System and method for managing a computer system having a plurality of partitions

• US 6,725,317 B1
• Filed: 04/29/2000
• Issued: 04/20/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/2000
• 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: Kuntz, Guy L., Bouchier, Paul H., Gilbert, Ronald E. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Myers, Paul R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): PHAN, RAYMOND NGAN
• Application Number:
  US09/562,590
• Time in Patent Office: 1,452 Days
• Field of Search: 710/305-317, 710/301-304, 710/62-64, 710/72, 710/8-19, 709/201-203, 709/208, 709/220, 714/2, 714/10, 714/13, 714/23, 714/9, 714/11
• US Class Current: 710/312
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/177 Initialisation or configuration control processor initialisation G06F9/4405

Abstract

The inventive multiple partition computer system allows the reconfiguration of the installed hardware, possibly while the various partitions continue normal operations. This aspect includes adding and removing process cell boards and I/O from partitions which may or may not continue to run. The invention also allows changes to the association between cells, I/O and partitions. The partitions may be able to stay running, or may have to be shut down from the resulting changes. In the invention, multiple copies of the OS are running independently of each other, each in a partition that has its own cell boards with processors and memory and connected I/O. This provides isolation between different applications. Consequently, a fatal error in one partition would not affect the other partitions. A network of micro-controllers connected to a service processor, via a communications link, provides the service processor with information on each of the different cells, as well as a pathway to receive requests for configuration changes, and a pathway to command changes in the different cells or I/O. The combination of the service processor and the micro-controllers support dynamic changes to the partition configuration.

Claims

1. A computer system having a plurality of partitions, comprising:

a plurality of cell boards, with each cell board including at least one main processor; and

a service processor that is connected to each of the cell boards;

data that describes a configuration for the computer system;

wherein each partition includes at least one cell board, and the service processor manages configuration of the partitions; and

wherein the service processor and each cell board stores a copy of the data, and the service processor may be replaced while the computer system is on-line.

2. The computer system of claim 1, wherein:

each partition is running an operating system that is independent of the other partitions.

3. The computer system of claim 1, wherein:

each cell board of a partition is capable of being reassigned to another partition while the computer system is on-line.

4. The computer system of claim 1, wherein:

the service processor communicates with the cell boards via at least one USB format bus.

5. The computer system of claim 1, wherein:

each cell board may be replaced while the computer system is on-line.

6. The computer system of claim 1, wherein:

the service processor can command the operations of the cell boards.

7. The computer system of claim 1, wherein:

the service processor can command the operations of the partitions.

8. The computer system of claims 7, wherein:

the service processor can reset a partition.

9. The computer system of claim 1, wherein:

the data is managed by the service processor.

10. The computer system of claim 9, wherein:

information describing certain changes to the computer system are relayed to the service processor;

the service processor modifies the data to correspond to the information; and

the service processor distributes the modified data to the cell boards.

11. The computer system of claim 1, wherein each cell board includes:

a micro-controller that handles communication between the service processor and the cell board.

12. The computer system of claim 1, wherein

each partition configures itself based on the data.

23. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

self-configuring by each partition based on the data.

13. A method for operating a computer system having a plurality of partitions and a plurality of cell boards, with each cell board including at least one main processor, wherein each partition includes at least one cell board, the method comprising:

providing a service processor that is connected to each of the cell boards;

providing data that describes a configuration for the computer system;

storing a copy of the data in the service processor and in each cell board;

managing configuration of the partitions via the service processor; and

using at least one USB format bus to provide communications between the service processor and the cell boards.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

running an operating system on each partition that is independent of the other partitions.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

reassigning a cell board of a partition to another partition while the computer system is on-line.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

replacing at least one cell board while the computer system is on-line.

17. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

commanding the operations of the cell boards via the service processor.

18. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

commanding the operations of the partitions via the service processor.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

resetting the partition via the service processor.

20. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

replacing the service processor while the computer system is on-line.

21. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

managing the data via the service processor.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

relaying information describing certain changes to the computer system to the service processor;

modifying the data to correspond to the information via the service processor; and

distributing the data to the cell boards via the service processor.

24. A computer system having a plurality of partitions, comprising:

a plurality of cell boards, wherein each partition includes at least one cell board, and each cell board is capable of determining whether each of the other cell boards may be part of its partition independent of the other partitions; and

a service processor that is connected to each of the cell boards, wherein the service processor manages configuration of the partitions, and the service processor and each cell board stores a copy of data that describes a configuration for the computer system;

wherein after reset, each cell enters a default configuration that excludes the other cells from being part of its partition, and the service processor changes the default configuration of each cell to another configuration.