Broadcast of shared I/O fabric error messages in a multi-host environment to all affected root nodes

US7496045B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• International Business Machines Corporation · US

Inventors

• William T. Boyd · Poughkeepsie, US
• Douglas M. Freimuth · New York, US
• William G. Holland · Cary, US
• Steven W. Hunter · Raleigh, US
• Renato J. Recio · Austin, US
• Steven M. Thurber · Austin, US
• Madeline Vega · Austin, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Jul 28, 2005
• Grant date: Feb 24, 2009
• Expiry date: Apr 2, 2027

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H04L2001/0093
• WIPO field: Computer technology
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

A method, mechanism and computer usable medium is provided for distributing I/O fabric errors to the appropriate root nodes in a multi-root environment. The case where the I/O fabric is attached to more than one root node and where each root can potentially share with the other roots the I/O adapter (IOA) resources which are attached to the I/O is addressed. Additionally, a method, mechanism and computer usable medium is provided by which errors detected in an I/O fabric may be routed to all root nodes which may be affected by the error, while not being reported to the root nodes that will not be affected by those errors. In particular, distributed computing system which uses the PCI Express protocol to communicate over the I/O fabric is addressed.