Communication with input/output system devices

• US 8,332,542 B2
• Filed: 11/12/2009
• Issued: 12/11/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Casper, Daniel F., Driever, Patricia G., Flanagan, John R., Ricci, Louis W., Sittmann, Gustav E. III
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Chun-Kuan
• Assistant Examiner(s): VIDWAN, JASJIT S
• Application Number:
  US12/617,055
• Publication Number:
  US 20110113159A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,125 Days
• Field of Search: 710/5, 710/6, 710/7, 710/36
• US Class Current: 710/5
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/385 for adaptation of a particular data processing system to different peripheral devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2213/3802 Harddisk connected to a computer port
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0659 Command handling arrangements, e.g. command buffers, queues, command scheduling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1097 for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13109 Initializing, personal profile

Abstract

A computer program product for procuring information from entities in a network via an Input/Output (I/O) processing system includes a tangible storage medium readable by a processing circuit and storing instructions for execution by the processing circuit for performing a method. The method includes receiving, at a channel subsystem, at least one network topology information request from an operating system. The method also includes building at least one command request that includes the at least one network topology information request, and sending the at least one command request from the channel subsystem to at least one network entity. The method further includes receiving a response to the at least one command request from the at least one network entity by the channel subsystem, and forwarding the response from the channel subsystem to the operating system.

Claims

1. A computer program product for procuring information from entities in a network via an Input/Output (I/O) processing system, comprising:

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

receiving, at a channel subsystem in a host computer, at least one network topology information request from an operating system in the host computer, the channel subsystem configured to communicate with the operating system;

building a command program including at least one command request by the channel subsystem that includes the at least one network topology information request, the command program including a transport command word (TCW), a transport services request block (TSRQB) and a transport services response block (TSRSB), and sending the at least one command request from the channel subsystem to at least one network entity;

receiving a response to the at least one command request from the at least one network entity by the channel subsystem; and

forwarding the response from the channel subsystem to the operating system.

2. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the at least one network entity includes a control unit configured to control an input/output (I/O) device for executing an I/O operation.

3. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the channel subsystem and the at least one network entity support a fibre channel protocol.

4. The computer program product of claim 3, wherein the at least one command request includes at least one of a fibre-channel generic services (FC-GS) request, a fibre-channel link services (FC-LS) request, and a fibre-channel link-level function (FC-SB) request.

5. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the command program is a fibre channel command program.

6. The computer program product of claim 5, wherein the at least one command request includes a fibre channel services request.

7. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises at least one of receiving the at least one network topology information request from a user and sending the response to the user from the operating system.

8. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the TCW specifies a memory address of the TSRQB and a memory address of the TSRSB.

9. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein building the command program includes generating the at least one command request based on information stored in the TSRQB, and forwarding the response includes storing the response in a memory area designated by the TSRSB.

10. A system for procuring information from entities in a network via an Input/Output (I/O) processing system, the system comprising:

a host computer including a channel subsystem and an I/O operating system, the channel subsystem for communication with the I/O operating system and the network entity, the channel subsystem configured to perform a method comprising;

receiving, at the channel subsystem, at least one network topology information request from an operating system;

building a command program including at least one command request that includes the at least one network topology information request, the command program including a transport command word (TCW), a transport services request block (TSRQB) and a transport services response block (TSRSB), and sending the at least one command request from the channel subsystem to at least one network entity;

receiving a response to the at least one command request from the at least one network entity by the channel subsystem; and

forwarding the response from the channel subsystem to the operating system.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the at least one network entity includes a control unit configured to control an I/O device for executing an I/O operation.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the channel subsystem and the at least one network entity support a Fibre Channel protocol.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the at least one command request includes at least one of a fibre-channel generic services (FC-GS) request, a fibre-channel link services (FC-LS) request, and a fibre-channel link-level function (FC-SB) request.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the command program is a fibre channel command program.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the at least one command request includes a fibre channel services request.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein the TCW specifies a memory address of the TSRQB and a memory address of the TSRSB.

17. The system of claim 10, wherein building the command program includes generating the at least one command request based on information stored in the TSRQB, and forwarding the response includes storing the response in a memory area designated by the TSRSB.

18. A computer-implemented method for procuring information from entities in a network via an Input/Output (I/O) processing system, comprising:

receiving, at a channel subsystem in a host computer, at least one network topology information request from an I/O operating system in the host computer, the channel subsystem configured to communicate with the operating system;

building a command program including at least one command request by the channel subsystem that includes the at least one network topology information request, the command program including a transport command word (TCW), a transport services request block (TSRQB) and a transport services response block (TSRSB), and sending the at least one command request from the channel subsystem to at least one network entity;

receiving a response to the at least one command request from the at least one network entity by the channel subsystem; and

forwarding the response from the channel subsystem to the operating system.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the at least one network entity includes a control unit configured to control an input/output (I/O) device for executing an I/O operation.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the channel subsystem and the at least one network entity support a Fibre Channel protocol.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the at least one command request includes a fibre channel services request.

22. The method of claim 18, wherein the TCW specifies a memory address of the TSRQB and a memory address of the TSRSB.

23. The method of claim 18, wherein building the command program includes generating the at least one command request based on information stored in the TSRQB, and forwarding the response includes storing the response in a memory area designated by the TSRSB.