System for hot swapping a programmable adapter by using a programmable processor to selectively disabling and enabling power thereto upon receiving respective control signals

• US 6,192,434 B1
• Filed: 10/01/1997
• Issued: 02/20/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Round Rock Research LLC
• Original Assignee: Micro Electronics Incorporated
• Inventors: Khalili, Mehrdad, Reed, John M., Mahalingam, Mallikarjunan, Wallach, Walter August
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Thomas C.
• Application Number:
  US08/942,311
• Time in Patent Office: 1,238 Days
• Field of Search: 395/555, 395/283, 395/284, 395/866, 395/879, 395/151, 395/180, 710/8, 710/10, 710/15, 710/101, 710/103, 713/310, 713/324
• US Class Current: 710/302
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/20 Cooling means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/206 comprising thermal management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/26 Power supply means, e.g. regulation thereof for memories G11C
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0748 in a remote unit communicating with a single-box computer node experiencing an error/fault remote testing G06F11/2294
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0766 Error or fault reporting or storing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0793 Remedial or corrective actions recovery from an exception in an instruction pipeline G06F9/3861; by retry G06F11/1402; for recovering from a failure of a protocol instance or entity H04L69/40
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3034 where the computing system component is a storage system, e.g. DASD based or network based digital input from or digital output to record carriers G06F3/06; digital recording or reproducing G11B20/18; for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS], H04L67/1097
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3041 where the computing system component is an input/output interface interconnection of, or transfer of information or other signals between, memories, input/output devices or central processing units G06F13/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3051 Monitoring arrangements for monitoring the configuration of the computing system or of the computing system component, e.g. monitoring the presence of processing resources, peripherals, I/O links, software programs verification or detection of system hardware configuration G06F11/2247
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/328 Computer systems status display G06F11/327 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3466 Performance evaluation by tracing or monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/4027 using bus bridges G06F13/4022 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/4081 Live connection to bus, e.g. hot-plugging current or voltage limitation during live insertion H02H9/004
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/305 by remotely controlling device operation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/86 Event-based monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0601 Interfaces specially adapted for storage systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0673 Single storage device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4411 Configuring for operating with peripheral devices; Loading of device drivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/12 Arrangements for remote connection or disconnection of substations or of equipment thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0213 : Standardised network management protocols, e.g. simple network management protocol [SNMP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0806 : for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0809 : Plug-and-play configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 : Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 : comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/00 : Arrangements for monitoring or testing data switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/50 : in wire-line communication networks, e.g. low power modes or reduced link rate

Abstract

A software architecture for the hot add and swap of adapters. The software architecture allows users to replace failed components, upgrade outdated components, and add new functionality, such as new network interfaces, disk interface adapters and storage, without impacting existing users. The software architecture supports the hot add and swap of off-the-shelf adapters, including those adapters that are programmable.

Claims

1. An operational computer capable of hot swapping an adapter, comprising:

a memory;

at least one input/output (I/O) device;

a standard programmable adapter connected to the operational computer, wherein the standard programmable adapter controls the input/output to the I/O device;

a user interface program which receives a hot swap request for the standard programmable adapter, wherein the hot swap request causes suspension of communications and power disablement to the standard programmable adapter;

a configuration manager, responsive to the hot swap request, suspending the communications to the standard programmable adapter on the operational computer, and storing a configuration information associated with the standard programmable adapter in the memory of the operational computer; and

a hot plug hardware, responsive to the hot swap request, disabling the power to the standard programmable adapter before the standard programmable adapter is disconnected from the operational computer and enabling the power to a replacement standard programmable adapter that replaces the standard programmable adapter, wherein the hot plug hardware comprises at least one programmable data processor for receiving requests from a central processing unit and for controlling the power to the standard programmable adapter in response to requests from the central processing unit, and the programmable data processor determines whether the received request is to disable or enable power.

2. The operational computer of claim 1, wherein the standard programmable adapter is connected to the operational computer by a PCI bus.

3. The operational computer of claim 1, wherein the standard programmable adapter is connected to the operational computer by a CardBus.

4. The operational computer of claim 1, wherein the standard programmable adapter is connected to the operational computer by an ISA bus.

5. The operational computer of claim 1, wherein the standard programmable adapter is connected to the operational computer by an EISA bus.

6. The operational computer of claim 1, additionally comprising an operating system executing in the operational computer.

