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US 7,627,781 B2Granted
System and method for establishing a spare processor for recovering from loss of lockstep in a boot processor
AssigneeHewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
InventorsScott L. Michaelis, Anurupa Rajkumari
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Abstract
A system comprises a plurality of processors, and data storage storing information that assigns a role of boot processor to one of the plurality of processors and assigns a role of spare processor to another of the plurality of processors. The system further comprises logic operable, responsive to detecting loss of lockstep for the boot processor, for transferring, during system runtime, the role of boot processor to the spare processor.
Claims30
A system comprising:
- a plurality of processors;
- data storage storing information that assigns a role of boot processor to one of said plurality of processors and assigns a role of spare processor to another of said plurality of processors;
- and
- logic operable, responsive to detecting loss of lockstep for said boot processor, for transferring, during system runtime, the role of boot processor to said spare processor, wherein said another of said plurality of processors that is assigned said role of spare processor is held in reserve as a hot spare processor until said loss of lockstep is detected for said boot processor.
1 more element
A method comprising:
- assigning a role of boot processor to one of a plurality of processors in a system;
- assigning a role of spare processor to another of said plurality of processors;
- responsive to detecting loss of lockstep for said boot processor, changing, during system runtime, the assignment of the role of boot processor to said spare processor;
- and
- responsive to changing the assignment of the role of boot processor to said spare processor, an operating system of the system recognizing said spare processor as the boot processor without requiring shutdown of said operating system.
2 more elements
A system comprising:
- a plurality of lockstep processor modules that each includes a master processor and a slave processor that is in lockstep with said master processor;
- a first communication bus with which at least a first two of said plurality of lockstep processor modules are communicatively coupled;
- a second communication bus with which at least a second two of said plurality of lockstep processor modules are communicatively coupled;
- and
- data storage storing information that assigns a role of boot processor to one of said plurality of processors and assigns a role of spare processor to another of said plurality of processors, wherein said spare processor is communicatively coupled to the same one of said first and second communication buses as said boot processor.
2 more elements
A method comprising:
- selecting a first one of a plurality of lockstep processor modules in a system as a boot processor, wherein each of said plurality of lockstep processor modules includes a master processor and a slave processor that is in lockstep with said master processor, and wherein said boot processor is communicatively coupled to a first of a plurality of communication buses;
- selecting a second one of said plurality of lockstep processor modules as a spare processor, wherein said spare processor is selected as one that is communicatively coupled to the same communication bus as said boot processor;
- and
- responsive to detecting loss of lockstep for said boot processor, said system causing said spare processor to dynamically assume the role of boot processor.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.