Method and system for dynamically assigning addresses to an input/output device

A method for addressing an input/output (I/O) device, comprising the steps of:

• providing at least one base control block indicating a base address and a plurality of alias control blocks indicating a plurality of alias addresses, wherein each control block is associated with an address for addressing an I/O device;
• processing at least one alias control block associated with the I/O device;
• determining a base control block associated with the I/O device with which the alias control blocks are associated;
• and
• binding at least one alias control block to the determined base control block, wherein bound base and alias control blocks provide different addresses to address the same I/O device, and wherein the bound base and alias addresses address the same I/O device for subsequent I/O operations until a reassignment of the association of base and alias addresses is detected.

A method implemented within a control unit for addressing an input/output (I/O) device and for communicating with a processing unit, comprising the steps of:

• providing in a memory area accessible to the control unit a base address and a plurality of alias addresses for addressing the I/O device, wherein the alias addresses associated with the base address provides an address for addressing the I/O device addressed by the base address;
• receiving a request, with the control unit, from the processing unit for information on the assignment of base and alias addresses to the I/O device;
• and
• transmitting, with the control unit, information on the assignment of base and alias addresses for the I/O device to the processing unit after receiving the request from the processing unit, wherein the processing unit uses the assignment information for configuration purposes.

A method implemented within a storage controller for addressing a storage device unit, comprising the steps of:

• providing in a memory area accessible to the storage controller a base address and a plurality of alias addresses for addressing locations in the storage device unit, wherein the alias addresses associated with the base address provides an address for addressing the location in the storage device unit addressed by the base address;
• receiving a request, with the storage controller, from a computer system for information on the assignment of base and alias addresses to the storage device unit;
• and
• transmitting, with the storage controller unit, information on the assignment of base and alias addresses to the storage device unit to the computer system after receiving the request from the computer system, wherein the computer system uses the assignment information for configuration purposes.

A system for addressing an input/output (I/O) device and for communicating with a control unit, comprising:

• a processing unit;
• a first memory area accessible to the processing unit, including information indicating an association of at least one alias address to a base address, wherein the base and associated alias addresses are capable of being used to address the I/O device;
• control logic executed by the processing unit, including:
• (i) means for querying the control unit for information on base and associated alias addresses for the I/O device;
• (ii) means for processing the queried information to generate at least one base control block indicating a base address and a plurality of alias control blocks indicating a plurality of alias addresses, wherein each control block is associated with an address for addressing an I/O device;
• (iii) means for processing at least one alias control block associated with the I/O device;
• (iv) means for determining a base control block associated with the I/O device with which the alias control blocks are associated;
• and
• (v) means for binding at least one alias control block to the determined base control block, wherein bound base and alias control blocks provide different addresses to address the same I/O device.

A system for addressing an input/output (I/O) device, comprising:

• a processing unit;
• a memory area accessible to the processing unit including at least one base control block indicating a base address and a plurality of alias control blocks indicating a plurality of alias addresses, wherein each control block is associated with an address for addressing the I/O device;
• control logic executed by the processing unit, comprising:
• (i) means for processing at least one alias control block associated with the I/O device;
• (ii) means for determining a base control block associated with the I/O device with which the alias control blocks are associated;
• and
• (iii) means for binding at least one alias control block to the determined base control block, wherein bound base and alias control blocks provide different addresses to address the same I/O device, and wherein the bound base and alias addresses address the same I/O device for subsequent I/O operations until the processing unit detects a reassignment of the association of base and alias addresses.

A system for addressing an input/output (I/O) device and for communicating with a processing unit, comprising:

• a control unit;
• a memory area accessible to the control unit, including a base address and a plurality of alias addresses for addressing the I/O device, wherein the alias addresses associated with the base address provides an address for addressing the I/O device addressed by the base address;
• control logic executed within the control unit, comprising:
• (i) means for receiving a request from the processing unit for information on the assignment of base and alias addresses to the I/O device;
• and
• (ii) means for transmitting information on the assignment of base and alias addresses to the I/O device to the processing unit after receiving the request from the processing unit, wherein the processing unit uses the assignment information for configuration purposes.

A storage controller for addressing a storage device unit and for communicating with a computer system over a network communication line, comprising:

• a controller processing unit;
• a memory area accessible to the controller processing unit, including a base address and a plurality of alias addresses for addressing locations in the storage device unit, wherein the alias addresses associated with the base address provides an address for addressing the location in the storage device unit addressed by the base address;
• control logic executed by the controller processing unit, comprising:
• (i) means for receiving a request from the computer system for information on the assignment of base and alias addresses to the storage device unit;
• and
• (ii) means for transmitting information on the assignment of base and alias addresses to the storage device unit to the computer system after receiving the request from the computer system, wherein the computer system uses the assignment information for configuration purposes.

An article of manufacture for use in programming a first processing unit to address an input/output (I/O) device, the article of manufacture comprising at least one computer readable storage device including at least one computer program embedded therein that causes the first processing unit to perform the steps of:

• querying a second processing unit for information on base and associated alias addresses for at least one I/O device;
• processing the queried information to generate at least one base control block indicating a base address and a plurality of alias control blocks indicating a plurality of alias addresses, wherein each control block is associated with an address for addressing an I/O device;
• processing at least one alias control block associated with the I/O device;
• determining a base control block associated with the I/O device with which the alias control blocks are associated;
• and
• binding at least one alias control block to the determined base control block, wherein bound base and alias control blocks provide different addresses to address the same I/O device.

An article of manufacture for use in programming a first processing unit to address an input/output (I/O) device, the article of manufacture comprising at least one computer readable storage device including at least one computer program embedded therein that causes the first processing unit to perform the steps of:

• providing at least one base control block indicating a base address and a plurality of alias control blocks indicating a plurality of alias addresses, wherein each control block is associated with an address for addressing an I/O device;
• processing at least one alias control block associated with the I/O device;
• determining a base control block associated with the I/O device with which the alias control blocks are associated;
• and
• binding at least one alias control block to the determined base control block, wherein bound base and alias control blocks provide different addresses to address the same I/O device, and wherein the bound base and alias addresses address the same I/O device for subsequent I/O operations until the processing unit detects a reassignment of the association of base and alias addresses.

An article of manufacture for use in programming a control unit to address an input/output (I/O) device, the article of manufacture comprising at least one computer readable storage device including at least one computer program embedded therein that causes the control unit to perform the steps of:

• providing in a memory area accessible to the control unit a base address and a plurality of alias addresses for addressing the I/O device, wherein the alias addresses associated with the base address provides an address for addressing the I/O device addressed by the base address;
• receiving a request from a processing unit for information on the assignment of base and alias addresses to the I/O device;
• and
• transmitting information on the assignment of base and alias addresses to the I/O device to the processing unit after receiving the request from the processing unit, wherein the processing unit uses the assignment information for configuration purposes.

An article of manufacture for use in programming a storage controller to address a storage device unit, the article of manufacture comprising at least one computer readable storage device including at least one computer program embedded therein that causes the storage controller to perform the steps of:

• providing in a memory area accessible to the storage controller a base address and a plurality of alias addresses for addressing locations in the storage device unit, wherein the alias addresses associated with the base address provides an address for addressing the location in the storage device unit addressed by the base address;
• receiving a request from a computer system for information on the assignment of base and alias addresses to the storage device unit;
• and
• transmitting information on the assignment of base and alias addresses to the storage device unit to the computer system after receiving the request from the computer system, wherein the computer system uses the assignment information for configuration purposes.