Method and apparatus for virtual resource handling in a multi-processor computer system

• US 6,633,916 B2
• Filed: 06/10/1998
• Issued: 10/14/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP (Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Company)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Kauffman, James R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Jaroenchonwanit, Bunjob
• Assistant Examiner(s): KANG, PAUL H
• Application Number:
  US09/095,368
• Publication Number:
  US 20020032850A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,952 Days
• Field of Search: 709/229, 709/108, 709/215, 709/104, 709/201, 709/212, 709/213, 709/214, 709/216, 709/226, 709/249, 710/244, 710/52, 712/13, 712/30, 712/220
• US Class Current: 709/229
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5077 Logical partitioning of resources; Management or configuration of virtualized resources specific details on emulation or internal functioning of virtual machines G06F9/455

Abstract

Multiple instances of operating systems execute cooperatively in a single multiprocessor computer wherein all processors and resources are electrically connected together. The single physical machine with multiple physical processors and resources is subdivided by software into multiple partitions, each with the ability to run a distinct copy, or instance, of an operating system. At different times, different operating system instances may be loaded on a given partition. Resources, such as CPUs and memory, can be dynamically assigned to different partitions and used by instances of operating systems running within the machine by modifying the configuration. The partitions themselves can also be changed without rebooting the system by modifying the configuration tree. Each instance keeps track of the CPUs in the system and their respective operational statuses relative to the instance, such as compatibility with the instance, control by the instance, and availability to the instance for SMP processing. Using separate bitvectors for the different categories, a single bit in each bitvector may be used to represent the membership of a given CPU in that particular set, and therefore in the category represented by that set.

Claims

1. A computer system having a plurality of system resources including processors, memory and I/O circuitry, the computer system comprising:

an interconnection mechanism for electrically interconnecting the processors, memory and I/O circuitry so that each processor has electrical access to all of the memory and at least some of the I/O circuitry;

a software mechanism for dividing the system resources into a plurality of partitions;

at least one operating system instance running in each of a plurality of the partitions; and

a processor designation storage device that stores designations for each of a plurality of processors to define the association of each processor with one of said plurality of instances;

wherein each of the sets for a given instance including a plurality of designations indicating whether a corresponding plurality of said processors has a particular operational status represented by that set, said operational statuses including;

a potential status in which the processor are of a type compatible for operation with the given instance;

a configure status which indicates whether the processors are under the control of the given instance; and

an active status which indicates whether the processors are available for symmetric multiprocessing operation with the given instance.

2. A computer system according to claim 1 wherein the designation comprises a memory bit associated with the first instance, a first particular setting of the first memory bit indicating that the processor is under the control of the first instance.

3. A computer system according to claim 2 wherein a second setting of the first memory bit indicates that the processor is not under the control of the first instance.

4. A computer system according to claim 1 wherein the processor designation storage device stores a plurality of designations each associated with and examinable by a different instance, each designation indicating whether the first processor is under the control of its associated instance.

5. A computer system according to claim 4 wherein each designation comprises a memory bit, a first particular setting of each memory bit indicating that the first processor is under the control of the partition associated with that memory bit.

6. A computer system according to claim 1 wherein another of said sets for the given instance includes designations each of which is associated with a different processor and each of which indicates whether its particular processor should be allowed to commence processing activities with a given instance after being transferred to the control of the instance, without requiring a specific start instruction from the instance.

7. A computer system according to claim 1 wherein the designations of each set comprise bits in a memory storage device, and the bits are organized as a bitvector controlled by the given instance.

8. A computer system according to claim 1 wherein the designation comprises a bit in a memory storage device, and the bit is part of a bitvector controlled by the first instance.

9. A computer system according to claim 1 wherein at least two of the operating system instances are different operating systems.

10. A computer system according to claim 1 wherein the computer system comprises a configuration database containing information concerning which of the partitions are part of the computer system.

11. A computer system according to claim 10 wherein a master console comprises means for creating the configuration database at power up of the computer system.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the software mechanism includes a mechanism for dividing the system resources into a plurality of partitions, each partition including at least one processor, some memory, and some I/O circuitry.

13. A computer system having a plurality of system resources including processors, memory and I/O circuitry, the computer system comprising:

an interconnection mechanism for electrically interconnecting the processors, memory and I/O circuitry so that each processor has electrical access to all of the memory and at least some of the I/O circuitry;

a software mechanism for dividing the system resources into a plurality of partitions;

at least one operating system instance running in each of a plurality of the partitions; and

means for maintaining, with each instance, a record of processors present in the system, and for recognizing a plurality of different operational statuses of the resources with regard to the instance, said operational status comprising a potential status which designates the resources as being compatible with the instance, a configure status which indicates the resources are under the control of the instance, and an active status which indicates the resources are available to the partition for symmetric multiprocessing operation.

14. A computer system according to claim 13 wherein the different operational statuses include whether its particular processor should be allowed to commence processing activities with a given instance after being transferred to the control of the instance, without requiring a specific start instruction from the instance.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the software mechanism includes a mechanism for dividing the system resources into a plurality of partitions, each partition including at least one processor, some memory, and some I/O circuitry.

16. A method for constructing a computer system having a plurality of system resources including processors, memory and I/O circuitry, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) electrically interconnecting the processors, memory and I/O circuitry so that each processor has electrical access to all of the memory and at least some of the I/O circuitry;

(b) dividing the system resources into a plurality of partitions;

(c) running at least one operating system instance in a plurality of the partitions; and

(d) maintaining, with each instance, a record of processors present in the system, and recognizing a plurality of different operational statuses of the processors with regard to the instance;

wherein said operational status comprising a potential status which designates the processors as being compatible with the instance, a configure status which indicates the processors are under the control of the instance, and an active status which indicates the processors are available to the partition for symmetric multiprocessing operation.

17. A method according to claim 16 wherein, in step (d), recognizing a plurality of different operational statuses includes recognizing the status of being selected to commence processing activities with a given instance after being transferred to the control of the instance, without requiring a specific start instruction from the instance.

18. A method according to claim 16 further comprising:

(e) storing, in a memory storage device, a designation for a first resource to define its association with a first instance and its operational status relative to the first instance, the designation being used by the first instance in determining whether to make use of the first processor, and changing the designation in a manner that comprises using a bit mask to change the contents of the memory storage device.

19. A method according to claim 16 wherein step (c) comprises the step of:

(c1) running at least two different operating system instances in the plurality of partitions, wherein the two different instances are different operating systems.

20. A method according to claim 16 further comprising the step of:

(e) creating a configuration database containing information concerning which of the partitions are part of the computer system.

21. A method according to claim 20 wherein step (e) comprises the step of:

(e1) creating the configuration database at power up of the computer system.

22. The method of claim 16, wherein dividing the system into a plurality of partitions includes dividing the system into a plurality of partitions, each partition including at least one processor, some memory, and some I/O circuitry.