Apparatus and method to minimize performance degradation during communication path failure in a data processing system
First Claim
1. A method to minimize performance degradation during communication path failure in a data processing system, comprising:
- supplying a plurality of host computers, a storage controller comprising a path management function, and a plurality of physical communication paths interconnecting each of said host computers and said storage controller, wherein each host computer comprises a communication path manager, a plurality of channel path identifiers, and a visual display device, wherein for each host computer a communication path manager is in communication with each of said channel path identifiers;
establishing a different threshold communication path error rate for each of the host computers;
configuring by a communication path manager each physical communication path to comprise up to 256 logical communication pathways;
determining by said path management function an actual communication path error rate for each logical communication pathway;
operative if an actual communication pathway error rate is greater than an associated threshold communication path error rate;
discontinuing by said path management function use of an (i)th physical communication path configured to comprise a logical pathway having an error rate greater than said associated threshold communication path error rate; and
displaying by said communication path manager an error message on said visual display device.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method to minimize performance degradation during communication path failure in a data processing system, comprising a host computer, a storage controller, and a plurality of physical communication paths in communication with the host computer and the storage controller, where the method establishes a threshold communication path error rate, and determines an (i)th actual communication path error rate for an (i)th physical communication path, wherein that (i)th communication path is one of the plurality of physical communication paths. If the (i)th actual communication path error rate is greater than the threshold communication path error rate, the method discontinues use of the (i)th physical communication path.
23 Citations
14 Claims
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1. A method to minimize performance degradation during communication path failure in a data processing system, comprising:
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supplying a plurality of host computers, a storage controller comprising a path management function, and a plurality of physical communication paths interconnecting each of said host computers and said storage controller, wherein each host computer comprises a communication path manager, a plurality of channel path identifiers, and a visual display device, wherein for each host computer a communication path manager is in communication with each of said channel path identifiers; establishing a different threshold communication path error rate for each of the host computers; configuring by a communication path manager each physical communication path to comprise up to 256 logical communication pathways; determining by said path management function an actual communication path error rate for each logical communication pathway; operative if an actual communication pathway error rate is greater than an associated threshold communication path error rate; discontinuing by said path management function use of an (i)th physical communication path configured to comprise a logical pathway having an error rate greater than said associated threshold communication path error rate; and displaying by said communication path manager an error message on said visual display device. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A data storage system comprising a computer readable medium comprising computer readable program code disposed therein to minimize performance degradation during communication path failure in a data processing system, wherein said data storage system comprises, a first cluster and a second cluster, wherein said first cluster and said second cluster are disposed in the same housing, wherein said first cluster comprises a first storage controller assembly comprising a first processor and a first communication management function, and wherein said second cluster comprises a second storage controller assembly comprising a second processor and a second communication management function, wherein said data storage system is in communication with a service center comprising a first visual display device, and wherein said data storage system is in communication with a plurality of host computers via a plurality of physical communication paths, wherein each host computer comprises a communication path manager, a plurality of channel path identifiers, and a second visual display device, wherein said communication path manager is in communication with each of said channel path identifiers, the computer readable program code comprising a series of computer readable program steps to effect:
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configuring by each communication path manager each physical communication path to comprise up to 256 logical communication pathways; retrieving a different pre-determined threshold communication path error rate for each host computer; determining by said first communication management function an actual communication path error rate for each logical communication pathway, operative if an actual communication pathway error rate is greater than an associated threshold communication path error rate; discontinuing by said first communication management function use of an (i)th physical communication path configured to comprise a logical pathway having an error rate greater than said associated threshold communication path error rate; providing an immediate error message to said service center; and displaying said error message on said first visual display device. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14)
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Specification