Abstract: A method and system for efficiently merging subnets having individual subnet managers (SM) into a single network with one master SM. During discovery and configuration of a subnet, a subnet manager creates a Subnet Management Database (SMDB) representative of the subnet components being managed. Each subnet manager contains an independent SMDB. When two or more subnets are linked/connected together to form a single network, a single one of the subnet managers is selected as the master subnet manager and all the subnets' SMDBs must be merged. An SMDB record labeling mechanism is utilized to differentiate among components from the different subnets that may have the same parameter values, such as protection keys (P_keys) and re-assign individual parameters to create a single SMDB of uniquely defined components.

Abstract: A system and method for establishing multiple connections using a private data field of a communication management protocol is provided. With the present invention, a Service ID identifies a specific consumer and the private data field contains a list of connection attributes for each connection that is to be established. An active side requests a connection and the passive side replies to the connection request. The active side sends the passive side a connection establishment request. This connection establishment request includes a Service ID which identifies a passive side process associated with a service. This connection establishment request also includes communication attributes of one or more connected services and datagram services associated with the Service ID. The passive passes the connection request to a process associated with the service. If the passive side process does not wish to carry out the service, a negative reply message is returned to the active side.

Abstract: A method, system, and product in a data processing system are disclosed for managing data transmitted from a first end node to a second end node included in the data processing system. A logical connection is established between the first end node and the second end node prior to transmitting data between the end nodes. An instance number is associated with this particular logical connection. The instance number is included in each packet transmitted between the end nodes while this logical connection remains established. The instance number remains constant during this logical connection. The instance number is altered, such as by incrementing it, each time a logical connection between these end nodes is reestablished. Thus, each packet is associated with a particular instance of the logical connection. When a packet is received, the instance number included in the packet may be used to determine whether the packet is a stale packet transmitted during a previous logical connection between these end nodes.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for an advanced multiplexing technique to allow a single host to support multiple Internet Protocol (IP) queue pairs with little or no overhead are provided. With the apparatus and method, after a queue pair is created, Internet Protocol filter attributes and values are set up for the queue pair through value added features to the standard InfiniBand “QP Modify” method. The IP filters are used during normal operations to determine which queue pair is associated with an incoming packet. During normal operations, when a channel adapter receives an Internet Protocol (IP) over InfiniBand (IB) packet, it uses one or more of several fields in the packet's transport and/or network header to determine which queue pair shall receive the packet. Thus, the host channel adapter uses the IP filters to route incoming packets to the appropriate queue pair and thereby allow more than one queue pair to be used to support IP.

Abstract: A method for determining parameters needed to communicate with a remote node in a computer network is provided. The invention comprises determining the location of the remote node to which an InfiniBand (IB) node might desire to communicate. This resolution comprises determining the location of the remote node based on a desired application or service, and then determining the IB parameters needed to communicate with the remote node. The resolution might also involve determining the specific queue pairs that associated with the service dynamically. The general solution is applied to IP service resolution.

Abstract: A method in a node for managing authorized attempts to access the node. A packet is received from a source, wherein the packet includes a first key. A determination is made as to whether the first key matches a second key for the node. The packet is dropped without a response to the source if the first key does not match the second key. Information from the packet is stored in response to this absence of a match. The information is sent to a selected recipient in response to a selected event, which may be, for example, either immediately or in response to polling to see if the information is present.

Abstract: Apparatus and method for virtualizing a queue pair space to minimize time-wait impacts. Virtual queue pairs are allocated from a virtual queue pair pool of a node to connections between the node and other nodes. The connection is established between a physical queue pair of the node and physical queue pairs of other nodes. From the viewpoint of the other nodes, they are communicating with the present node using the virtual queue pair and not the physical queue pair for the present node. By using the virtual queue pairs, the same physical queue pair may accommodate multiple connections with other nodes simultaneously. Moreover, when a connection is torn down, the virtual queue pair is placed in a time-wait state rather than the physical queue pair. As a result, the physical queue pair may continue to function while the virtual queue pair is in the time-wait state.

