCHRONIZING VITAL PRODUCT DATA FOR COMPUTER PROCESSOR SUBSYSTEMS

• US 20080126522A1
• Filed: 09/22/2006
• Published: 05/29/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Pilch, Jeffrey Wayne, Anna, Gary, Dain, Joseph Whitney, Liu, Henry Zheng, Beeston, Ralph Thomas
• Granted Patent: US 8,392,909 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes

Abstract

A computer processor subsystem, e.g. called a “target”, in response to receiving an update to vital product data of the system from a source computer processor subsystem, examines the update to detect the vital product data of the target computer processor subsystem stored by the source computer processor subsystem; and, in response to the detected vital product data being incorrect, the target computer processor subsystem forwards its correct vital product data to the source computer processor subsystem having the incorrect vital product data. A computer processor subsystem is the authoritative reference for its vital product data.

Claims

1. A method for synchronizing vital product data in one computer processor subsystem with respect to a system of computer processor subsystems, said computer processor subsystems storing at least some vital product data of the other computer processor subsystems of said system, comprising the steps of:

said one computer processor subsystem, in response to receiving an update to vital product data of said system from a source computer processor subsystem of said system, examines said update to detect vital product data of said one computer processor subsystem stored by said source computer processor subsystem; and

in response to said detected vital product data being incorrect, said one computer processor subsystem forwarding correct vital product data of said one computer processor subsystem to said source computer processor subsystem having said incorrect vital product data.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said one computer processor subsystem, in response to receiving vital product data of another computer processor subsystem of said system, if the sending computer processor subsystem is the authoritative reference for said received vital product data, updating the vital product data for said another computer processor subsystem as stored by said receiving one computer processor subsystem with said received vital product data.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said one computer processor subsystem, if none of said computer processor subsystems of said system is an authoritative reference for said received vital product data, comparing a timestamp of said received vital product data to a timestamp of the vital product data for said another computer processor subsystem as stored by said receiving one computer processor subsystem;

and, if said received timestamp is more recent than said stored timestamp, updating said stored vital product data with said received vital product data;

else, maintaining said stored vital product path.

4. The method of claim 2, additionally comprising the steps of:

said one computer processor subsystem additionally determines whether vital product data about a third computer processor subsystem stored by said at least one other computer processor subsystem is different from said vital product data about said third computer processor subsystem stored by said one computer processor subsystem; and

if said vital product data is different, said one computer processor subsystem requests said third computer processor subsystem to update said one computer subsystem and said at least one computer subsystem with the correct vital product data of said third computer processor subsystem.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein:

if said difference in said vital product data is communication addressing information of said third computer processor subsystem, said one computer processor subsystem sends said request to said third computer processor subsystem using said one computer processor subsystem'"'"'s communication address for said third computer processor subsystem; and

if said request fails, said one computer processor subsystem sends said request to said third computer processor subsystem using said at least one other computer processor subsystem'"'"'s communication address for said third computer processor subsystem.

6. A system, comprising:

a plurality of computer processor subsystems, said computer processor subsystems comprising associated;

memory configured to store vital product data of the one computer processor subsystem associated with said memory, and to store at least some vital product data of other said computer processor subsystems of said system;

at least one node configured to communicate with other said computer processor subsystems of said system; and

at least one computer processor configured to operate said computer processor subsystem to, in response to receiving an update to vital product data of said system from a source computer processor subsystem of said system, examining said update to detect vital product data of said associated one computer processor subsystem stored by said source computer processor subsystem; and

in response to said detected vital product data being incorrect, said associated one computer processor subsystem forwarding correct vital product data of said associated one computer processor subsystem to said source computer processor subsystem having said incorrect vital product data.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein said at least one computer processor is configured to operate said computer processor subsystem, in response to receiving vital product data of another computer processor subsystem of said system, if the sending computer processor subsystem is the authoritative reference for said received vital product data, to update the vital product data for said another computer processor subsystem as stored by said receiving one computer processor subsystem with said received vital product data.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein said one computer processor subsystem is configured to operate said computer processor subsystem, if none of said computer processor subsystems of said system is an authoritative reference for said received vital product data, to compare a timestamp of said received vital product data to a timestamp of vital product data for said another computer processor system as stored by said receiving associated one computer processor subsystem;

and, if said received timestamp is more recent than said stored timestamp, to update said stored vital product data with said received vital product data;

else, to maintain said stored vital product data.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein said associated one computer processor subsystem comprises a data storage cluster comprising at least one controller, at least one cache, and at least one automated data storage library, wherein said at least one controller comprises said at least one computer processor, said memory, and said at least one node of said subsystem.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein said at least one computer processor is configured to operate said one computer processor subsystem:

additionally to determine whether vital product data about a third computer processor subsystem stored by said at least one other computer processor subsystem is different from said vital product data about said third computer processor subsystem stored by said associated one computer processor subsystem; and

if said vital product data is different, said associated one computer processor subsystem requests said third computer processor subsystem to update said at least one other computer processor subsystem and said associated one computer processor subsystem with the correct vital product data of said third computer processor subsystem.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein:

if said difference in said vital product data is communication addressing information of said third computer processor subsystem, said associated one computer processor subsystem sends said request to said third computer processor subsystem using said associated one computer processor subsystem'"'"'s communication address for said third computer processor subsystem; and

if said request fails, said associated one computer processor subsystem sends said request to said third computer processor subsystem using said at least one other computer processor subsystem'"'"'s communication address for said third computer processor subsystem.

