US 6,643,727 B1 · Isolation of I/O bus errors to a single partition in an LPAR environment

Abstract

A method, system, and apparatus for isolating an input/output (I/O) bus error, received from an I/O adapter, from the other I/O adapters that may be in different partitions within a logically partitioned data process system is provided. In one embodiment, the logically partitioned data processing system includes a system bus, a processing unit, a memory unit, a host bridge, a plurality of terminal bridges, and a plurality of input/output adapters. The processing unit, memory unit, and the host bridge are all coupled to each other through the system bus. Each of the plurality of terminal bridges is coupled to the host bridge through a first bus. Each of the input/output adapters is coupled to one of the plurality of terminal bridges through a one of a plurality of second buses, such that each input/output adapter corresponds to a single terminal bridge. Each of the input/output adapters are assigned to one of a plurality of logical partitions within the data processing system. Each of the terminal bridges isolates errors received from a respective one of the input/output adapters from other input/output adapters, some of which may be within a different one of the plurality of logical partitions.

Claims10

Dependent claims

A logically partitioned data process system in which I/O bus errors are isolated, comprising:

a system bus;
a processing unit coupled to the system bus;
a memory unit coupled to the system bus;
a host bridge coupled to the system bus;
a first and a second terminal bridge coupled to the host bridge through a first bus;
a first input/output adapter coupled to the first terminal bridge through a second bus,
a second input/output adapter coupled to the second terminal bridge through a third bus;
each terminal bridge prevents errors from each of the input/output adapters from affecting other components within the data processing system;
wherein each of the first and second input/output adapters is assigned to one of a plurality of logical partitions within the data processing system;
and
wherein the first terminal bridge, responsive to receipt of a first error type from the first input/output adapter of a type which can be reported directly to the input/output adapter for handling, does not place the first input/output adapter into a stopped state and does not prevent the input/output adapter from responding to Load and Store operations or performing direct memory access operations.

8 more elements

A method in a logically partitioned data processing system comprising the steps of:

providing a plurality of terminal bridges coupled to a different only one of a plurality of I/O adapters;
providing a system bus;
coupling a processing unit to the system bus;
coupling a host bridge to the system bus;
coupling a first and a second terminal bridge to the host bridge through a first bus;
coupling a first I/O adapter to the first terminal bridge through a second bus, and
coupling a second I/O adapter to the second terminal bridge through a third bus;
preventing, by the first terminal bridge, errors from propagating from the first I/O adapter to the first bus;
and
preventing, by the second terminal bridge, errors from propagating from the second I/O adapter to the first bus;
assigning each of the first and second I/O adapters to one of a plurality of logical partitions within the data processing system;
wherein responsive to a receipt by the first terminal bridge of a first error type from the first input/output adapter of a type which can be reported directly to the input/output adapter for handling, does not place the first input/output adapter into a stopped state and does not prevent the input/output adapter from responding to Load and Store operations or performing direct memory access operations.

9 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Isolation of I/O bus errors to a single partition in an LPAR environment

Life of this patent

Isolation of I/O bus errors to a single partition in an LPAR environment

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims10