Method for the hot add of a mass storage adapter on a system including a statically loaded adapter driver

• US 6,219,734 B1
• Filed: 10/01/1997
• Issued: 04/17/2001
• 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): Etienne, Ario
• Application Number:
  US08/942,069
• Time in Patent Office: 1,294 Days
• Field of Search: 395/283, 395/280, 395/281, 395/282, 395/284, 395/882, 395/892, 395/893, 395/894, 395/822, 395/828, 395/830, 395/833, 395/651, 395/652, 395/653, 395/182.05, 710/103, 710/100-102, 710/104, 710/62, 710/72-74, 710/2, 710/8, 710/10, 710/13, 714/7
• US Class Current: 710/302
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/20 Cooling means
• 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 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 41/06 Management of faults, events, alarms or notifications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0806 for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/082 : the condition being updates or upgrades of network functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0843 : based on generic templates
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0866 : Checking the 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: H04L 43/0817 : by checking functioning
• 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. A method of hot adding a programmable mass storage adapter to an operational computer including a plurality of bus slots wherein the operational computer has at least one programmable data processor for receiving requests from a central processing unit and for controlling power to the bus slot in response to requests from the central processing unit, the method comprising:

executing a statically loaded adapter driver which accepts a request packet to initialize an adapter;

adding a programmable mass storage adapter, which is connected to a plurality of I/O devices, to one of the bus slots having a non-powered state;

enabling power to the bus slot, wherein the at least one programmable data processor determines whether a received request is to enable power; and

activating the programmable mass storage adapter so that I/O is communicated between the I/O devices and the operational computer.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein activating the programmable mass storage adapter includes reading a vendor identification and an adapter identification from a memory in the programmable mass storage adapter so as to determine the type of the programmable mass storage adapter, and identifying a statically loaded adapter driver associated with the programmable mass storage adapter.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein activating the programmable mass storage adapter includes checking for the presence of a statically loaded adapter driver associated with the programmable mass storage adapter.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein activating the programmable mass storage adapter includes reading a template containing configuration information for the programmable mass storage adapter.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the programmable mass storage adapter is adapted for communication with a Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) bus.

6. The method of claim 1, additionally comprising executing a configuration manager which stores configuration information into the programmable mass storage adapter.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the configuration manager stores a plurality of configuration information of the programmable mass storage adapter in a linked list.

8. A method of hot adding an adapter to an operational computer including a plurality of bus slots wherein the operational computer has at least one programmable data processor for receiving requests from a central processing unit and for controlling power to the bus slot in response to requests from the central processing unit, the method comprising:

executing a statically loaded adapter driver which accepts a request packet to initialize a new adapter;

adding a mass storage adapter, which is connected to a plurality of I/O devices, to one of the bus slots having a non-powered state;

enabling power to the bus slot, wherein the at least one programmable data processor determines whether a received request is to enable power; and

initiating communications between the operational computer and the mass storage adapter.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein initiating communications includes reading a vendor and an adapter identification from a memory in the mass storage adapter so as to determine the type of the programmable mass storage adapter, and identifying a statically loaded adapter driver for the programmable mass storage adapter.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein initiating communications includes checking for the presence of the statically loaded adapter driver associated with the mass storage adapter.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein initiating communications includes reading a template containing the configuration information of the mass storage adapter.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the mass storage adapter is adapted for communication with a Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) bus.

13. The method of claim 8, additionally comprising executing a configuration manager which stores configuration information into the mass storage adapter.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the configuration manager stores a plurality of configuration information of the mass storage adapter in a linked list.

15. A method of hot adding a new mass storage adapter to an operational computer including at least one canister wherein the at least one canister contains one or more existing adapters connected to a plurality of I/O devices, and wherein the operational computer has at least one programmable data processor for receiving requests from a central processing unit and for controlling power to the canister in response to requests from the central processing unit, the method comprising:

executing a statically loaded adapter driver which accepts a request packet to suspend and restart communications to the existing adapters;

suspending all communication to the existing adapters on a selected one of the canisters;

disabling power to the selected canister, while still maintaining power to the computer, wherein the at least one programmable data processor determines whether a received request is to disable power;

adding the new mass storage adapter to the selected canister;

enabling power to the selected canister, wherein the at least one programmable data processor determines whether a received request is to enable power;

restarting communications to the existing adapters; and

initiating communications between the computer and the new mass storage adapter.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein initiating communications includes checking for the presence of the statically loaded adapter driver associated with the new mass storage adapter.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein initiating communications includes reading a template containing configuration information of the new mass storage adapter.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the new mass storage adapter is adapted for communication with a Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) bus.

19. The method of claim 15, additionally comprising executing a configuration manager which stores configuration information into the new mass storage adapter.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the configuration manager stores a plurality of configuration information of the new mass storage adapter in a linked list.