Enabling ports on a module received in a slot in a chassis

• US 20070266192A1
• Filed: 05/12/2006
• Published: 11/15/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Campini, Edoardo, Bogia, Douglas, Albers, Robert
• Granted Patent: US 7,487,280 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 710/301
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/409 Mechanical coupling back panels H05K7/1438
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/1459 Circuit configuration, e.g. routing signals

Abstract

Information is obtained from a module received in a slot in a chassis. The information includes a number of ports in one or more module connectors which route at least one communication channel associated with a communication interfaces on the module. A determination is made as to the number of ports the slot has a capability to route the at least one communication channel to one or more backplanes in the chassis and to another module received in another slot in the chassis. A given number of ports in the one or more module connectors are enabled to forward data from the communication interface on the module and through the at least one communication channel to the other module based on the determination.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

obtaining information from a module received in a slot in a chassis, the information to include a number of ports in one or more module connectors which route at least one communication channel associated with a communication interface on the module;

determining a number of ports the slot has a capability to route the at least one communication channel to one or more backplanes in the chassis and to another module received in another slot in the chassis; and

enabling a given number of ports in the one or more module connectors to forward data from the communication interface on the module and through the at least one communication channel to the other module based, at least in part, on the determination.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein obtaining information from the module comprises the module providing the information to a hardware manager for the chassis, the hardware manager to determine whether the slot has the capability to route the at least one communication channel to the one or more backplanes and to the other module received in the other slot, the hardware manager to indicate that capability to the module for the module to enable the given number of ports.

3. A method according to claim 2, further comprising the chassis operating in compliance with the Advanced Telecommunication Computing Architecture specification and the one or more backplanes including a first and a second backplane, the module to include a first connector to include ports to route at least a portion of the at least one communication channel to the first backplane and a second connector to include ports to route at least another portion of the at least one communication channel to the second backplane.

4. A method according to claim 3, wherein the module providing the information to the hardware manager comprises the module providing the information via a standard electronic keying (E-keying) process that includes a number of ports to route the at least one communication channel to the first backplane.

5. A method according to claim 4, wherein the module providing the information to the hardware manager comprises the module providing the information via an Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) E-keying process that includes a number of second connector ports to route the at least one communication channel to the second backplane, the hardware manager to also s use an OEM MultiRecord Area (MRA) to determine a number of ports the slot has a capability to route the at least one communication channel to the second backplane and to the other module received in the other slot in the chassis.

6. A method according to claim 5, further comprising:

enabling a given number of second connector ports on the module that the slot has a capability to route the at least one communication channel to the second backplane and to the other module received in the other slot in the chassis based on whether data can be forwarded and received through the given number of ports on the module that the slot has a capability to route the at least one communication channel to the second backplane.

7. A method according to claim 6, wherein the at least one communication channel associated with the communication interface on the module includes an electrical-based communication channel and an optical-based communication channel, the electrical-based communication channel routed to the first backplane and to the other module, the optical-based communication channel routed to the second backplane and to the other module.

8. A method according to claim 1, wherein the one or more backplanes in the chassis comprises a first backplane and a second backplane, the module to include a first connector to include ports to route a portion of the at least one communication channel to the first backplane and a second connector to include ports to route a portion of the at least one communication channel to the second backplane.

9. A method according to claim 8, wherein obtaining information from the module comprises the module providing the information to a hardware manager, the hardware manager to determine a given number of ports the slot has a capability to route the portion of the at least one communication channel from the first connector'"'"'s ports to the first backplane and to the other module received in the other slot in the chassis.

10. A method according to claim 8, further comprising:

determining a given number of second connector ports the slot has a capability to route the portion of the at least one communication channel to the second backplane and to the other module received in the other slot in the chassis, the determination based on whether data can be forwarded and received from the other module through the given number of second connector ports via the portion of the at least one communication channel.

11. A method according to claim 8, wherein the at least one communication channel associated with the communication interface on the module includes an electrical-based communication channel and an optical-based communication channel, the electrical-based communication channel routed to the first backplane and to the other module, the optical-based communication channel routed to the second backplane and to the other module.

