Method to Manage Path Failure Thresholds
First Claim
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1. A method to minimize performance degradation during communication path failure in a data processing system, the data processing system comprising a host computer, a storage controller and a plurality of physical paths in communication with the host computer and the storage controller, the method comprising:
- establishing a threshold communication path error rate via a failure threshold command;
determining an (i)th actual communication path error rate for an (i)th physical communication path, wherein said (i)th physical communication path is one of said plurality of physical communication paths in communication with said host computer and said storage controller;
discontinuing use of said (i)th physical communication path if said (i)th actual communication path error rate is greater than said threshold communication path error rate.
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Abstract
A failure threshold host command that provides a host with the capability to tune a storage controller path failure threshold based on the host application performance requirements. The failure threshold host command comprises path failure threshold rules that the storage controller uses to determine when a CHPid has reached a failed state condition.
26 Citations
21 Claims
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1. A method to minimize performance degradation during communication path failure in a data processing system, the data processing system comprising a host computer, a storage controller and a plurality of physical paths in communication with the host computer and the storage controller, the method comprising:
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establishing a threshold communication path error rate via a failure threshold command; determining an (i)th actual communication path error rate for an (i)th physical communication path, wherein said (i)th physical communication path is one of said plurality of physical communication paths in communication with said host computer and said storage controller; discontinuing use of said (i)th physical communication path if said (i)th actual communication path error rate is greater than said threshold communication path error rate. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. An apparatus to minimize performance degradation during communication path failure in a data processing system, the data processing system comprising a host computer, a storage controller and a plurality of physical paths in communication with the host computer and the storage controller, the apparatus comprising:
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means for establishing a threshold communication path error rate via a failure threshold command; means for determining an (i)th actual communication path error rate for an (i)th physical communication path, wherein said (i)th physical communication path is one of said plurality of physical communication paths in communication with said host computer and said storage controller; means for discontinuing use of said (i)th physical communication path if said (i)th actual communication path error rate is greater than said threshold communication path error rate. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A data processing system comprising
a host computer, a storage controller; - a plurality of physical paths in communication with the host computer and the storage controller; and
,a system for minimizing performance degradation during communication path failure in a data processing system, the system comprising instructions for; establishing a threshold communication path error rate via a failure threshold command; determining an (i)th actual communication path error rate for an (i)th physical communication path, wherein said (i)th physical communication path is one of said plurality of physical communication paths in communication with said host computer and said storage controller; discontinuing use of said (i)th physical communication path if said (i)th actual communication path error rate is greater than said threshold communication path error rate. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
- a plurality of physical paths in communication with the host computer and the storage controller; and
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21. The data processing system of claim C6 wherein:
the failure threshold rule indicates a number of path failures within a defined failure window that would trigger a CHPid failure state condition.
Specification