System for automatic hardware identification and configuration where instance values are unique within the computer system and resource requirement conflicts are resolved by modifying resource settings
US5974474A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Mar 14, 1997 |
| Grant date | Oct 26, 1999 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Mar 14, 2017 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG06F13/10
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
An automatic identification system in a computer system having a plurality of hardware instances located on hardware devices in the computer system. The computer system includes a plurality of physical slots each configured to receive a hardware device and referenced by a slot number. The system comprises means for assigning a hardware instance value to each of the plurality of hardware instances, the hardware instance value being unique within the computer system when two or more of the plurality of physical slots are assigned a slot number that is not unique within the computer system. Advantageously, the hardware instance value is unique within the computer system when two or more of the plurality of hardware instances are located on one of the hardware devices or when one or more of the hardware devices is installed in an expansion chassis coupled to the computer system. The hardware instance value is also unique within the computer system when one of the hardware devices includes one or more of the hardware instances coupled to an I/O bus within the hardware device or when one or more of the hardware devices is installed on a system board in the computer system. In one embodim…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.