Method and apparatus for connecting i/o channels between sub-channels and devices through virtual machines controlled by a hypervisor using ID and configuration information

• US 5,996,026 A
• Filed: 04/04/1997
• Issued: 11/30/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 09/05/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Shinohara, Makiko, Onodera, Osamu, Sato, Kiichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Matar, Ahmad F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Thomson, William D
• Application Number:
  US08/833,349
• Time in Patent Office: 970 Days
• Field of Search: 395/674, 395/856, 395/821, 395/828, 395/825, 395/735, 395/726, 395/830, 395/406, 707/1, 710/2, 710/3, 710/5, 710/8, 710/100, 710/200, 709/104
• US Class Current: 710/3
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/122 where hardware performs an I/O function other than control of data transfer
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing

Abstract

A connection method of a plurality of input/output channels between a plurality of sub-channels of an information processing system having a virtual machine running on a physical machine under control of a hypervisor and a plurality of devices. The method includes issuing from the hypervisor a command for setting configuration information defining a plurality of configuration structures between the sub-channels set for the respective virtual machines and the devices in a storage device and acquiring configuration information containing the sub-channel corresponding to a designated device from the configuration information corresponding to one of the virtual machines based on the device designation contained in the input/output command from the one virtual machine. The virtual machines are enabled after the issuance of the set command and before the issuance of the input/output command. The corresponding configuration information is searched by using ID information of the virtual machine which issued the input/output command in order to execute the step so that one of a plurality of channel paths between a plurality of devices and the sub-channels is selected to execute the input/output designated by the input/output command.

Claims

1. A method of connecting a plurality of input/output channels between a plurality of sub-channels of an information processing system having a virtual machine running on a physical machine under control of a hypervisor and a plurality of devices, said method comprising the steps of:

issuing from the hypervisor a command for setting configuration information defining a plurality of configuration structures between a plurality of groups of the input/output channels for the respective virtual machines and the devices, in a storage device;

enabling the virtual machines for said plurality of groups of the sub-channels after the issuance of the command; and

acquiring configuration information containing the sub-channel corresponding to a designated device from the configuration information corresponding to one of the virtual machines based on the device designation contained in an input/output command from said one virtual machine,

wherein the number of said input/output channels is more than a maximum number determined by the number of bits of an address field prepared for the input/output channel designated in the input/output command.

2. A connection method according to claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

searching the corresponding configuration information by using ID information of said one virtual machine which issued the input/output command in order to execute said step of acquiring the configuration information.

3. A method according claim 2 further comprising the step of:

issuing from the hypervisor another command for setting a plurality of configuration information defining a configuration between the sub-channels provided for the respective virtual machines and the devices after the issuance of the command for enabling the virtual machines.

4. A method according to claim 3 further comprising the step of:

executing the input/output operation designated by the input/output command based on the configuration information.

5. A method according claim 1 further comprising the step of:

searching the corresponding configuration information by using the ID information of said one virtual machine which issued the input/output command in order to execute said step of acquiring the configuration information.

6. A method according to claim 5 wherein the number of said input/output channels is at least double of a maximum number defined by the number of bits of an address field prepared for the input/output channel designated in the input/output command.

7. A method according to claim 6 further comprising the step of:

issuing from the hypervisor another command for setting a plurality of configuration information defining a configuration between the sub-channels provided for the respective virtual machines and the devices after the issuance of the command for enabling the virtual machines.

8. A method according to claim 7 further comprising the step of:

selecting one of a plurality of paths between the devices and the sub-channels based on a support and executing the input/output designated by the input/output command.

9. A method according to claim 1 wherein the number of said input/output channels is at least double of a maximum number defined by the number of bits of an address field prepared for the input/output channel designated in the input/output command.

10. A method according to claim 9 further comprising the step of:

issuing from the hypervisor another command for setting a plurality of configuration information defining a configuration between the sub-channels provided for the respective virtual machines and the devices after the issuance of the command for enabling the virtual machines.

11. An information processing system having a plurality of virtual machines, comprising:

a plurality of physical machines,

a storage device including a hardware system area (HSA) and an area for hypervisor;

said plurality of virtual machines operating on said physical machines under control of the hypervisor generated in said storage device;

said hypervisor issuing a command for setting configuration information defining a plurality of configurations between a plurality of input/output channels for the respective virtual machines and a plurality of devices, in the storage device; and

an information storage area provided in said hardware system area for holding a relation between a plurality of virtual machines and a plurality of groups of said plurality of input/output channels in correspondence with the configuration information distinguishably by virtual machine IDs in an input/output command issued from the virtual machine;

the configuration information containing the designation of said input/output channels corresponding to a designated device from the confirmation information corresponding to one of said virtual machines being imparted to the input/output channels of the virtual machines which issued the input/output command in order to determine a path from the sub-channel to the device based on the designation of the device contained in the input/output command from said one virtual machine and the virtual machine identification ID.

12. An information processing system according to claim 11 wherein said virtual machines are enabled after the issuance of the set command and before the issuance of the input/output command.

13. In an information processing apparatus including at least a physical instruction processor, a main storage, input/output channels input/output processors for controlling said input/output channels, input/output devices connected to said input/output channels and a server processor, wherein a plurality of virtual machines run under control of a control program, a method of connecting a plurality of input/output channels and devices, comprising the steps of:

preparing a plurality of input/output configuration information having correspondence relation between a plurality of input/output channels and input/output devices;

constructing a plurality of channel systems each of which includes an input/output processor and a plurality of input/output channels and relates each of said input/output processors with each of a plurality of groups of said plurality input/output channels in correspondence to said configuration information, wherein each of said plurality of input/output processors has a maximum of input/output devices connectable thereto based on hardware architecture of a physical machine; and

relating a plurality of virtual machines to a plurality of groups of said plurality of input/output channels of said configuration information, respectively to enable operation of input/output channels of said plurality of groups of said plurality of input/output processors in parallel.

14. A method according to claim 13, further comprising step of:

enabling said plurality of virtual machines for said plurality of groups of said plurality of input/output channels issuing an input/output command.