Method and apparatus to perform fabric management

• US 6,978,300 B1
• Filed: 10/19/2000
• Issued: 12/20/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Recio, Renato John, Beukema, Bruce Leroy, Nordstrom, Gregory Michael, Pfister, Gregory Francis, Neal, Danny Marvin
• Primary Examiner(s): Alam, Hosain
• Assistant Examiner(s): BATES, KEVIN T
• Application Number:
  US09/692,344
• Time in Patent Office: 1,888 Days
• Field of Search: 709/223, 709/225, 709/227, 709/232, 709/234, 709/238, 709/239, 709/242, 370/229, 370/230, 370/235, 370/236.1, 370/236.2
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/00 Arrangements for maintenance, administration or management of data switching networks, e.g. of packet switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/082 the condition being updates or upgrades of network functionality

Abstract

A method and apparatus to perform network fabric management is provided. The method and apparatus provide a mechanism by which modifications to components of the network fabric may be made without tearing down existing connections. The apparatus and method facilitate such fabric management by placing send queues in a send queue drain state and suspending the send queues affected by changes to the network fabric while the modifications are being made. Once the modifications are complete, the send queues are place back into an operational state.

Claims

1. A method for modifying a network without tearing down existing connections, comprising:

identifying a modification to the network that is to be made;

identifying a send queue that is to be affected by the modification;

placing the send queue that is to be affected by a modification to the network into a suspended state;

wherein while in the suspended state, write requests can be posted to a queue pair of the send queue, incoming messages to the queue pair of the send queue are processed normally, and work requests submitted to the send queue are queued and are not processed;

applying the modification to the network; and

placing the send queue back into an operational state after applying the modification to the network.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the suspended state is a send queue drain state.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein placing the send queue into a suspended state includes stopping processing of messages in the send queue at a message boundary.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending a notification to a subnet manager that the send queue has been placed in a suspended state, wherein the modification to the network is applied in response to sending the notification.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein placing the send queue into a suspended state includes using a PathRecord SubnAdmReport general management packet to request suspension of messages on a queue pair over an existing path in the network.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein placing the send queue back into an operational state after applying the modification to the network includes identifying the send queue based on a Path Record Modification ID included in the PathRecord SubnAdmReport general management packet.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising receiving a PathRecord SubnAdmReportResp general management packet in response to the PathRecord SubnAdmReport general management packet indicating that the modification to the network has been applied, wherein the send queue is placed back into an operation state in response to receiving the PathRecord SubnAdmReportResp general management packet.

8. An apparatus for modifying a network without tearing down existing connections, comprising:

identifying a modification to the network that is to be made;

identifying a send queue that is to be affected by the modification;

placing the send queue that is to be affected by a modification to the network into a suspended state;

wherein while in the suspended state, write requests can be posted to a queue pair of the send queue, incoming messages to the queue pair of the send queue are processed normally, and work requests submitted to the send queue are queued and are not processed;

applying the modification to the network; and

placing the send queue back into an operational state after applying the modification to the network.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the suspended state is a send queue drain state.

10. The apparatus of claim 8,wherein the means for placing the send queue into a suspended state includes means for stopping processing of messages in the send queue at a message boundary.

11. The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising means for sending a notification to a subnet manager that the send queue has been placed in a suspended state, wherein the modification to the network is applied in response to sending the notification.

12. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the means for placing the send queue into a suspended state includes means for using a PathRecord SubnAdmnReport general management packet to request suspension of messages on a queue pair over an existing path in the network.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the means for placing the send queue back into an operational state after applying the modification to the network includes means for identifying the send queue based on a Path Record Modification ID included in the PathRecord SubnAdmReport general management packet.

14. The apparatus of claim 12 , further comprising means for receiving a PathRecord SubnAdmReportResp general management packet in response to the PathRecord SubnAdmReport general management packet indicating that the modification to the network has been applied, wherein the send queue is placed back into an operation state in response to receiving the PathRecord SubnAdmReportResp general management packet.

15. A computer program product in a computer readable medium for modifying a network without tearing down existing connections, comprising:

identifying a modification to the network that is to be made;

identifying a send queue that is to be affected by the modification;

placing the send queue that is to be affected by a modification to the network into a suspended state;

wherein while in the suspended state, write requests can be posted to a queue pair of the send queue, incoming messages to the queue pair of the send queue are processed normally, and work requests submitted to the send queue are queued and are not processed;

applying the modification to the network; and

placing the send queue back into an operational state after applying the modification to the network.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the suspended state is a send queue drain state.

17. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the third instructions for placing the send queue into a suspended state includes instructions for stopping processing of messages in the send queue at a message boundary.

18. The computer program product of claim 15, further comprising sixth instructions for sending a notification to a subnet manager that the send queue has been placed in a suspended state, wherein the modification to the network is applied in response to sending the notification.

19. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the third instructions for placing the send queue into a suspended state includes instructions for using a PathRecord SubnAdmReport general management packet to request suspension of messages on a queue pair over an existing path in the network.

20. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein the fifth instructions for placing the send queue back into an operational state after applying the modification to the network includes instructions for identifying the send queue based on a Path Record Modification ID included in the PathRecord SubnAdmReport general management packet.

21. The computer program product of claim 19, further comprising sixth instructions for receiving a PathRecord SubnAdmReportResp general management packet in response to the PathRecord SubnAdmReport general management packet indicating that the modification to the network has been applied, wherein the send queue is placed back into an operation state in response to receiving the PathRecord SubnAdmReportResp general management packet.