Component replacement control for fault-tolerant data processing system

Abstract

Apparatus is described for component replacement control in a data processing system, with each component being assigned a label that includes a component identifier and a replacement generation value. The apparatus includes a plurality of tables for redundantly storing replacement generation values for each component. The tables that store the replacement generation values are then updated to indicate the incremented replacement generation value for the new component. Circuitry then increments the replacement generation value assigned to a component identity that is replaced by a new component. The circuitry modifies the new component's label to indicate the incremented replacement generation value. When the system is subsequently started, the replacement generation values in each component's label are compared with the replacement generation values in the tables and wherever a match is not found, the component is rejected.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.