Apparatus, System, and Method For Adapter Card Failover

• US 20080263391A1
• Filed: 04/20/2007
• Published: 10/23/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: GlobalFoundries, Inc.
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Walls, Andrew Dale, Spanel, Carol, Blinick, Stephen L., Song, Cheng-Chung
• Application Number:
  US11/738,150
• Publication Number:
  US 20080263391A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 714/5
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2033 switching over of hardware resources
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2038 with a single idle spare processing component
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2046 where the redundant components share persistent storage G06F11/2043 takes precedence

Abstract

An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for adapter card failover. A switch module connects a first processor complex to an adapter card through a first port as an owner processor complex. The owner processor complex manages the adapter card except for a second port and receives error messages from the adapter card. The switch module further connects a second processor complex to the adapter card through the second port as a non-owner processor complex. The non-owner processor complex manages the second port. A detection module detects a failure of the first processor complex. A setup module modifies the switch module to logically connect the second processor complex to the adapter card as the owner processor complex and to logically disconnect the first processor complex from the adapter card in response to detecting the failure.

Claims

1. A method for deploying data processing system infrastructure, comprising:

integrating computer readable program into a data processing system, wherein the program in combination with the data processing system is capable of performing the following;

connecting a switch module of an adapter card to a first processor complex through a first port as an owner processor complex, wherein the owner processor complex manages the adapter card except for a second port and receives error messages from the adapter card;

connecting a second processor complex to the adapter card through the second port as a non-owner processor complex, wherein the non-owner processor complex manages the second port;

detecting a failure of the first processor complex; and

modifying the switch module by reprogramming setup registers of the adapter card to logically connect the second processor complex to the adapter card as the owner processor complex and to logically disconnect the first processor complex from the adapter card in response to detecting the failure.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the switch module is configured to identify the adapter card as an endpoint in response to a discovery command from the non-owner processor complex.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the owner processor complex communicates with a controller of the adapter card through the switch.

4. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising connecting the second processor to the adapter card as the owner processor complex by reprogramming setup registers to switch the adapter card from using a control store of a first memory module to a control store of a second memory module.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the adapter card communicates with the first and second processor complexes using a PCIe interface.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the adapter card communicates with the first and second processor complexes using an interface selected from a PCI-X interface and a PCI interface.

7. A method for deploying data processing system infrastructure, comprising integrating computer readable program into a data processing system, wherein the program in combination with the data processing system is capable of performing the following:

connecting a switch module of an adapter card to a first processor complex through a first port as an owner processor complex, wherein the owner processor complex manages the adapter card except for a second port and receives error messages from the adapter card;

connecting a second processor complex to the adapter card through the second port as a non-owner processor complex, wherein the non-owner processor complex manages the second port;

detecting a failure of the first processor complex; and

modifying the switch module by reprogramming setup registers of the adapter card to logically connect the second processor complex to the adapter card as the owner processor complex and to logically disconnect the first processor complex from the adapter card in response to detecting the failure, wherein the switch module is configured to identify the adapter card as an endpoint in response to a discovery command from the non-owner processor complex.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the owner processor complex communicates with a controller of the adapter card through the switch.

9. The method of claim 7, the method further comprising connecting the second processor to the adapter card as the owner processor complex by reprogramming setup registers to switch the adapter card from using a control store of a first memory module to a control store of a second memory module.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the adapter card communicates with the first and second processor complexes using a PCIe interface.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the adapter card communicates with the first and second processor complexes using an interface selected from a PCI-X interface and a PCI interface.

12. A method for deploying data processing system infrastructure, comprising integrating computer readable program into a data processing system, wherein the program in combination with the data processing system is capable of performing the following:

connecting a switch module of an adapter card to a first processor complex through a first port as an owner processor complex, wherein the owner processor complex manages the adapter card except for a second port and receives error messages from the adapter card;

connecting a second processor complex to the adapter card through the second port as a non-owner processor complex, wherein the non-owner processor complex manages the second port;

detecting a failure of the first processor complex; and

modifying the switch module by reprogramming setup registers of the adapter card to logically connect the second processor complex to the adapter card as the owner processor complex and to logically disconnect the first processor complex from the adapter card in response to detecting the failure, wherein the switch module is configured to identify the adapter card as an endpoint in response to a discovery command from the non-owner processor complex;

further comprising connecting the second processor to the adapter card as the owner processor complex by reprogramming setup registers to switch the adapter card from using a control store

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the owner processor complex communicates with a controller of the adapter card through the switch.

14. The method of claim 12, the method of a first memory module to a control store of a second memory module.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the adapter card communicates with the first and second processor complexes using a PCIe interface.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the adapter card communicates with the first and second processor complexes using an interface selected from a PCI-X interface and a PCI interface.