Abstract: A method for associating reliable datagram queue pairs with an underlying end-to-end context of a channel adapter is provided. The method comprises storing a reliable datagram domain (RDD) within the context of a reliable datagram queue pair (RD QP). The same RDD is stored within an end-to-end context (EEC). A partitioning key (P—key) is also stored within the EEC. The RDD cannot be accessed by consumer processes. In the case of incoming messages, the P—keys of the incoming data packet and EEC are compared. If P—keys match, then the RDD's of the RD QP and EEC are compared. If the RDD's match, the packet is processed normally. In the case of outgoing messages, the RDD's of the RD QP and EEC are first compared, and if they match, the P—Key of the EEC is inserted into the transport header of the data packet.

Abstract: A method in a network computing system for managing a plurality of subnet managers in the network computing system. An identification is received of a set of subnet managers within the plurality of subnet managers. The set of subnet managers is allowed to participate in a master election to select a master subnet manager. Subnet managers other than the set of subnet managers are placed in a dormant state. The master subnet manager is elected from the set of subnet managers through the master election, wherein other subnet managers within the number of subnet managers poll the master subnet manager to allow the other subnet managers to elect a new master subnet manager if the master subnet manager fails.

Abstract: A method and apparatus to perform network fabric management is provided. The method and apparatus provide a mechanism by which modifications to components of the network fabric may be made without tearing down existing connections. The apparatus and method facilitate such fabric management by placing send queues in a send queue drain state and suspending the send queues affected by changes to the network fabric while the modifications are being made. Once the modifications are complete, the send queues are place back into an operational state.

Abstract: A method, system, and apparatus for preventing input/output (I/O) adapters used by an operating system (OS) image, in a logically partitioned data processing system, from fetching or corrupting data from a memory location allocated to another OS image within the data processing system is provided. A hypervisor prevents transmission of data between an input/output adapter in one of the logical partitions and memory locations assigned to other logical partitions during a direct memory access (DMA) operation by assigning each of the input/output adapters a range of I/O bus DMA addresses. The I/O adapters (IOAs) are connected to PCI host bridges via terminal bridges. A single terminal bridge may support multiple IOAs, in which case every terminal bridge has a plurality of sets of range registers, each associated with a respective one of the IOAs to which it is connected. An arbiter is provided which selects one of the input/output adapters to use the PCI bus.

Abstract: An apparatus and a method in a data processing system are provided for insuring the security of data accessed from removable media. Normal virus scanning occurs after data is loaded into the main memory, but infection by a virus may have already occurred by this time. Therefore, it would be beneficial to check for possible virus infection before the data is transferred to main memory. A security key is read from the removable media. As encrypted data is read from the device, it is decrypted using the security key and then re-encrypted using the same security key to produce new data. The original data is accepted and sent to main memory if it is identical to the new data produced by decryption and re-encryption. If the two sets of data are not identical, then the data transmission from the device is aborted and all data on the removable media is rejected. The decryption/re-encryption checking is performed in hardware and so it can occur in real time.

Abstract: A method and system for protecting electronic files from unauthorized access. The drive on which the file is stored is provided with a hardware identification code, which is unique to the drive. An Operating System (OS) extension allows a user to provide a security code required to access a requested drive. OS device driver, working in conjunction with the extension of the OS checks the requested drive to determine if an access code is required, and the drive responds with the security code or a default code. The default code indicates that the drive is globally accessible to users on the system. When a security code is returned, the OS compares the security code to the access code provided and provides the user with access to the drive only when the access code matches the security code.

Abstract: A method for enabling a Q_key that is tamper proof from applications on a distributed computer system to protect selected network operations is provided. Applications and an operating system (OS) execute on the end nodes and each may access various network resources. In the invention, the network resources are configured for selective access by particular applications or OS. In a preferred embodiment, a control bit of a Q_key, which allows applications to authenticate their use of particular communication resources, i.e., the send and receive queues, is reserved and utilized to signal whether a particular application is allowed access to the resources. Setting the control bit to 0 allows the Q_key to be set by an application directly. When the control bit is set to 1, the Q_key cannot be set by an application and can only be set using a privileged operation performed only by the OS.

