Managing operations of a computer system having a plurality of partitions
US6684343B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Apr 29, 2000 |
| Grant date | Jan 27, 2004 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Apr 29, 2020 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG06F9/5061
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
The inventive multiple partition computer system allows the reconfiguration of the installed hardware, possibly while the various partitions continue normal operations. This aspect includes adding and removing process cell boards and I/O from partitions which may or may not continue to run. The invention also allows changes to the association between cells, I/O and partitions. The partitions may be able to stay running, or may have to be shut down from the resulting changes. In the invention, multiple copies of the OS are running independently of each other, each in a partition that has its own cell boards with processors and memory and connected I/O. This provides isolation between different applications. Consequently, a fatal error in one partition would not affect the other partitions. A network of micro-controllers connected to a service processor, via a communications link, provides the service processor with information on each of the different cells, as well as a pathway to receive requests for configuration changes, and a pathway to command changes in the different cells or I/O. The invention allows system control features such as power on/off, status display, etc. for mult…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.