Open exchange limiting in an I/O processing system

• US 7,899,944 B2
• Filed: 02/14/2008
• Issued: 03/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/14/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Ricci, Louis W., Bendyk, Mark P., Kalos, Matthew J., Yudenfriend, Harry M., Huang, Catherine C., Flanagan, John R., Hathorn, Roger G., Sittmann, Gustav E., Casper, Daniel F.
• Primary Examiner(s): CHEN, ALAN S
• Application Number:
  US12/030,967
• Publication Number:
  US 20090210579A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,111 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 710/5
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/126 and has means for transferring I/O instructions and statuses between control unit and main processor

Abstract

A computer program product, an apparatus, and a method for limiting a number of open exchanges at a channel subsystem of an I/O processing system using data from a control unit. The computer program product includes a tangible storage medium readable by a processing circuit and storing instructions for execution by the processing circuit for performing a method that includes sending a command message to the control unit, and receiving a transport response information unit message in response. The method further includes extracting a maximum control unit exchange parameter from the transport response information unit message, and determining a limit value for a maximum number of open exchanges between the channel subsystem and the control unit as a function of the extracted maximum control unit exchange parameter. The method additionally includes applying the limit value to prevent opening of a new exchange.

Claims

1. A computer program product for limiting a number of open exchanges at a channel subsystem of an input/output (I/O) processing system using data from a control unit, the computer program product comprising:

a tangible storage medium readable by a processing circuit and storing instructions for execution by the processing circuit for performing a method comprising;

sending a command message to the control unit;

receiving a transport response information unit message at the channel subsystem in response to sending the command message to the control unit;

extracting a maximum control unit exchange parameter from the transport response information unit message as populated by the control unit;

determining a limit value for a maximum number of open exchanges between the channel subsystem and the control unit at the channel subsystem as a function of the extracted maximum control unit exchange parameter; and

applying the limit value to prevent opening of a new exchange.

2. The computer program product of claim 1 wherein the method further comprises setting the limit value equal to a default value until the maximum control unit exchange parameter is extracted from the transport response information unit message.

3. The computer program product of claim 2 wherein the default value is sixty-four.

4. The computer program product of claim 1 wherein the limit value is calculated as the extracted maximum control unit exchange parameter incremented by one and multiplied by sixteen.

5. The computer program product of claim 1 wherein the limit value is unmodified in response to the extracted maximum control unit exchange parameter with a value of zero.

6. The computer program product of claim 1 wherein applying the limit value to prevent the opening of the new exchange blocks a new I/O command from being output on the new exchange in response to a current number of open exchanges being greater than or equal to the limit value.

7. The computer program product of claim 1 wherein the maximum control unit exchange parameter is extracted from a status section of the transport response information unit message.

8. The computer program product of claim 1 wherein the command message is a transport command information unit message, including a transport command control block (TCCB) as part of a transport control word (TCW) channel program.

9. An apparatus for limiting a number of open exchanges at a channel subsystem of an input/output (I/O) processing system, the apparatus comprising:

a channel subsystem configured to communicate with a control unit, the channel subsystem configured to perform a method comprising;

sending a command message to the control unit;

receiving a transport response information unit message at the channel subsystem in response to sending the command message to the control unit;

extracting a maximum control unit exchange parameter from the transport response information unit message as populated by the control unit;

determining a limit value for a maximum number of open exchanges between the channel subsystem and the control unit at the channel subsystem as a function of the extracted maximum control unit exchange parameter; and

applying the limit value to prevent opening of a new exchange.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the channel subsystem configured to perform the method further comprises setting the limit value equal to a default value until the maximum control unit exchange parameter is extracted from the transport response information unit message.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the default value is sixty-four.

12. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the limit value is calculated as the extracted maximum control unit exchange parameter incremented by one and multiplied by sixteen.

13. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the limit value is unmodified in response to the extracted maximum control unit exchange parameter with a value of zero.

14. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein applying the limit value to prevent the opening of the new exchange blocks a new I/O command from being output on the new exchange in response to a current number of open exchanges being greater than or equal to the limit value.

15. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the maximum control unit exchange parameter is extracted from a status section of the transport response information unit message.

16. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the command message is a transport command information unit message, including a transport command control block (TCCB) as part of a transport control word (TCW) channel program.

17. A method for limiting a number of open exchanges at a channel subsystem of an input/output (I/O) processing system using data from a control unit, the method comprising:

sending a command message to the control unit;

receiving a transport response information unit message at the channel subsystem in response to sending the command message to the control unit;

extracting a maximum control unit exchange parameter from the transport response information unit message as populated by the control unit;

determining a limit value for a maximum number of open exchanges between the channel subsystem and the control unit at the channel subsystem as a function of the extracted maximum control unit exchange parameter; and

applying the limit value to prevent opening of a new exchange.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising:

setting the limit value equal to a default value until the maximum control unit exchange parameter is extracted from the transport response information unit message.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein the limit value is calculated as the extracted maximum control unit exchange parameter incremented by one and multiplied by sixteen.

20. The method of claim 17 wherein the limit value is unmodified in response to the extracted maximum control unit exchange parameter with a value of zero.

21. The method of claim 17 wherein applying the limit value to prevent the opening of the new exchange blocks a new I/O command from being output on the new exchange in response to a current number of open exchanges being greater than or equal to the limit value.

22. The method of claim 17 wherein the maximum control unit exchange parameter is extracted from a status section of the transport response information unit message.

23. The method of claim 17 wherein the command message is a transport command information unit message, including a transport command control block (TCCB) as part of a transport control word (TCW) channel program.

24. A computer program product for limiting a number of open exchanges at a channel subsystem of an input/output (I/O) processing system using data from a control unit, the computer program product comprising:

a tangible storage medium readable by a processing circuit and storing instructions for execution by the processing circuit for performing a method comprising;

sending a transport command information unit message to the control unit including a transport command control block (TCCB) as part of a transport control word (TCW) channel program;

setting a limit value equal to a default value until a transport response information unit message is received from the control unit, wherein the limit value establishes a maximum number of open exchanges between the channel subsystem and the control unit at the channel subsystem;

receiving the transport response information unit message at the channel subsystem in response to sending the transport command information unit message to the control unit;

extracting a maximum control unit exchange parameter from the transport response information unit message as populated by the control unit;

determining the limit value as a function of the extracted maximum control unit exchange parameter, wherein the limit value is unmodified in response to the extracted maximum control unit exchange parameter with a value of zero; and

applying the limit value to prevent opening of a new exchange to block a new I/O command from being output on the new exchange in response to a current number of open exchanges being greater than or equal to the limit value.

25. An apparatus for limiting a number of open exchanges at a channel subsystem of an input/output (I/O) processing system, the apparatus comprising:

a channel subsystem configured to communicate with a control unit, the channel subsystem configured to perform a method comprising;

sending a transport command information unit message to the control unit including a transport command control block (TCCB) as part of a transport control word (TCW) channel program;

setting a limit value equal to a default value until a transport response information unit message is received from the control unit, wherein the limit value establishes a maximum number of open exchanges between the channel subsystem and the control unit at the channel subsystem;

receiving the transport response information unit message at the channel subsystem in response to sending the transport command information unit message to the control unit;

extracting a maximum control unit exchange parameter from the transport response information unit message as populated by the control unit;

determining the limit value as a function of the extracted maximum control unit exchange parameter, wherein the limit value is unmodified in response to the extracted maximum control unit exchange parameter with a value of zero; and

applying the limit value to prevent opening of a new exchange to block a new I/O command from being output on the new exchange in response to a current number of open exchanges being greater than or equal to the limit value.