Abstract: An open format storage subsystem and method are provided. The storage subsystem and method include at least one host endnode, at least one processing unit endnode, and at least one storage endnode. These endnodes are partitioned according to partition tables assigned to the ports of the endnodes and partition keys assigned to queue pairs of the ports. Based on these partition keys, partitions in the storage subsystem are designated. In this way, certain endnodes may be designated as being able to communicate with only certain other ones of the endnodes. Because of the partitioning mechanism of the present invention, an open format storage subsystem is formulated such that the types of endnodes in the storage subsystem are not limited to vendor specific units. This enhances the ability to add and remove units from the storage subsystem by removing the limitations typically found in closed storage subsystems.

Abstract: A method, system, and apparatus for preventing input/output (I/O) adapters used by an operating system (OS) image, in a logically partitioned data processing system, from fetching or corrupting data from a memory location allocated to another OS image within the data processing system is provided. A hypervisor prevents transmission of data between an input/output adapter in one of the logical partitions and memory locations assigned to other logical partitions during a direct memory access (DMA) operation by assigning each of the input/output adapters a range of I/O bus DMA addresses. The I/O adapters (IOAs) are connected to PCI host bridges via terminal bridges. A single terminal bridge may support multiple IOAs, in which case every terminal bridge has a plurality of sets of range registers, each associated with a respective one of the IOAs to which it is connected. An arbiter is provided which selects one of the input/output adapters to use the PCI bus.

Abstract: A videoconferencing apparatus and method are implemented. Each participant in the videoconference has a representation within the system as a “stick figure,” or linear frame, object similar to “stick figure” objects in the computer animation art. A participant's linear frame object is endowed with the persona of the participant by wrapping the object with an outer texture generated from a preloaded image of the participant. Small tags placed at preselected locations on each participant are detected by the videoconferencing system, and each of the participants stick figures is animated in accordance with changes in positions as revealed by the tags.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for pausing a send queue while preventing sympathy error from propagating through a SAN fabric system is provided. The method and apparatus place a send work queue in an error state, i.e. pauses the send work queue, when a reliable data error occurs in the send work queue but does not place any other work queues in an error state. In this way, the send queue experiencing the error is not able to send any further messages until error recovery is performed. However, other work queues continue to be able to send and/or receive messages. Once error recovery is performed, the send work queue that was placed in the error state is returned to a working state and is able to continue to send messages. In addition, the send queue that was in the error state will send the messages that it attempted to send at the time of the error. The messages sent will continue from a last known point at which the send work queue was operating properly.

Abstract: A method and implementing computer system are provided which allows for significantly improved input/output (I/O) subsystem designs in all systems which include serialized I/O transactions such as so-called Express specification systems. Transaction control methodology is implemented to improve Express design requirements for Express devices such as an Express switch, Express-PCI bridge, endpoint, and root complex. This is accomplished by utilizing improved transaction ordering and state machine and corresponding buffer design and improved flow control credit methodology which enables improved processing for controlling transactions flowing through Express devices including Express switches and Express-PCI bridges. An Express-PCI/PCIX transition bridge design is also provided, along with the flow control credit methodology and implementation within the Express-PCI/PCIX bridge design to enable efficient interfacing between Express and legacy or existing PCI/PCIX systems.

Abstract: A method for managing allocation of network resources within the distributed computer system is provided. Specifically, the network traversal time and the end node response time for requests and/or packets being routed in a switch-connected system area network are utilized to determine the total round trip time for completion of the particular network operation. The sum of the timeout values for all switches that participate in routing the request from a requester (source) to the receptor node (target) is provided to the requester's channel adapter (CA). The time-out values are provided by the switch manufacturer and are sent to a network Subnet Manager (SM) via SM packets (SMP). The timeout values added together represent the SubnetTimeout. The time-out value of the target channel adapter (CA), the ResponseTime, is also provided to the requester. The requester then utilizes one of two timeout equations to calculate the overall response time required for the request to be completed.