US 7,117,388 B2Granted

Dynamic, Non-invasive detection of hot-pluggable problem components and re-active re-allocation of system resources from problem components

AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation

InventorsRavi Kumar Arimilli, Michael Stephen Floyd, Kevin Franklin Reick

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Abstract

A method, system, and data processing system for dynamic detection of problem components in a hot-plug processing system and automatic removal of the problem component via hot-removal methods without disrupting processing of the overall system. A data processing system that provides a non-disruptive, hot-plug functionality is designed with a additional logic for initiating and/or completing a sequence of factory level tests on hot-pluggable components to determine if the component if functioning properly. When a component is not functioning properly, the OS re-allocates the workload of the component to other component so the system, and when the OS completes the re-allocation, the service element initiates the hot removal of the component so that the component is logically and electrically separated from the system.

Claims19

Dependent claims

A data processing system comprising:

a first set of operating components, including a first processor and a first memory;
a fabric that interconnects said first set of operating components and which supports non-disruptive hot-add and hot-removal of components via a hot-plug connector, said fabric including a configuration logic, separate from said first processor, for re-configuring routing and operating protocols of said data processing system to accommodate dynamic changes to said data processing system caused by said hot-add and hot-removal of components;
a second set of operating components, physically coupled to said first set of operating components via said hot-plug connector;
means for automatically running a system check for both said first set of operating components and said second set of operating components, said system check identifying a problem component within either of said first set of operating components and said second set of operating components;
and
a service element comprising means, when said problem component is detected within said second set of operating components, for dynamically initiating a hot-removal of at least said problem component among said second set of operating components, wherein said service element is a separate unit from the processor and memory of the first set of operating components.

3 more elements

In a data processing system comprising a first set of processing components that are interconnected with a dynamically configurable interconnect fabric with hot plug connectors and comprising a second set of processing components that is connected to said first processing unit via at least one of said hot plug connectors, a system for reducing processing with faulty components, said system comprising:

means for triggering a process for automatically detecting a problem component among said second set of processing components;
a service element associated with the first set of processing components, said service element being separate from a processor within the first processing components, and comprising means, when a problem component is identified, for dynamically initiating a logical removal of at least said problem component from said data processing system, without disrupting operations of said first set of components;
and
means for re-allocating the portion of the workload that was previously assigned to said problem component to said first set of processing components and remaining ones of the second set of processing components, wherein the first set of components are assigned the workload previously assigned to the second set of components in addition to the portion of the workload originally assigned to the first set of components.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 10/424,278Filed 28 Apr 2003
Published: US 2004/0230731 A118 Nov 2004
Granted: 3 Oct 2006
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification4 codes

G06F 11/2043
Where processing functionality is redundant: where the redundant components share a common memory address space
G06F 11/2028
Failover techniques: eliminating a faulty processor or activating a spare
G06F 11/2289
Detection or location of defective computer hardware by testing during standby operation or during idle time, e.g. start-up testing: by…
G06F
Computing and data processing