Host bus adaptor driver and operating system installation method

An operating system (OS) installation method for a computer system including a system device having a plurality of host bus adaptors and an input/output (I/O) device unit having a plurality of disk units, the system device and the I/O device unit being connected to each other through the host bus adaptors by redundant connection paths,

• the OS installation method comprising:
• the host bus adaptor driver:
• reading the OS start information included in each of the host bus adaptors,
• determining only one host bus adaptor and only one connection path for installing the operating system based on the OS start information that has been read, by determining, in a case where a plurality of connection paths are registered in a plurality of entries of the table, that a connection path having a smallest entry number is the connection path for use in installation of the operating system, and
• making the installer use the determined host bus adaptor and the connection path and to not use any other host bus adaptor of the plurality of the host bus adaptors and any other connection path of the redundant connection paths,
• wherein the computer system includes:
• an installer for installing the operating system in one disk unit of the I/O device unit, and a host bus adaptor driver for controlling the plurality of the host bus adaptors,
• wherein each host bus adaptor includes nonvolatile memories having OS start information to register connection information for starting the operating system, and
• wherein at least a connection path for starting OS is registered as a table in the OS start information.

A host bus adaptor driver for a computer system including an installer for installing an operating system (OS) in one disk unit of an input/output (I/O) device,

• the host bus adaptor driver comprising:
• a means for reading the OS start information included in each of the host bus adaptors,
• a means for determining only one of host bus adaptors and only one of the connection paths for installing the operating system, based on the OS start information that has been read, and
• a means for making the installer use the host bus adaptor and the connection path determined, and to not use any other host bus adaptor of the plurality of the host bus adaptors and any other connection path of the redundant connection paths,
• wherein the OS start information includes a flag for controlling whether the host bus adaptor associated with the flag is to be used to start the operating system or not, the host bus adaptor driver further comprising a means for determining that the host bus adaptor with the flag thereof indicating a valid state, is for installing the operating system,
• a means for determining that a select host bus adaptor of the plurality of host bus adaptors with flags thereof indicating the valid state, is a host bus adaptor for use in installation of the operating system, the determining being made according to a value of a PCI number of the host bus adaptor, and
• a means for determining a host bus adaptor having a smallest value of the PCI number is the select host bus adaptor for use in installation of the operating system,
• wherein a system device and the I/O device having a plurality of disk units are connected to each other through a plurality of host bus adaptors included in the system device by redundant connection paths, and
• wherein each of the host bus adaptors includes a nonvolatile memory having OS start information for registering connection information to start the operating system.