Abstract: An OS instance can maintain management responsibility for SAN adapters to ensure separation and isolation of WPARs, while WPARs are given the capability of configuring an adapter (e.g., adding endpoint storage devices to the adapter). An operating system instance allocates an adapter to a first of a plurality of virtual operating system instances. The first virtual operating system instance updates a device data structure with an entry that indicates the adapter. The first virtual operating system instance maintains the device data structure. The first virtual operating system instance modifies the entry in the device data structure to associate a set of one or more endpoint storage devices with the adapter. The set of endpoint storage devices are provisioned to the first virtual operating system instance from a storage area network. The first virtual operating system instance configures the set of endpoint storage devices.

Abstract: When moving workload partitions (WPARs) from machine to machine, operating systems may encounter errors that prevent successful WPAR migration. Recording and reporting errors can be challenging. To move WPARs, the operating system may employ a plurality of software components, such as code residing in user space (e.g., application programs, OS libraries, and shell scripts), code residing in the operating system's kernel, and code residing on remote machines. Embodiments of the invention include a framework that enables all the software components to record errors. The framework can also report the errors to users and processes.

Abstract: An OS instance can maintain management responsibility for SAN adapters to ensure separation and isolation of WPARs, while WPARs are given the capability of configuring an adapter (e.g., adding endpoint storage devices to the adapter). An operating system instance allocates an adapter to a first of a plurality of virtual operating system instances. The first virtual operating system instance updates a device data structure with an entry that indicates the adapter. The first virtual operating system instance maintains the device data structure. The first virtual operating system instance modifies the entry in the device data structure to associate a set of one or more endpoint storage devices with the adapter. The set of endpoint storage devices are provisioned to the first virtual operating system instance from a storage area network. The first virtual operating system instance configures the set of endpoint storage devices.

Abstract: A first of a plurality of virtual operating system instances requests a device identifier for a device to be configured by the first virtual operating system instance within an execution space of the first virtual operating system instance. In response, a device identifier data structure maintained in a kernel space is accessed, and a device identifier that is available is determined. An indication in the device identifier data structure that the device identifier is no longer available is recorded. The device identifier is returned from the kernel space to the first virtual operating system instance. The first virtual operating system instance assigns the device identifier to the device.

Abstract: Some embodiments of the inventive subject matter are directed to detecting a file that a first instance of an operating system is configured to load where the file is configured to extend functionality of a kernel when loaded. In some embodiments, the first instance of the operating system is managed by a second instance of the operating system (e.g., the first instance of the operating system is a virtual operating system and the second instance is a global operating system). The first and second instances of the operating system share the kernel. Some embodiments are further directed to generating a unique electronic identifier based on properties of the file. The unique electronic identifier uniquely identifies the file. Some embodiments are further directed to providing a copy of the file to the first instance of the operating system, and some time later, receiving a request from the first instances of the operating system to load the copy of the file.

Abstract: Some embodiments of the inventive subject matter are directed to receiving a request from a first instance of an operating system (e.g., a virtual operating system) to load a kernel extension that extends functionality of a kernel, where the kernel and the first instance of the operating system are managed by a second instance of the operating system (e.g., a global operating system), and where the first and second instances of the operating system share the kernel. Some embodiments are further directed to recording an indicator that indicates that the first of the plurality of the instances of the operating system requested to load the kernel extension, where the indicator is accessible only to the second instance of the operating system. In some embodiments, the method is further directed to loading the kernel extension, where loading the kernel extension extends functionality of the kernel.

Abstract: Some embodiments of the inventive subject matter are directed to receiving a request from a first instance of an operating system (e.g., a virtual operating system) to load a kernel extension that extends functionality of a kernel, where the kernel and the first instance of the operating system are managed by a second instance of the operating system (e.g., a global operating system), and where the first and second instances of the operating system share the kernel. Some embodiments are further directed to loading the kernel extension as a shared kernel extension. Some embodiments are further directed to receiving a request by the first instances of the operating system to unload the kernel extension and determining that a third instance of the operating system (e.g., another virtual operating system also managed by the global operating system) requires the kernel extension to remain loaded.

Abstract: A subsystem and method permits multiple protocols, to run simultaneously over a single adapter with minimal overhead.First interface structures are defined having similar component properties of a buffer address, buffer length, and cross-memory descriptor. The first structures are chainable, whereby data may be gathered from or scattered to multiple discontiguous data buffers for a single operation. A common structure completed by protocol heads has a pointer to the chain of first interface structures. For each control element, multiple buffer descriptors are provided to describe the various user buffers. The chain of multiple buffer structures contains pointers to the first structures employed to map buffers and obtain DMA addresses for an adapter. A layered architecture is provided for while allowing flexibility of utilizing current interfaces. Multiple protocols running over a single adapter driver are effected wherein the same protocol head code may run over a different adapter supporting the interface.