Method and device for accessing service agents on non-subnet manager hosts in an infiniband subnet

• US 6,810,418 B1
• Filed: 06/29/2000
• Issued: 10/26/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Saripalli, Ramakrishna V., Shah, Rajesh R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Maung, Zarni
• Application Number:
  US09/605,362
• Time in Patent Office: 1,580 Days
• Field of Search: 370/236, 370/392, 707/103.R, 709/202, 709/225, 709/223, 709/224, 709/249, 709/250
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for accessing service agents on non-subnet manager hosts in an Infiniband subnet. A service agent at a first host registers with a first General Service Agent (GSA) at the first host. The registration is sent to a second GSA at a second host if the first host is not a subnet manager. The second host is a subnet manager. The second host sends a request for access/identification information to the service agent. The requested access/identification information is received at the second host. A service request is received at the second host for the service agent at the first host. The service request is from a client on the Infiniband subnet. The client is redirected to the first host by the second host sending the client a message. The service request for the service agent is sent to the first host by the client. The first host, second host, and client are part of an Infiniband subnet.

Claims

1. A method for accessing service agents on non-subnet manager hosts in an Infiniband subnet comprising:

registering, by a service agent at a first host, with a first General Service Agent (GSA) at the first host;

sending the registration to a second GSA at a second host if the first host is not a subnet manager, the second host being a subnet manager;

sending, by the second host, a request for access/identification information to the service agent;

receiving the requested access/identification information at the second host;

receiving, at the second host, a service request for the service agent at the first host, the service request being from a client;

redirecting the client to the first host, the redirecting performed by the second host sending the client a message; and

sending the service request for the service agent to the first host by the client, wherein the first host, second host, and client are part of an Infiniband subnet.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the request for access/identification information comprises a Get(ClassPortInfo) request.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising receiving the requested access/identification information at the second GSA.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising sending, by the second host, the request for access/identification information to the first GSA, the first GSA forwarding the request for access/identification information to the service agent.

5. The method according to claim 4, further comprising sending, by the second GSA, the request for access/identification information to the first GSA.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the client resides at one of the first host, the second host and a third host that is part of the Infiniband subnet.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the message comprises at least some of the access/identification information.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the received requested access/identification information comprises at least one of a service agent address, a service class I.D., and a service agent queue pair.

9. The method according to claim 8, further comprising storing the received requested access/identification information by the second GSA.

10. The method according to claim 8, further comprising comparing the service class I.D. with a second service class I.D. received in the service request.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the message comprises a Get(ClassPortInfo) message.

12. An Infiniband subnet system that provides access to service agents on nonsubnet manager hosts comprising:

at least one device, the at least one device being part of an Infiniband subnet, at least one device including a subnet manager;

at least one first host, the at least one first host being part of the Infiniband subnet, the at least one first host including a service agent, the service agent registering with the subnet manager;

at least one second host, the at least one second host being part of the Infiniband subnet, the at least one second host including a client, the client sending a service request to the subnet manager for services from the service agent,

wherein the service request is rerouted by the subnet manager to the at least one first host containing the service agent.

13. The system according to claim 12, wherein the at least one device comprises at least one of a host, a switch, and an I/O enclosure.

14. The system according to claim 12, further comprising at least one switch, the at least one switch interconnecting the at least one device, the at least one first host and the at least one second host in the Infiniband subnet.

15. An article comprising a storage medium having instructions stored therein, the instructions when executed causing a computing device to perform:

receiving a service agent registration at the computing device from a service agent residing on the computing device;

determining if the computing device is a subnet manager;

sending the service agent registration to a subnet manager if the computing device is not a subnet manager;

determining if an information request has been received by the computing device from the subnet manager; and

resending the service agent registration to the subnet manager if an information request has not been received by the computing device from the subnet manager and retries remain,

wherein the subnet manager can reroute service requests for the service agent if at least one of the computing device is a subnet manager and an information request has been received by the computing device from the subnet manager.

16. The article according to claim 15, wherein the information request comprises a Get(ClassPortInfo) request.

17. The article according to claim 15, wherein the service agent registration comprises at least one of a service agent service class ID and a service agent address.

18. An article comprising a storage medium having instructions stored therein, the instructions when executed causing a computing device to perform:

receiving a service agent registration at the computing device from a service agent residing on a second computing device;

determining if the computing device is a subnet manager;

sending an information request to the service agent if the computing device is a subnet manager;

determining if a response to the information request has been received by the computing device from the service agent; and

resending the information request to the service agent if a response to the information request has not been received by the computing device from the service agent and retries remain,

wherein the subnet manager can reroute service requests for the service agent if at least one of the computing device is a subnet manager and a response to the information request has been received by the computing device from the service agent.

19. The article according to claim 18, wherein the information request comprises a Get(ClassPortInfo) request.

20. The article according to claim 18, wherein the service agent registration comprises at least one of a service agent service class ID and a service agent address.

21. An article comprising a storage medium having instructions stored therein, the instructions when executed causing a computing device to perform:

receiving a client service request at the computing device, the client service request being for a service agent;

determining if the service agent is registered and resides on the computing device, and sending the client service request to the service agent if the service agent is registered and resides on the computing device;

determining if the computing device is a subnet manager if the service agent is not registered and residing on the computing device;

determining if the service agent is registered on the computing device if the computing device is a subnet manager;

determining if a valid response has been received by the computing device from the service agent if the service agent is registered on the computing device and the computing device is a subnet manager; and

redirecting the client to the service agent by sending the client a redirect message if a valid response has been received by the computing device from the service agent.

22. The article according to claim 21, wherein the client service request comprises a service class ID.

23. The article according to claim 21, wherein the valid response comprises a Get(ClassPortInfo) response.

24. The article according to claim 21, wherein the redirect message comprises a Get(ClassPortInfo) message.

25. A method comprising:

receiving on a computing device a service agent registration report from a host;

determining that the computing device is a subnet manager prior to requesting access information from the host; and

,

if the computing device is a subnet manager;

requesting access information from the host;

receiving the access information; and

storing the access information; and

if the computing device is not a subnet manager, forwarding the service agent registration report to the subnet manager.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the access information comprises one or more of the following:

host address;

queue pair; and

service class I.D. (identifier).

27. The method of claim 25, wherein said forwarding the service agent registration report to the subnet manager additionally comprises forwarding the service agent registration report if additional retries remain.

28. A method comprising:

receiving a service request from a remote service agent on a client, the service request including a service class I.D. (identifier);

determining if access information corresponding to a service agent for the service class I.D. exists on the computing device; and

if the service class I.D. exists on the computing device, redirecting the client by sending the client a redirection response that includes information needed for the client to be able to communicate with the remote service agent.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein said determining if access information corresponding to a service agent for the service class I.D. exists on the computing device comprises sending periodic Get(ClassPortInfo) messages to the remote service agent to make sure that the service agent is still alive.

30. The method of claim 28, wherein said determining if access information corresponding to a service agent for the service class I.D. exists on the computing device comprises sending a Get(ClassPortInfo) message to the remote service agent upon receipt of a service request from a remote service agent of a client.