System for reconfiguring a first device and/or a second device to use a maximum compatible communication parameters based on transmitting a communication to the first and second devices of a point-to-point link

A method for initializing a computing system, the computing system including a processing subsystem and an input/output (I/O) subsystem, the processing subsystem having a plurality of processing devices interconnected by a first plurality of point-to-point links, the I/O subsystem having a plurality of I/O devices interconnected by a second plurality of point-to-point links, each of the first plurality of point-to-point links interconnecting a respective pair of processing devices, and each of the second plurality of point-to-point links interconnecting a respective pair of I/O devices, the method comprising the acts of:

• configuring each respective pair of processing devices to communicate on an interconnecting point-to-point link of the first plurality of point-to-point links at a common frequency using a common link width;
• configuring each respective pair of I/O devices to communicate on an interconnecting point-to-point link of the second plurality of point-to-point links at an I/O common frequency using an I/O common link width;
• transmitting a communication to each of the plurality of processing devices to determine a maximum compatible frequency and a maximum compatible link width corresponding to each respective pair of processing devices;
• transmitting a communication to each of the plurality of I/O devices to determine a maximum I/O compatible frequency and a maximum I/O compatible link width corresponding to each respective pair of I/O devices;
• if either the maximum compatible frequency or the maximum compatible link width corresponding to a particular respective pair of processing devices is different than the common frequency or the common link width, then reconfiguring the particular respective pair of processing devices to communicate on the interconnecting point-to-point link using the corresponding maximum compatible frequency and/or the corresponding respective maximum compatible link width;
• and
• if either the maximum I/O compatible frequency or the maximum I/O compatible link width corresponding to a particular respective pair of I/O devices is different than the I/O common frequency or the I/O common link width, then reconfiguring the particular respective pair of I/O devices to communicate on the interconnecting point-to-point link using the corresponding maximum compatible frequency and/or the corresponding maximum compatible link width.

A computing system, comprising:

• a communication medium comprising a plurality of point-to-point links;
• a plurality of devices connected to the communication medium, each of the plurality of point-to-point links interconnecting a respective pair of devices of the plurality of devices, each respective pair of devices being configured to communicate on the corresponding interconnecting point-to-point link using common communication parameters;
• a processor configured to communicate with the plurality of devices, wherein the processor is configured to:
• transmit a communication to a first device and a second device of the plurality of devices, the first device being connected to a first end of a first point-to-point link of the plurality of point-to-point links, the second device being connected to a second end of the first point-to-point link,
• determine, based on the communication, maximum compatible communication parameters of the first and second devices for communications on the first point-to-point link;
• and
• if the maximum compatible communication parameters differ from the common communication parameters, reconfigure the first device and/or the second device to communicate on the first point-to-point link using the maximum compatible communication parameters.

A tangible medium for facilitating the initialization of a computing system having a plurality of devices connected to a communication link, the communication link comprising a plurality of point-to-point links, the method comprising the acts of:

• a routine for transmitting a communication to a first device and a second device of the plurality of devices, the first device being connected to a first end of a first point-to-point link of the plurality of point-to-point links, and the second device being connected to a second end of the first point-to-point link, the first and second devices being configured to communicate on the first point-to-point link using common communication parameters;
• a routine for determining, based on the communication, maximum compatible communication parameters for the first and second devices for communications on the first point-to-point link;
• and
• a routine for reconfiguring the first device and/or the second device to communicate on the first point-to-point link using the maximum compatible communication parameters if the maximum compatible communication parameters differ from the common communication parameters.