US 2007/0165596 A1 · Creation and management of routing table for PCI bus address based routing with integrated DID

Abstract

A method is provided for creating and managing tables for routing packets through an environment that includes multiple hosts and shared PCI switches and adapters. A Destination Identification (DID) field in the PBA is appended to a transaction packet dispatched through the PCI switches, wherein a particular DID is associated with a particular host or system image, and thus identifies the physical or virtual end point of its packet. In one embodiment, packets are routed through PCI switches in a distributed computer system comprising multiple root nodes, wherein each root node includes one or more hosts. The embodiment includes the step of creating a table or like data structure in a specified one of the switches. When a particular host of one of the root nodes becomes connected to the specified switch, a PCI Configuration Master (PCM), residing in one of the root nodes, is operated to enter a destination identifier or DID into the table. The DID is then appended as an address component, to packets directed through the specified switch from the particular host to one of the adapters. The destination identifier is also used to determine that a PCI packet, routed through the specified switch from one of the adapters, is intended for the particular root node.

Claims20

Dependent claims

In a distributed computer system comprising multiple root nodes, and further comprising one or more PCI switches and one or more PCI adapters, wherein each root node includes one or more hosts and one of said root nodes includes a PCI Configuration Master (PCM), a method for routing PCI transaction packets through said switches between respective hosts and adapters, said method comprising the steps of:

creating a table in at least a specified one of said switches;
operating said PCM to enter a destination identifier, comprising a specified set of bits, into said table when a particular host of one of said root nodes becomes connected to said specified switch;
appending said destination identifier as an address component to PCI packets directed through said specified switch from said particular host to one of said adapters;
and
using said destination identifier to determine that a PCI packet directed through said specified switch from one of said adapters is intended for said particular host.

2 more elements

In a distributed computer system comprising multiple root nodes, and further comprising one or more PCI switches and one or more PCI adapters, wherein each root node includes one or more hosts and one of said root nodes includes a PCI Configuration Master (PCM), a computer program product in a computer readable medium for routing PCI transaction packets through said switches between respective hosts and adapters, said computer program product comprising:

first instructions for creating a table in at least a specified one of said switches;
second instructions for operating said PCM to enter a destination identifier, comprising a specified set of bits, into said table when a particular host of one of said root nodes becomes connected to said specified switch;
third instructions for appending said destination identifier as an address component to PCI packets directed through said specified switch from said particular host to one of said adapters;
and
fourth instructions for using said destination identifier to determine that a PCI packet directed through said specified switch from one of said adapters is intended for said particular host.

2 more elements

Apparatus for a distributed computing system comprising:

a plurality of root nodes, each root node including one or more hosts;
one or more PCI adapter;
one or more PCI switches operable to connect different root nodes to share the same adapter;
data structure comprising a table in at least a specified one of said switches;
and
a PCI configuration component residing in one of said root nodes and operable to enter a destination identifier, comprising a specified set of bits, into said table when a particular host of one of said root nodes becomes connected to said specified switch, said destination identifier being appended as an address component to PCI packets directed through said specified switch from said particular host to one of said adapters, and said destination identifier being used to determine that a PCI packet directed through said specified switch from one of said adapters is intended for said particular host.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Creation and management of routing table for PCI bus address based routing with integrated DID

Life of this patent

Creation and management of routing table for PCI bus address based routing with integrated DID

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20