Centralized technique for assigning I/O controllers to hosts in a cluster

• US 6,738,818 B1
• Filed: 12/27/1999
• Issued: 05/18/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Beijing Xiaomi Mobile Software Co., Ltd. (Xiaomi Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Shah, Rajesh R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Burgess, Glenton B.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Choudhary, Anita
• Application Number:
  US09/472,445
• Time in Patent Office: 1,604 Days
• Field of Search: 709/220-229, 709/203, 710/1-74
• US Class Current: 709/228
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/622 Layer-2 addresses, e.g. medium access control [MAC] addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5038 for local use, e.g. in LAN or USB networks, or in a controller area network [CAN]

Abstract

A technique is provided for assigning an I/O controller to a host in a cluster. The cluster includes one or more hosts and one or more I/O controllers connected by a cluster interconnection fabric. In an example embodiment, an I/O controller is connected to the cluster interconnection fabric. The I/O controller connected to the fabric is detected and a network address is assigned to the I/O controller. An administrative agent is used to assign the I/O controller to a host that is connected to the cluster interconnection fabric. A message is sent to the host informing the host that the I/O controller is assigned to the host and providing the network address of the I/O controller.

Claims

1. A method of assigning an I/O controller to a host in a cluster, the cluster including one or more hosts and one or more I/O controllers connected by a cluster interconnection fabric, the method comprising the steps of:

connecting an I/O controller to the cluster interconnection fabric;

detecting the I/O controller connected to the fabric;

assigning a network address to the I/O controller;

using an administrative agent to assign the I/O controller to a host that is connected to the cluster interconnection fabric;

sending a message to the host informing the host that the I/O controller is assigned to the host and providing the network address of the I/O controller.

2. The method as claimed claim 1, wherein the I/O controller connected to the cluster interconnection fabric is detected using one of the following techniques:

using an interrupt mechanism; and

by sweeping the cluster interconnection fabric.

3. The method as claimed claim 1, wherein the administrative agent used to assign the I/O controller comprises assigning the I/O controller to a host by matching the I/O controller to a host using a database.

4. The method as claimed claim 1, wherein the administrative agent used to assign the I/O controller comprises assigning the I/O controller to a host based upon an assignment or information received from a human administrator.

5. The method as claimed claim 1, further comprising:

sending a message to the host informing the host that the I/O controller is assigned to the host and providing the network address of the I/O controller, the message also identifying a type of controller for the I/O controller.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cluster interconnection fabric appears as an I/O bus to the host.

7. A method of reassigning an I/O controller to a host in a cluster, the cluster including a plurality of hosts and one or more I/O units connected by a cluster interconnection fabric, the method comprising the steps of:

reassigning an I/O unit from an old host to a new host, the old host and new host being connected to the cluster interconnection fabric;

sending a message from an administrative agent to the old host indicating that the I/O unit is no longer assigned to the old host;

sending a message from the administrative agent to the new host indicating that the I/O unit is assigned to the new host, and providing a network address of the I/O unit.

8. The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the cluster interconnection fabric appears to the old host and the new host as an I/O bus.

9. The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the messages sent to the hosts are transmitted from the administrative agent to the hosts over the cluster interconnection fabric.

10. A method of assigning an I/O unit to a host in a cluster, the cluster including one or more hosts and one or more I/O units connected by a cluster interconnection fabric, the method comprising the steps of:

connecting a new I/O unit to the cluster interconnection fabric, the new I/O unit including a new I/O controller connected thereto;

detecting the new I/O unit connected to the cluster interconnection fabric;

querying the new I/O unit to identify any I/O controllers connected to the I/O unit;

assigning the I/O controller connected to the I/O unit to a host; and

sending a message to the host informing the host that the new I/O controller is assigned to the host and providing the network address of the new I/O unit where the new I/O controller can be reached.

11. The method as claimed in claim 10, further comprising the step of the host loading an I/O controller driver into memory corresponding to the new I/O controller assigned to the host.

12. The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein the cluster interconnection fabric appears to the host as an I/O bus.

13. A cluster comprising:

a cluster interconnection fabric;

one or more hosts connected to the cluster interconnection fabric;

an I/O controller connected to the cluster interconnection fabric;

a fabric manager connected to the cluster interconnection fabric, to assign the I/O controller in the cluster to one or more hosts to send messages to the one or more hosts indicating that the I/O controller has been assigned to the one or more hosts.

14. The cluster as claimed in claim 13, wherein the fabric manager includes:

a fabric services to detect the connection or presence of the I/O controller and to assign a network address to the I/O controller; and

an I/O controller manager coupled to the fabric services to assign the I/O controller to one or more hosts and to send messages to affected hosts informing the affected hosts that the I/O controller has been assigned to the affected hosts and identifying the network address of the I/O controller.

15. The cluster as claimed in claim 13, wherein the cluster interconnection fabric appears to each of the hosts in the cluster as an I/O bus.

16. The cluster as claimed in claim 13, wherein the one or more hosts each comprises:

a processor;

a memory coupled to the processor; and

a host-fabric adapter coupled to the processor to interface the host to the cluster interconnection fabric.

17. The cluster as claimed in claim 16, wherein the one or more hosts each further comprises an operating system including a kernel, a device driver for the host-fabric adapter and an I/O controller driver that is specific to the assigned I/O controller.

18. The cluster as claimed in claim 17, wherein the operating system further comprises a fabric bus driver to provide a bus abstraction for the cluster interconnection fabric.

19. A network comprising:

a cluster interconnection fabric;

one or more hosts connected to the cluster interconnection fabric;

an I/O unit connected to the cluster interconnection fabric;

one or more I/O controllers connected to the I/O unit; and

a fabric manager connected to the cluster interconnection fabric, to assign I/O controllers in the cluster to one or more hosts and to send messages to the one or more hosts indicating that each I/O controller has been assigned to the one or more hosts.