Configuration management method for hot adding and hot replacing devices

A method of maintaining configuration information in a computer system when hot adding devices to a bus in the computer system, the method comprising:

• creating a memory structure containing configuration information for a bus and devices located on the bus;
• adding a device in a slot on the bus in the computer system;
• reviewing the memory structure to determine whether the slot is assigned and if the slot is assigned then generating an error message and halting the process;
• supplying the power to the slot;
• retrieving selected configuration information for the added device from the memory structure;
• and
• writing the retrieved configuration information to the added device.

A method of maintaining configuration information in a computer system for use in connection with replacing and adding devices to a bus in the computer system, the method comprising:

• creating a memory structure containing configuration information for a bus and devices located on the bus including determining the start and end of the memory allocated for the devices on the bus and determining the configuration information for the devices on the bus and storing the read configuration information in the memory structure;
• replacing a device on the bus in the computer system with a replacement device;
• retrieving the configuration information for the replacement device from the memory structure;
• writing the retrieved configuration information to the replacement device;
• determining memory allocations for a device added on the bus based upon the added device and information in the memory structure;
• and
• redetermining the start and end of the memory allocated for the devices on the bus after memory has been allocated for the added device.

A method of maintaining configuration information in a computer system for use in connection with replacing and adding devices to a bus in the computer system, the method comprising:

• creating a memory structure containing configuration information for a bus and devices located on the bus including
• determining the start and end of the memory allocated for the devices and determining the start and end of the memory allocated for input/output (I/O) for the devices on the bus,
• reading base address registers of the devices on the bus,
• determining the configuration information for the devices on the bus, and
• storing the read configuration information in the memory structure;
• determining memory and input/output allocations for an added device based upon the added device and information in the memory structure;
• writing the determined memory and input/output allocations to the added device and to the memory structure;
• and
• redetermining the start and end of the memory allocated for the devices on the bus after memory has been allocated for the added device.

A program storage device storing instructions that when executed by a computer perform the method comprising:

• creating a memory structure containing configuration information for a bus and devices located on the bus;
• determining whether a replacement device on the bus is identical to a device the replacement device replaced;
• retrieving the configuration information for the device replaced by the replacement device from the memory structure;
• and
• writing the retrieved configuration information to the replacement device.

A program storage device storing instructions that when executed by a computer perform the method comprising:

• creating a memory structure containing configuration information for a bus and devices located on the bus;
• reviewing the memory structure to determine whether a slot in which an added device has been plugged is assigned and if the slot is assigned then generating an error message and halting the process;
• retrieving selected configuration information for the added device from the memory structure;
• writing the retrieved configuration information to the added device;
• and
• determining memory and input/output allocations for the added device based upon the added device and information in the memory structure.