System for detection and routing of platform events in a multi-cell computer

In a computer system including at least one cell comprising multiple processors, each of which has an operating system associated therewith, a method for removal and replacement of I/O cards while the computer system is operating, the method comprising the steps of:

• notifying a supervisory processor that a doorbell event has occurred, when a doorbell switch, associated with an I/O card slot, is pressed;
• sending a message, indicating that said doorbell event has occurred, from the supervisory processor to a local service processor on the cell containing the operating system responsible for the I/O card slot;
• sending a notification of the doorbell event and indicia of the I/O card slot associated with the doorbell event from the local service processor to the operating system on the cell associated with the slot for which the doorbell switch was pressed;
• and
• powering off the slot for the I/O card slot associated with the doorbell event.

In a computer system including at least one cell having an operating system associated therewith, and including an access panel that provides access to peripheral I/O cards controlled by the operating system, a method for minimizing boot time for the operating system by avoiding scanning for non-existent devices, the method comprising the steps of:

• notifying a supervisory processor that an intrusion event has occurred when said access panel has been opened;
• sending notification of said intrusion event from the supervisory processor to a local service processor;
• writing a message from the local service processor indicating the intrusion event;
• issuing a call from the operating system to retrieve the message indicating the intrusion event;
• sending a notification to the operating system indicating the slot associated with the intrusion event;
• storing a pending interrupt in a register in response to notification, from the local service processor, that the access panel is open;
• and
• upon booting said operating system, checking for said pending interrupt to determine whether said intrusion event occurred since the last boot;
• whereby, if no said intrusion event is indicated upon booting said operating system, boot time for the operating system is minimized by avoiding scanning for non-existent devices.