Configurable, recoverable parallel bus
First Claim
1. In a data processing complex with interconnected elements wherein the elements are directly interconnected by physical links each physical link comprising multiple conductors, a method of establishing an operational link between first and second elements of said complex comprising:
- determining operational connectivity between said first and second elements of said complex for every conductor interconnecting said first and second elements;
marking as configured in a configured-conductor table all of said conductors which have been determined to operationally connect said first and second elements;
generating an intended-operational-link, said intended-operational-link being a set of conductors which are allowed to form an operational link;
comparing said intended-operational-link to said configured-conductor table;
repeating said generation and said comparison steps if said intended-operational-link contains any conductor which is not marked as configured in said configured-conductor table; and
establishing said operational link from said intended-operational-link if all of said conductors in said intended-operational-link are marked as configured in said configured-conductor table, said operational link providing a maximum bandwidth for configured conductors interconnecting said first and second elements.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system for the transmission of information between elements of a data processing complex and a method for establishing such a system. Two elements of a data processing system are connected by a physical link comprising multiple conductors attached to transceivers at channels in each data processing element. Once the transceivers have been synchronized, commands and responses are exchanged which ensure that all of the transceivers in a channel are connected to the same channel on the other end of the conductor. If the transceivers are considered configured and an entry is made in a Configured-Transceiver table. A search is made of an Allowed-Operational-Link table which contains sets of transceivers which are allowed to become operational links. The set of transceivers thus found, is compared against the Configured-Transceiver-Table to verify that all of the members of the set have been configured. If a match is found, this set of transceivers becomes an Intended-Operational-Link. The Intended-Operational-Link is verified to ensure that both channels agree on the set of conductors will form the operational link. If the Intended-Operational-Link verifies, the operational link is established therefrom.
52 Citations
33 Claims
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1. In a data processing complex with interconnected elements wherein the elements are directly interconnected by physical links each physical link comprising multiple conductors, a method of establishing an operational link between first and second elements of said complex comprising:
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determining operational connectivity between said first and second elements of said complex for every conductor interconnecting said first and second elements; marking as configured in a configured-conductor table all of said conductors which have been determined to operationally connect said first and second elements; generating an intended-operational-link, said intended-operational-link being a set of conductors which are allowed to form an operational link; comparing said intended-operational-link to said configured-conductor table; repeating said generation and said comparison steps if said intended-operational-link contains any conductor which is not marked as configured in said configured-conductor table; and establishing said operational link from said intended-operational-link if all of said conductors in said intended-operational-link are marked as configured in said configured-conductor table, said operational link providing a maximum bandwidth for configured conductors interconnecting said first and second elements. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A method of establishing an operational link between first and second elements of a data processing complex wherein the first and second elements are directly interconnected by physical links each physical link comprising multiple pairs of conductors, each of said first and second element containing at least one channel for interfacing with other elements, said method comprising:
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determining operational connectivity between a channel of said first element and a channel of said second element for every conductor interconnecting said first and second elements; acquiring node descriptors on each operational conductor connected to said first and second channels, said node descriptors uniquely describing the channel to which said conductor is connected; marking as configured in a configured-conductor table, each conductor connected to each of said channels if said acquired node descriptor matches a node descriptor uniquely describing said interconnected channel; generating an intended-operational-link, said intended-operational-link being a set of conductors which are allowed to form an operational link; comparing each conductor in said intended-operational-link to said configured-conductor table; repeating said generation and comparison steps if one of said conductors in said intended-operational-link is not marked as configured in said configured-conductor table; verifying said intended-operational-link if each of said conductors in said intended-operational-link is marked as configured in said configured-conductor table, said verification ensuring that said intended-operational-link can form an operational link between said channels; and establishing said operational link from said intended-operational-link if said intended-operational-link is verified, said operational link providing a maximum band-width for configured conductors interconnecting said first and second elements. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. A method of re-establishing a previously operational link between two elements of a data processing complex, said elements being connected by a plurality of conductors, said link having become non-operational due to a non-operational conductor in said link, each of said elements containing a configured-conductor table, said configured-conductor table indicating whether said conductors are configured, said method comprising:
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marking said non-operational conductor as being not configured in said configured-conductor table; generating an intended-operational-link, said intended-operational-link being a set of conductors which are allowed to form an operational link; comparing said intended-operational-link to said configured-conductor table; repeating said generation and comparison steps if said intended-operational-link contains any conductor which is not marked as configured in said configured-conductor table; and establishing said operational link from said intended-operational-link if all of said conductors in said intended-operational-link are marked as configured in said configured-conductor table. - View Dependent Claims (28)
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29. An apparatus for interconnecting first and second elements of a data processing complex comprising:
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a plurality of conductors connecting said first element to said second element; a configured-conductor table in each of said first and second elements, said table indicating whether each of said conductors operationally connects said first and second elements; a means for generating an allowed-operational-link said allowed-operational-link containing a set of conductors which are allowed to form an operational link between said first element and said second element; and a means for comparing said allowed-operational-link to said configured-conductor table, said comparing means determining if each of said conductors in said allowed-operational-link is marked as configured in said configured-conductor table; and a means for establishing an operational link from said allowed-operational-link if each of said conductors in said allowed-operational-link is marked as configured in said configured-conductor table. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32, 33)
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Specification