Patent · US Expired

Managing shared devices in a data processing system

US6484217B1 · kind B1 · utility

76Cited by
20References
35Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateApr 20, 1999
Grant dateNov 19, 2002
Priority date
Expiry dateApr 20, 2019

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG06F3/0674
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

Disclosed is a method and device adapter for managing devices in a data processing system that includes a plurality of device adapters connected for independent communication with at least one shared device (e.g. disk data storage device). The method comprises the steps of: issuing a command from a first of the plurality of adapters to the at least one shared device; setting, in the first adapter, first and second timeouts associated with the command; on expiration of the first timeout value, issuing a message from said first adapter to other(s) of the plurality of adapters to request the other adapter(s) to notify the first adapter of any work requested of the shared device by the other adapter(s); and on expiration of the second timeout value, initiating a recovery operation in the data processing system.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.