12. A method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one communication channel associated with the communication interface on the module comprises the communication interface to include a fabric interface.

13. A module comprising:

a communication interface associated with at least one communication channel;

one or more connectors to include ports to route the at least one communication channel to one or more backplanes in a chassis based on the module'"'"'s insertion in a slot in the chassis; and

a logic to;

determine a number of ports the slot has a capability to route the at least one communication channel to one or more backplanes in the chassis and to another module received in another slot in the chassis; and

enable a given number of ports on the module to forward data from the communication interface through the at least one communication channel to the other module based, at least in part, on the determination.

14. A module according to claim 13, wherein the one or more connectors includes a first connector designed in compliance with the Advanced Telecommunication Computing Architecture specification and a second connector designed superset to the Advanced Telecommunication Computing Architecture specification, the second connector designed superset to include more ports to route the at least one communication channel to the one or more backplanes in the chassis than required to be in compliance with the Advanced Telecommunication Computing Architecture specification.

15. A module according to claim 14, the chassis to include a hardware manager, the hardware manager to determine whether the slot has the capability to route the at least one communication channel to the one or more chassis backplanes from the ports in the first connector, the hardware manager to indicate that capability to the module, the module'"'"'s logic to use that indication to determine a number of ports the slot has a capability to route the at least one communication channel to the one or more backplanes and to the other module.

16. A module according to claim 14, wherein the at least one communication channel includes an optical-based communication channel and the ports in the second connector includes one or more ports configured such that the ports route the at least one communication channel to the one or more backplanes in an optical manner.

17. A module according to claim 13, wherein the communication interface includes a fabric interface.

18. A system comprising:

a chassis to include one or more backplanes and a plurality of slots to receive modules; and

a module received in a slot of the plurality of slots, the module to include;

a communication interface associated with at least one communication channel;

one or more connectors to include ports to route the at least one communication channel to the one or more backplanes based on receipt in the slot;

a logic to;

determine a number of ports the slot has a capability to route the at least one communication channel to one or more backplanes in the chassis and to another module received in another slot in the chassis; and

enable a given number of ports on the module to route data from the module through the at least one communication channel to the other module based, at least in part, on the determination.

19. A system according to claim 18, further comprising the chassis to operate in compliance with the Advanced Telecommunication Computing Architecture specification and the one or more backplanes to include a first and a second backplane, the module to include a first connector to include ports to route at least a portion of the at least one communication channel to the first backplane and a second connector to include ports to route at least another portion of the at least one communication channel to the second backplane.

20. A system according to claim 19, wherein the at least one communication channel associated with the communication interface on the module includes an electrical-based communication channel and an optical-based communication channel, the electrical-based communication channel routed to the first backplane and to the other module, the optical-based communication channel routed to the second backplane and to the other module.

21. A machine-accessible medium comprising content, which, when executed by a machine causes the machine to:

obtain information from a module received in a slot in a chassis, the information to include a number of ports in one or more module connectors which route at least one communication channel associated with a communication interface on the module;

determine a number of ports the slot has a capability to route the at least one communication channel to one or more backplanes in the chassis and to another module received in another slot in the chassis; and

enable a given number of ports in the one or more module connectors to forward data from communication interface on the module and through the at least one communication channel to the other module based, at least in part, on the determination.

22. A machine-accessible medium according to claim 21, further comprising the chassis to operate in compliance with the Advanced Telecommunication Computing Architecture specification and the one or more backplanes to include a first and a second backplane, the module to include a first connector to include ports to route the at least one communication channel to the first backplane and a second connector to include ports to route the at least one communication channel to the second backplane.

23. A machine-accessible medium according to claim 22, wherein the at least one communication channel associated with the communication interface on the module includes an electrical-based communication channel and an optical-based communication channel, the electrical-based communication channel routed to the first backplane and to the other module, the optical-based communication channel routed to the second backplane and to the other module.