Apparatus and method to selectively provide power to one or more components disposed in an information storage and retrieval system

An article of manufacture comprising a computer readable medium having computer readable program code disposed therein to selectively provide power to a component disposed in a controller disposed within an information storage and retrieval system, wherein said controller comprises a control portion in combination with a plurality of components comprising one or more host adapter ports, one or more device adapter ports, and a Fibre Channel switch, the computer readable program code comprising a series of computer readable program steps to effect:

• monitoring the performance of each of said plurality of components;
• determining if a microcode upgrade has been received for a first component;
• operative if a microcode upgrade for a first component has been received, providing said microcode upgrade to said first component prior to discontinuing the supply of power to said first component;
• discontinuing the supply of power to said first component while continuing the supply of power to the remaining plurality of components;
• resuming the supply of power to said first component while continuing the supply of power to the remaining plurality of components.

An article of manufacture comprising a computer readable medium having computer readable program code disposed therein to selectively provide power to a component disposed in a controller disposed within an information storage and retrieval system, wherein said information storage and retrieval system comprises two controllers, wherein each of those two controllers comprises a control portion in combination with a plurality of components comprising one or more host adapter ports, one or more device adapter ports, and a Fibre Channel switch, and wherein each of those two controllers are capable of communicating with the other controller, wherein the supply of power to each of the plurality of components disposed in either controller can be discontinued and subsequently resumed while the supply of power remains uninterrupted to the remaining plurality of components, said computer readable program code comprising a series of computer readable program steps to effect:

• monitoring the performance of each of said plurality of components;
• discontinuing the supply of power to a first component while continuing the supply of power to the remaining plurality of components;
• resuming the supply of power to said first component while continuing the supply of power to the remaining plurality of components;
• monitoring by each of said two controllers the performance of the other controller;
• detecting an inoperable controller;
• monitoring the performance of the plurality of components comprising said inoperable controller by the operational controller;
• detecting an inoperable component disposed in said inoperable controller by said operable controller;
• discontinuing the supply of power to said inoperable component by said operable controller while continuing the supply of power to the remaining plurality of components disposed in said inoperable controller;
• resuming the supply of power to said inoperable component by said operable controller while continuing the supply of power to the remaining plurality of components disposed in said inoperable controller.

A computer program product encoded in a computer readable medium and usable with a programmable computer processor to selectively provide power to a component disposed in a controller disposed within an information storage and retrieval system, wherein said controller comprises a control portion in combination with a plurality of components comprising one or more host adapter ports, one or more device adapter ports, and a Fibre Channel switch, comprising:

• computer readable program code which causes said programmable computer processor to monitor the performance of each of said of said plurality of components;
• computer readable program code which causes said programmable computer processor to determine if a microcode upgrade comprising upgraded programmable logic has been received for a first component;
• computer readable program code which, if a microcode upgrade for said first component has been received, causes said programmable computer processor to provide said microcode upgrade to said first component prior to discontinuing the supply of power to said first component;
• computer readable program code which causes said programmable computer processor to discontinue the supply of power to said first component while continuing the supply of power to the remaining plurality of components;
• computer readable program code which causes said programmable computer processor to resume the supply of power to said first component while continuing the supply of power to the remaining plurality of components.

A computer program product encoded in a computer readable medium and usable with a programmable computer processor to selectively provide power to a component disposed in a controller disposed within an information storage and retrieval system, wherein said information storage and retrieval system comprises two controllers, wherein each of those two controllers comprises a control portion in combination with a plurality of components comprising one or more host adapter ports, one or more device adapter ports, and a Fibre Channel switch, and wherein each of those two controllers are capable of communicating with the other controller, wherein the supply of power to each of the plurality of components disposed in either controller can be discontinued and subsequently resumed while the supply of power remains uninterrupted to the remaining plurality of components, further comprising:

• computer readable program code which causes said programmable computer processor to monitor the performance of each of said of said plurality of components;
• computer readable program code which causes said programmable computer processor to discontinue the supply of power to a first component while continuing the supply of power to the remaining plurality of components;
• computer readable program code which causes said programmable computer processor to resume the supply of power to said first component while continuing the supply of power to the remaining plurality of components;
• computer readable program code which causes said programmable computer processor to monitor the performance of both controllers;
• computer readable program code which causes said programmable computer processor to detect an inoperable controller;
• computer readable program code which causes said programmable computer processor to monitor the performance of the plurality of components comprising said inoperable controller;
• computer readable program code which causes said programmable computer processor to detect an inoperable component disposed in said inoperable controller;
• computer readable program code which causes said programmable computer processor to discontinue the supply of power to said inoperable component while continuing the supply of power to the remaining plurality of components disposed in said inoperable controller;
• computer readable program code which causes said programmable computer processor to resume the supply of power to said inoperable component while continuing the supply of power to the remaining plurality of components disposed in said inoperable controller.