Abstract: The present invention provides for using description files to configure components in a distribute system. Computer-readable media store data structures representing a component mapping and a component description. Computer systems can utilize the data structures to access components in a diagnostic chassis. In some embodiments, a computer system receives application instructions for accessing a component. The computer system refers to the component mapping to identify components that are to be configured to implement the received application instructions. The computer system generates mapped application instructions in accordance with the referred to component mapping. The computer system refers to the component description to identify compatible low-level instructions for configuring the identified components. The computer system sends the compatible low-level instructions to the identified components to configure the identified components to implement the received application instructions.

Abstract: The present invention provides for discovering diagnostic port functionality in a distributed system. A computer system requests network addresses for one or more chassis. A chassis receives the request for a network address and returns a corresponding network address at least for the chassis. The computer system receives one or more network addresses corresponding to the one or more chassis. The computer system requests resource data from each of the one or more corresponding network addresses. The chassis receives the request for resource data and returns resource data representing at least the current configuration of the chassis to the requesting computer system. The computer system receives resource data representing the configuration of the one or more chassis. The computer system presents the received resource data at the requesting computer system.

Abstract: The present invention provides for creating description files used to configure components in a distributed system. A computer or program developer accesses an application type. The computer or program developer accesses a hardware specification. The computer or program developer identifies relevant registers from the hardware specification that are to be manipulated to implement the application type. The computer or program developer generates a description file that corresponds the relevant registers to the application type.