Remote adapter configuration

• US 8,358,661 B2
• Filed: 04/20/2010
• Issued: 01/22/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP (Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Company)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Armstrong, William J., Cors, Josep, Engebretsen, David R., Lynch, Jeffrey J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Phillips, Hassan
• Assistant Examiner(s): CATTUNGAL, AJAY P
• Application Number:
  US12/763,323
• Publication Number:
  US 20110258641A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,008 Days
• Field of Search: 370/230, 370/232, 370/285, 370/390, 370/392, 370/398, 370/401, 370/412, 710/311, 710/312, 710/317
• US Class Current: 370/401
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/385 for adaptation of a particular data processing system to different peripheral devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/00 Arrangements for maintenance, administration or management of data switching networks, e.g. of packet switching networks

Abstract

Systems and methods to remotely configure adapters are described. A particular method may include generating a management frame at a controlling bridge. The management frame may include instructions to configure an operating parameter of the adapter. The management frame may be communicated to a bridge element of a plurality of interconnected bridge elements in communication with the controlling bridge. The bridge element may be coupled to the adapter, and the operating parameter of the adapter may be configured.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a plurality of racks, wherein each rack of the plurality of racks includes a plurality of chassis, wherein each chassis of the plurality of chassis includes server computers;

a plurality of bridge elements coupled to a plurality of server computers of the server computers, wherein each bridge element of the plurality of bridge elements is configured to forward data frames between server computers of different racks of the plurality of racks, server computers of different chassis of the plurality of chassis, or any combination thereof;

a plurality of adapters coupling the plurality of server computers to the plurality of bridge elements, wherein the plurality of adapters is located within, coupled, or any combination thereof to the plurality of server computers, including a first adapter of the plurality of the adapters coupled to a first bridge element of the plurality of bridge elements; and

a controlling bridge coupled to the first bridge element and configured to program an operating parameter of the first adapter.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controlling bridge is further configured to send to the first bridge element a management frame comprising an instruction executable to configure the operating parameter of the first adapter.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the first bridge element forwards the management frame to the first adapter.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the first bridge element communicates the instruction to the first adapter.

5. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the first bridge element communicates the instruction to the first adapter during linkup.

6. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the management frame includes an ether type associated with a configuration protocol.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controlling bridge is further configured to generate a management frame comprising an instruction executable to configure the operating parameter.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controlling bridge is further configured to access a base function device driver of a peripheral interconnect manager to acquire the operating parameter.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an entrusted interface between the controlling bridge and a peripheral interconnect manager.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controlling bridge receives a configuration request sent from the first adapter.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controlling bridge is further configured to program the plurality of bridge elements.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first adapter includes at least one of a converged network adapter and a multi-root input/output virtualization adapter.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an integrated switch router configured to route a management frame and a transport module coupled to the first bridge element and configured to provide a frame-based interface to the integrated switch router.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first adapter is associated with a virtual local area network.

15. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controlling bridge is remote from the first adapter.

16. A method of configuring an operating parameter of an adapter, the method comprising:

for a plurality of racks, wherein each rack of the plurality of racks includes a plurality of chassis, wherein each chassis of the plurality of chassis includes server computers, and for a plurality of interconnected bridge elements coupled to a plurality of server computers of the server computers, wherein each bridge element of the plurality of interconnected bridge elements is configured to forward data frames between server computers of different racks of the plurality of racks, server computers of different chassis of the plurality of chassis, or any combination thereof and for a plurality of adapters coupling the plurality of server computers to the plurality of interconnected bridge elements, wherein the plurality of adapters is located within, coupled, or any combination thereof to the plurality of server computers, including a first adapter of the plurality of the adapters coupled to a first bridge element of the plurality of interconnected bridge elements;

generating a management frame at a controlling bridge, wherein the management frame includes an instruction to configure an operating parameter of the first adapter of the plurality of adapters,

communicating the management frame to the first bridge element of the plurality of interconnected bridge elements in communication with the controlling bridge, wherein the first bridge element is coupled to the first adapter; and

configuring the operating parameter of the first adapter.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising forwarding the management frame from the first bridge element to the first adapter.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising communicating the instruction from the first bridge element to the first adapter.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising enabling the controlling bridge to access a base function driver device of a peripheral interconnect manager.

20. A program product, comprising:

program code executable to;

for a plurality of racks, wherein each rack of the plurality of racks includes a plurality of chassis, wherein each chassis of the plurality of chassis includes server computers, and for a plurality of interconnected bridge elements coupled to a plurality of server computers of the server computers, wherein each bridge element of the plurality of interconnected bridge elements is configured to forward data frames between server computers of different racks of the plurality of racks, server computers of different chassis of the plurality of chassis, or any combination thereof, and for a plurality of adapters coupling the plurality of server computers to the plurality of interconnected bridge elements, wherein the plurality of adapters is located within, coupled, or any combination thereof to the plurality of server computers, including a first adapter of the plurality of the adapters coupled to a first bridge element of the plurality of interconnected bridge elements;

generate a management frame at a controlling bridge, wherein the management frame includes an instruction to configure an operating parameter of first adapter, to communicate the management frame to first bridge element of the plurality of interconnected bridge elements in communication with the controlling bridge, wherein the first bridge element is coupled to the first adapter, and to configure the operating parameter of the first adapter; and

a non-transitory computer readable medium bearing the program code.