System and method for adaptively setting connections to input/output hubs within an information handling system

A method for managing communications links with a computer system, the computer system comprising a plurality of processors, each of which is directly coupled to one another through a set of direct communications links, and first and second I/O controller hub, wherein each of the processors is coupled to at least one of the I/O controller hubs through at least one direct communications link, and a switch device coupled to the first I/O controller hub by a first communications link and coupled to the second I/O controller hub by a second communications link, wherein the first communications link comprises a defined transmission bandwidth and the second communications link comprises the defined transmission bandwidth, comprising:

• determining if the direct communications links between the processors and said at least one I/O controller hub are operational;
• if none of the direct communications links from between the processors and said at least one I/O controller hub are determined to be operational, engaging or leaving in a state of engagement a set of internal communications pathways within the switch to provide a direct communications link within the switch between the first and second I/O controller hubs, wherein the internal communications pathway within the switch device comprises the defined transmission bandwidth:
• and if any of the direct communications links between the processors and said at least one I/O controller hub is determined to be operational, disengaging or leaving in a state of disengagement a set of internal communications pathways within the switch such that a direct communications link within the switch is not provided between the first and second I/O controller hubs.

A multiprocessor computer system having a set of failover communications links, comprising:

• a plurality of processors, wherein each of the processors has a direct communications link to each of the other processors;
• first and second I/O controller hub, wherein each of the processors is coupled to at least one of the I/O controller hubs, and at least one of the processors has a direct communications link to at least one of the I/O controller hubs;
• and a switch device coupled to the first I/O controller hub by a first communications link and coupled to the second I/O controller hub by a second communications link, wherein the first communications link comprises a defined transmission bandwidth and the second communications link comprises the defined transmission bandwidth,
• wherein the switch device engages and disengages a set of internal communications pathways depending on the status of the communications links between the plurality of processors and the first and second I/O controller hub, wherein the internal communications pathways within the switch device comprise the defined transmission bandwidth;
• wherein the switch is in a first state if none of communications links from said at least one of the I/O controller hubs to the plurality of processors are operable;
• wherein the switch is in a second state if any of the communications links from said at least one of the I/O controller hubs to the plurality of processors are operable;
• wherein in the first state the switch engages an internal communications pathway within the switch device to provide a communications pathway between the first and second I/O controller hub;
• and wherein in the second state the switch disengages the internal communications pathway within the switch device such that the first and second I/O controller hub are not coupled through the switch device.

An information handling system, comprising:

• a plurality of processors, wherein each of the processors has a direct communications link to each of the other processors;
• a plurality of I/O controller hub devices, wherein each of the processors is coupled to at least one of the I/O controller hub devices, and at least one of the processors has a direct communications link to at least one of the I/O controller hub devices;
• and a switch device coupled to each of the I/O controller hub devices by at least one first communications link comprising a defined transmission bandwidth, wherein the switch is coupled to a plurality of I/O devices;
• wherein the switch device engages and disengages a set of internal communications pathways depending on the status of the communications links between the plurality of processors and the plurality of I/O controller hub devices, wherein the internal communications pathways within the switch device comprise the defined transmission bandwidth;
• and wherein the switch device is operable to engage an internal communications pathway within the switch device to provide a communications pathway between the plurality of I/O controller hub devices in a first state and is operable to disengage the internal communications pathway within the switch device such that the plurality of I/O controller hub devices are not coupled through the switch device.