Multiprocessor system with centralized initialization, testing and monitoring of the system and providing centralized timing

A system management apparatus for a data processing system having a number of subsystems coupled in common to a system bus, said system management apparatus comprising:

• a bus interface device coupling said system management apparatus to said system bus on a highest priority basis;
• a number of shared resource means, said number of shared resource means comprising:
• means for powering said subsystems,
• means for determining a condition of power supplied by said powering means and generating signals representative of said condition of said power,
• means for determining a temperature inside a housing which houses said data processing system and generating signals representative of said temperature,
• means for initializing said subsystems,
• means for testing each subsystem and said system management apparatus, and
• a plurality of timing means for providing centralized timing functions for said subsystems based on different information inputted to different ones of said plurality of timing means from said subsystems and for generating respective interrupt signals based on said inputted information, each said respective interrupt signal signalling that a time out corresponding to the respective timing means has occurred;
• and
• processing means, coupled to each of said number of shared resource means and to said bus interface device, for controlling said system management apparatus, said processing means comprising:
• means for determining whether said temperature and said condition of said power are acceptable for data processing system initialization,
• means for generating status signals for said subsystems indicative of the status of said shared resource means and placing said status signals on said system bus through said bus interface device, wherein said bus interface device, having said highest priority, will have control of said system bus means if at least one of said number of subsystems attempts to place signals on said system bus at substantially the same time as said bus interface device,
• means for receiving request signals from said subsystems through said system bus and said bus interface device, said request signals from said subsystems including requests for the status of said shared resource means and timing information for use by said timing means, and
• means for initializing said subsystems when said temperature and said power conditions are acceptable.