PROCESSING OF DATA TO MONITOR INPUT/OUTPUT OPERATIONS

• US 20090210571A1
• Filed: 02/14/2008
• Published: 08/20/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/14/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Kalos, Matthew J., Huang, Catherine C., Flanagan, John R., Ricci, Louis W., Casper, Daniel F.
• Granted Patent: US 8,312,189 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 710/18
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/385 for adaptation of a particular data processing system to different peripheral devices

Abstract

A computer program product, an apparatus, and a method for processing communications between a control unit and a channel subsystem in an input/output processing system are provided. The computer program product includes a tangible storage medium readable by a processing circuit and storing instructions for execution by the processing circuit for performing a method. The method includes: sending a command from the channel subsystem to the control unit to initiate an input/output operation; setting a time period for completion of the operation; and responsive to the operation not completing within the time period, sending a message to determine whether the control unit has an exchange open for the command.

Claims

1. A computer program product for processing communications between a control unit and a channel subsystem in an input/output processing system, comprising a tangible storage medium readable by a processing circuit and storing instructions for execution by the processing circuit for performing a method comprising:

sending a command from the channel subsystem to the control unit to initiate an input/output operation;

setting a time period for completion of the operation; and

responsive to the operation not completing within the time period, sending a message to determine whether the control unit has an exchange open for the command.

2. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the command and the message are in a mode that uses a protocol supporting Transport Control Words (TCW).

3. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein sending the command comprises opening a first exchange with the control unit, and sending the message comprises opening a second exchange with the control unit.

4. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the message is a Read Exchange Concise (REC) message.

5. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein completion of the operation comprises receiving a completion message from the control unit indicating that the operation is complete.

6. The computer program product of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a response to the message, the response indicating whether the control unit has the exchange open for the command; and

responsive to the response indicating that the control unit has the exchange open for the command, re-sending the message to the control unit after an additional time period.

7. The computer program product of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a response to the message, the response indicating whether the control unit has the exchange open for the command; and

responsive to the response indicating that the control unit has no exchange open for the command, aborting the operation.

8. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein sending the message comprises periodically sending the message until one of:

i) completion of the operation, and ii) receipt of a response to the message indicating that the control unit does not have the exchange open for the command.

9. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein periodically sending the message comprises:

sending the message to the control unit upon expiration of the time period;

receiving a response from the control unit indicating that the control unit has the exchange open for the command;

setting an additional time period for completion of the operation; and

re-sending the message upon expiration of the additional time period to determine whether the control unit is continuing to execute the operation.

10. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein:

sending the command comprises sending the command in a transport mode that uses a protocol supporting Transport Control Words (TCW);

the time period is a first time period for receiving a completion message from the control unit indicating that the operation is complete;

the message is a Read Exchange Concise (REC) message, and sending the message is responsive to not receiving the completion message within the first time period; and

the method further comprises;

receiving a response to the REC message, the response indicating whether the control unit has the exchange open for the command;

responsive to the response indicating that the control unit has the exchange open for the command, setting a second time period for completion of the operation; and

re-sending the REC message upon expiration of the additional time period to determine whether the control unit is continuing to execute the operation.

20. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

sending the command comprises sending the command in a transport mode that uses a protocol supporting Transport Control Words (TCW);

the time period is a first time period for receiving a completion message from the control unit indicating that the operation is complete;

the message is a Read Exchange Concise (REC) message, and sending the message is responsive to not receiving the completion message within the first time period; and

the channel subsystem further performs;

receiving a response to the REC message, the response indicating whether the control unit has the exchange open for the command;

responsive to the response indicating that the control unit has the exchange open for the command, setting a second time period for completion of the operation; and

re-sending the REC message upon expiration of the additional time period to determine whether the control unit is continuing to execute the operation.

25. The method of claim 1, wherein:

sending the command comprises sending the command in a transport mode that uses a protocol supporting Transport Control Words (TCW);

the time period is a first time period for receiving a completion message from the control unit indicating that the operation is complete;

the message is a Read Exchange Concise (REC) message, and sending the message is responsive to not receiving the completion message within the first time period; and

the method further comprises;

receiving a response to the REC message, the response indicating whether the control unit has the exchange open for the command;

responsive to the response indicating that the control unit has the exchange open for the command, setting a second time period for completion of the operation; and

re-sending the REC message upon expiration of the additional time period to determine whether the control unit is continuing to execute the operation.

11. An apparatus for processing communications in an input/output processing system, comprising:

a channel subsystem of a host computer system configured for communication with a control unit capable of commanding and determining status of an I/O device, the channel subsystem performing;

sending a command to the control unit to initiate an input/output operation;

setting a time period for completion of the operation; and

responsive to the operation not completing within the time period, sending a message to determine whether the control unit has an exchange open for the command.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the command and the message are in a mode that uses a protocol supporting Transport Control Words (TCW).

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the message is a Read Exchange Concise (REC) message.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein sending the command comprises opening a first exchange with the control unit, and sending the message comprises opening a second exchange with the control unit.

15. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein completion of the operation comprises receiving a completion message from the control unit indicating that the operation is complete.

16. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising:

receiving a response to the message, the response indicating whether the control unit has the exchange open for the command; and

responsive to the response indicating that the control unit has the exchange open for the command, re-sending the message to the control unit after an additional time period.

17. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising:

receiving a response to the message, the response indicating whether the control unit has the exchange open for the command; and

responsive to the response indicating that the control unit has no exchange open for the command, aborting the operation.

18. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein sending the message comprises periodically sending the message until one of:

i) completion of the operation, and ii) receipt of a response to the message indicating that the control unit does not have the exchange open for the command.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein periodically sending the message comprises:

sending the message to the control unit upon expiration of the time period;

receiving a response from the control unit indicating that the control unit has the exchange open for the command;

setting an additional time period for completion of the operation; and

re-sending the message upon expiration of the additional time period to determine whether the control unit is continuing to execute the operation.

21. A method of processing communications between a control unit and a channel subsystem in an input/output processing system, the method comprising:

sending a command from the channel subsystem to the control unit to initiate an input/output operation;

setting a time period for completion of the operation; and

responsive to the operation not completing within the time period, sending a message to determine whether the control unit has an exchange open for the command.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the message is a Read Exchange Concise (REC) message.

23. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

responsive to the response indicating that the control unit has the exchange open for the command, re-sending the second message to the control unit after an additional time period.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein sending the message comprises periodically sending the message until one of:

i) completion of the operation, and ii) receipt of a response to the message indicating that the control unit does not have the exchange open for the command.