7. The operational computer of claim 6, wherein the operating system is the NetWare Operating System.

8. The operational computer of claim 6, wherein the operating system is the Windows NT Operating system.

9. The operational computer of claim 1, wherein the standard programmable adapter controls I/O to SCSI devices.

10. The operational computer of claim 1, wherein the standard programmable adapter controls a mass storage device.

11. The operational computer of claim 1, within the standard programmable adapter is a Qlogic adapter.

12. An operational computer capable of hot swapping an adapter comprising:

a memory;

an input/output (I/O) device;

an standard adapter connected to the operational computer, wherein the standard adapter controls the input/output to the I/O device, and wherein the operational computer is capable of turning on and off the power to the standard adapter;

a user interface program which receives a hot swap request for the standard adapter, wherein the hot swap request causes suspension of communications and power disablement to the standard adapter;

a configuration manager, responsive to the hot swap request, suspending the communications to the standard adapter, and storing a configuration information associated with the standard adapter in the memory of the operational computer; and

a hot plug hardware, responsive to the hot swap request, disabling the power to the standard adapter before the standard adapter is disconnected from the operational computer and enabling the power to a replacement standard adapter that replaces the standard adapter, wherein the hot plug hardware comprises at least one programmable data processor for receiving requests from a central processing unit and for controlling the power to the standard adapter in response to requests from the central processing unit, and the programmable data processor determines whether the received request is to disable or enable power.

13. The operational computer of claim 12, wherein the standard adapter is connected to the operational computer by a PCI bus.

14. An operational computer capable of hot swapping an adapter, comprising:

an input/output (I/O) device;

a memory;

a standard programmable adapter connected to the operational computer, wherein the standard programmable adapter controls the input/output to the I/O device;

a user interface program which receives a hot swap request for the standard programmable adapter, wherein the hot swap request causes suspension of communications and power disablement to the standard programmable adapter;

a configuration manager, responsive to a hot swap request, suspending the communications to the standard programmable adapter, and storing a configuration information associated with the standard programmable adapter in the memory of the operational computer; and

a power management module including a programmable data processor capable of issuing commands to disable and enable power to the standard programmable adapter, the programmable data processor receiving requests from a central processing unit and controlling the power to the standard programmable adapter in response to requests from the central processing unit, and determining whether the received request is to disable or enable power.

15. The operational computer of claim 14, wherein the standard programmable adapter is connected to the operational computer by a PCI bus.

16. An operational computer capable of hot swapping an adapter, comprising:

a memory;

a plurality of input/output (I/O) devices;

a plurality of standard programmable adapters connected to the operational computer, wherein one or more of the standard programmable adapters control the input/output to selected ones of the I/O devices;

a user interface program which receives a hot swap request for a selected one of the standard programmable adapters, wherein the hot swap request causes suspension of communications and power disablement to the selected standard programmable adapter;

a configuration manager, responsive to the hot swap request, suspending the communications to the selected one of the standard programmable adapters, and storing a configuration information associated with the selected standard programmable adapter in the memory of the operational computer; and

a hot plug hardware, responsive to the hot swap request, disabling the power to a selected one of the standard programmable adapters before being disconnected from the operational computer and enabling the power to a new standard programmable adapter that replaces the selected standard programmable adapter, wherein the hot plus hardware comprises at least one programmable data processor for receiving requests from a central processing unit and for controlling the power to the selected standard programmable adapter in response to requests from the central processing unit, and the programmable data processor determines whether the received request is to disable or enable power.

17. The operational computer of claim 16, wherein the selected standard programmable adapter is connected to the operational computer by a PCI bus.

18. An operational computer capable of hot swapping an adapter, comprising:

a memory;

a plurality of input/output (I/O) devices;

a plurality of standard programmable adapters connected to the operational computer, wherein one or more of the standard programmable adapters control the input/output to selected ones of the I/O devices;

a user interface program which receives a hot swap request for a selected one of the standard programmable adapters, wherein the hot swap request causes suspension of communications and power disablement to the selected standard adapter;

a configuration manager, responsive to the hot swap request, suspending the communications to a selected one of the standard programmable adapters, and storing a configuration information associated with the selected standard programmable adapter in the memory of the operational computer; and

a hot plug hardware, responsive to the hot swap request, suspending the power to the selected standard programmable adapter before the selected standard programmable adapter is disconnected from the operational computer and enabling the power to a replacement standard programmable adapter that replaces the selected standard programmable adapter, wherein the hot plug hardware comprises at least one programmable data processor for receiving requests from a central processing unit and for controlling the power to the selected standard programmable adapter in response to requests from the central processing unit, and the programmable data processor determines whether the received request is to disable or enable power.

19. The operational computer of claim 18, wherein the selected standard programmable adapter is connected to the operational computer by a PCI bus.