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Method and apparatus for automatic generation of I/O configuration descriptions

  • US 5,671,441 A
  • Filed: 11/29/1994
  • Issued: 09/23/1997
  • Est. Priority Date: 11/29/1994
  • Status: Expired due to Term
First Claim
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1. A method in a computer system with a central electronics complex (CEC), having at least one I/O channel subsystem, a plurality of channel paths and a plurality of I/O items, said I/O items being attachable to said subsystem via said channel paths in different ways as to provide a plurality of different system configurations, the method performed by the CEC for accessing information associated with said I/O items, said method comprising the following CEC-performed steps:

  • structuring in the CEC an amorphous subchannel not defined in a current I/O configuration definition for the I/O channel subsystem,using the amorphous subchannel to test for the existence of each I/O item connected to one or more channel paths of said CEC by simulating a plurality of I/O item addresses by the amorphous subchannel without the CEC using the current I/O configuration definition for accessing the I/O item,attempting to access the I/O item addressed by the using step,determining characteristics of each of said I/O items by accessing self-description information provided for each of said I/O items;

    determining the channel paths usable to access each of said I/O items;

    storing the self-description information about said attached I/O items and storing information for each channel path connection to each I/O item in an I/O item configuration record;

    examining said I/O item configuration record to determine if any of said I/O items are shared by said channel paths or said I/O items, andusing said I/O item configuration record to build an I/O configuration definition, wherein the amorphous subchannel previously contained no fixed I/O configuration definition information, and allows information about said I/O items to be stored, modified, or retrieved when I/O commands are issued.

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