Method, system and program products for enhancing input/output processing for operating system images of a computing environment

US6996638B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• International Business Machines Corporation · US

Inventors

• Frank W. Brice, Jr. · Kingston, US
• Scott M. Carlson · Tucson, US
• Janet R. Easton · Woodstock, US
• Charles W. Gainey, Jr. · Poughkeepsie, US
• Marten J. Halma · Poughquag, US
• Jeffrey P. Kubala · Poughquag, US
• Hans-Helge Lehmann · Holzgerlingen, DE
• Tan Lu · Poughkeepsie, US
• Kenneth J. Oakes · Wappingers Falls, US
• Charles E. Shapley · Salt Point, US
• Leslie W. Wyman · Poughkeepsie, US
• Harry M. Yudenfriend · Poughkeepsie, US

Key dates

• Filing date: May 12, 2003
• Grant date: Feb 7, 2006
• Expiry date: Aug 11, 2023

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G06F13/122
• WIPO field: Computer technology
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

An input/output subsystem is configured as a plurality of input/output subsystem images, each of which appears to a program as an independent input/output subsystem. An input/output subsystem image is identified by an input/output subsystem image identifier, which is used by various programs to designate the particular input/output subsystem image for which an I/O operation is to be performed. An operating system is provided with access to a plurality of input/output subsystem images of the input/output subsystem. One or more controls are provided to the operating system image to enable the operating system image to access the plurality of input/output subsystem images.