Method for the hot add of devices

• US 6,247,080 B1
• Filed: 10/01/1997
• Issued: 06/12/2001
• 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): Beausoleil, Robert
• Assistant Examiner(s): VO, TIM T
• Application Number:
  US08/942,306
• Time in Patent Office: 1,350 Days
• Field of Search: 395/182.05, 395/828, 395/830, 395/283, 395/651, 395/652, 395/653, 710/103, 710/102, 710/8, 710/10, 714/7, 713/1, 713/2, 713/100
• 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 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 41/0803 Configuration setting
• 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 43/045 for graphical visualisation of monitoring data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/065 : related to network devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0817 : by checking functioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0823 : Errors, e.g. transmission errors
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/106 : using time related information in packets, e.g. by adding timestamps
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/16 : Threshold monitoring
• 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 for 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 the power to the adapter in response to requests from the central processing unit, the method comprising:

adding a programmable adapter to one of the bus slots that is in a non-powered state;

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

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

2. The method of claim 1, additionally comprising commanding a hot plug circuit that the programmable adapter has been added to the bus slot.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the programmable adapter is an input/output processing card.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein adding the programmable adapter comprises connecting the programmable adapter to an EISA bus in the operational computer.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein adding the programmable adapter comprises connecting the programmable adapter to an ISA bus in the operational computer.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein adding the programmable adapter comprises connecting the programmable adapter to a PCI bus in the operational computer.

7. The method of claim 1, additionally comprising executing a NetWare Operating System on the operational computer.

8. The method of claim 1, additionally comprising executing a Windows NT Operating System on the operational computer.

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

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the programmable adapter is a network card.

11. A method for hot adding a programmable 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 the power to the programmable adapter in response to requests from the central processing unit, the method comprising:

adding the programmable adapter to a selected one of the bus slots that is in a non-powered state;

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

initiating communications between the operational computer and the programmable adapter.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the adapter controls mass storage devices.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein enabling power includes commanding a power management module in the computer to power-up the bus slot.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein adding the adapter comprises connecting the adapter to a PCI bus in the operational computer.

15. The method of claim 11, additionally comprising receiving notification of the addition of the adapter from a user interface program executing on the operational computer.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein adding the adapter comprises connecting the adapter to an ISA bus in the operational computer.

17. A method for hot adding an adapter to an operational computer including at least one canister, wherein the canister includes one or more existing adapters, each of the canisters including one or more bus slots, wherein the operational computer has at least one programmable data processor for receiving requests from a central processing unit and for controlling the power to the adapter in response to requests from the central processing unit, the method comprising:

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 operational computer, wherein the programmable data processor determines whether a received request is to disable power;

adding a new adapter to the selected canister;

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

restarting communications to the existing adapters; and

initiating communications between the operational computer and the new adapter.

18. The method of claim 17, additionally comprising commanding a power management module in the operational computer to enable power to the selected canister.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein adding the new adapter comprises connecting the adapter to a PCI bus in the operational computer.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein adding the new adapter comprises connecting the adapter to an ISA bus in the operational computer.