Isolating a PCI host bridge in response to an error event

US9092399B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• International Business Machines Corporation · US

Inventors

• Jesse P. Arroyo · Rochester, US
• Srinivas Kotta · Hyderabad, IN
• Anjam Kumar Guttahalli Krishna · Hyderabad, IN

Key dates

• Filing date: Jul 12, 2013
• Grant date: Jul 28, 2015
• Expiry date: Dec 11, 2033

Classification

• Technology area (CPC —): General

Abstract

Instead of disabling PCI communication between system resources in a host computing device and I/O devices when a PCI Host Bridge (PHB) is unable to function, the host computing device may include a redundant PCI communication path for maintaining communication between the system resources and the I/O devices after a first PHB experiences an unrecoverable error. In one embodiment, the redundant PCI communication path includes a second PHB that is maintained in a standby state so long as the first PHB is functioning normally. However, once the first PHB experiences an unrecoverable error, the second PHB is changed to the master state and assumes the responsibility for maintaining communication between the system resources and the I/O devices.