12. A computer program product tangibly embodied in a computer useable medium comprising computer readable program code for synchronizing vital product data in one computer processor subsystem with respect to a system of computer processor subsystems, said computer processor subsystems storing at least some vital product data of the other computer processor subsystems of said system, said computer readable code configured to cause:

said one computer processor subsystem, in response to receiving an update to vital product data of said system from a source computer processor subsystem of said system, to examine said update to detect vital product data of said one computer processor subsystem stored by said source computer processor subsystem; and

in response to said detected vital product data being incorrect, said one computer processor subsystem to forward correct vital product data of said one computer processor subsystem to said source computer processor subsystem having said incorrect vital product data.

13. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein said computer readable code is configured to cause said one computer processor subsystem, in response to receiving vital product data of another computer processor subsystem of said system, if the sending computer processor subsystem is the authoritative reference for said received vital product data, to update the vital product data for said another computer processor subsystem as stored by said receiving one computer processor subsystem with said received vital product data.

14. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein said computer readable code is configured to cause said one computer processor subsystem, if none of said computer processor subsystems of said system is an authoritative reference for said received vital product data, to compare a timestamp of said received vital product data to a timestamp of vital product data for said another computer processor subsystem as stored by said receiving one computer processor subsystem;

and, if said received timestamp is more recent than said stored timestamp, to update said stored vital product data with said received vital product data;

else, to maintain said stored vital product data.

15. The computer program product of claim 13, additionally comprising computer readable code configured to cause:

said one computer processor subsystem to determine whether vital product data about a third computer processor subsystem stored by said at least one other computer processor subsystem is different from said vital product data about said third computer processor subsystem stored by said one computer processor subsystem; and

if said vital product data is different, said one computer processor subsystem to request said third computer processor subsystem to update said one computer subsystem and said at least one computer subsystem with the correct vital product data of said third computer processor subsystem.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein said computer readable code is configured to cause:

if said difference in said vital product data is communication processing information of said third computer processor subsystem, said one computer processor subsystem to send said request to said third computer processor subsystem using said one computer processor subsystem'"'"'s communication address for said third computer processor subsystem; and

if said request fails, said one computer processor subsystem to send said request to said third computer processor subsystem using said at least one other computer processor subsystem'"'"'s communication address for said third computer processor subsystem.

17. A computer processor subsystem configured to synchronize vital product data with respect to a system of computer processor subsystems, said computer processor subsystems storing at least some vital product data of the other computer processor subsystems of said system, said computer processor subsystem comprising associated:

memory configured to store vital product data of the one computer processor subsystem associated with said memory, and to store at least some vital product data of other said computer processor subsystems of said system;

at least one node configured to communicate with other said computer processor subsystems of said system; and

at least one computer processor configured to operate said computer processor subsystem, in response to receiving an update to vital product data of said system from a source computer processor subsystem of said system, to examine said update to detect vital product data of said associated one computer processor subsystem stored by said source computer processor subsystem; and

in response to said detected vital product data being incorrect, said associated one computer processor subsystem to forward correct vital product data of said associated one computer processor subsystem to said source computer processor subsystem having said incorrect vital product data.

18. The computer processor subsystem of claim 17, wherein said at least one computer processor is configured to operate said computer processor subsystem, in response to receiving vital product data of another computer processor subsystem of said system, if the sending computer processor subsystem is the authoritative reference for said received vital product data, to update the vital product data for said another computer processor subsystem as stored by said receiving one computer processor subsystem with said received vital product data.

19. The computer processor subsystem of claim 18, wherein said at least one computer processor is configured to operate said associated one computer processor subsystem:

additionally to determine whether vital product data about a third computer processor subsystem stored by said at least one other computer processor subsystem is different from said vital product data about said third computer processor subsystem stored by said associated one computer processor subsystem; and

if said vital product data is different, to request said third computer processor subsystem to update said at least one other computer processor subsystem and said associated one computer processor subsystem with the correct vital product data of said third computer processor subsystem.

20. The computer processor subsystem of claim 19, wherein said at least one computer processor is configured to operate said associated one computer processor subsystem:

if said difference in said vital product data is communication addressing information of said third computer processor subsystem, to send said request to said third computer processor subsystem using said associated one computer processor subsystem'"'"'s communication address for said third computer processor subsystem; and

if said request fails, to send said request to said third computer processor subsystem using said at least one other computer processor subsystem'"'"'s communication address for said third computer processor subsystem.