US 2017/0286352 A1 · MECHANISM FOR PCIE CABLE TOPOLOGY DISCOVERY IN A RACK SCALE ARCHITECTURE ENVIRONMENT

Abstract

A mechanism for PCIe cable topology discovery in a Rack Scale Architecture (RSA) and associated methods, apparatus, and systems. Pooled system drawers installed in rack are interconnected via multiple PCIe cables coupled to PCIe ports on the pooled system drawers. The PCIe ports are associated with host ports connections between server nodes and host ports in respective pooled system drawers are automatically detected, with corresponding PCIe connection information being automatically generated and aggregated to determine the PCIe cable topology for the rack. In one aspect, PCIe devices are emulated for each host port in a pooled storage drawer including pooled PCIe storage devices. Server nodes in a pooled compute drawer send PCIe configuration messages over the PCIe cables, with returned reply messages generated by the emulated PCIe devices identifying the host ports. Information pertaining to the host ports, pooled system drawers, and server nodes is used to determine the PCIe cable topology.

Claims25

Dependent claims

A method for determining Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (PCIe) cable topology in a rack in which a plurality pooled system drawers are installed and interconnected by a plurality of PCIe cables, the pooled system drawers including one or more pooled compute drawers, each including a plurality of server nodes, the method comprising:

for each of the plurality of PCIe cables,
automatically detecting a connection between a server node in a first pooled system drawer to which a first end of the PCIe cable is connected and a port on a second pooled system drawer to which a second end of the PCIe cable is connected and automatically generating corresponding PCIe connection information;
and
automatically generating a PCIe cable topology for the rack by aggregating the PCIe connection information for each PCIe cable.

1 more element

A system comprising:

a rack, having a plurality of pooled system drawers installed therein, including,
a first pooled compute drawer including a first plurality of server nodes and a first plurality of Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (PCIe) host ports to which the first plurality of server nodes are interconnected;
a second pooled compute drawer including a second plurality of server nodes and a second plurality of PCIe host ports to which the second plurality of server nodes are interconnected;
and
a first pooled storage drawer including a plurality of storage devices and having a third plurality of PCIe host ports;
a plurality of PCIe cables, including PCIe cables coupled between the first plurality of PCIe host ports and a first portion of the third plurality of PCIe host ports on the first pooled storage drawer and PCIe cables coupled between the second plurality of PCIe host ports and a second portion of the third plurality of PCIe ports on the first pooled storage drawer;
and
a management entity, communicatively coupled to each of the plurality of pooled system drawers,
wherein the first and second pooled compute drawers and the first pooled storage drawer are configured to automatically determine PCIe cable connection configurations between the first and second pooled compute drawers and the first pooled storage drawer and to report corresponding PCIe cable connection configuration information to the management entity, and
wherein the management entity is configured to aggregate the PCIe cable connection information to generate a PCIe cable topology for the rack.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Mechanism for pcie cable topology discovery in a rack scale architecture environment

Life of this patent

Mechanism for pcie cable topology discovery in a rack scale architecture environment

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims25