Method and apparatus for device driver state storage during diagnostic phase

A computer program product for running a diagnostic test on an I/O adapter, the computer program product comprising:

• computer usable program code for communicating a stop command to a functional device driver, wherein the functional device driver is configured to communicate with the I/O adapter;
• computer usable program code for determining whether the functional device driver has completed storing a state of the I/O adapter;
• computer usable program code for loading a diagnostic device driver for communicating with the I/O adapter;
• computer usable program code for applying test inputs to the diagnostic device driver, wherein at least one test input is presented to the I/O adapter, and the computer usable program code for applying test inputs is responsive to the functional device driver completing storing the state of the I/O adapter;
• and
• computer usable program code for receiving test results from the diagnostic device driver.

A data processing system comprising:

• a bus;
• a storage device connected to the bus, wherein computer usable code is located in the storage device;
• a communication unit connected to the bus;
• a processing unit connected to the bus, wherein the processing unit executes the computer usable code for running a diagnostic test on an I/O adapter, wherein the processing unit executes the computer usable program code to communicate a stop command to a functional device driver, the functional device driver is configured to communicate with the I/O adapter;
• determine whether the functional device driver has completed storing a state of the I/O adapter;
• load a diagnostic device driver for communicating with the I/O adapter;
• apply test inputs to the diagnostic device driver, wherein at least one test input is presented to the I/O adapter;
• and receive test results from the diagnostic device driver.