Abstract: A method and system to eliminate service hardware previously provided with an adapter by providing a novel way to transfer its hardware service functions to a remote service hardware found elsewhere in a computer system, such as a mainframe. The transferred service controls include enabling the remote service hardware to control the updating of the adapter microcode; remotely control a recovery process for the adapter by remotely initializing its microcode, and remotely logging out and recovering from error conditions detected in the adapter; and remotely forcing a logout and recovery when the host OS detects a failure in the adapter. A standard I/O channel interface (optical or electronic) is provided between the adapter and an IOSS (Input Output Subsystem) of a computer system which has its own service processor element (SPE) used for servicing the computer system per se. The invention provides virtual service hardware for the adapter, but uses the SPE for its service hardware.

Abstract: An access method and system in a logically partitioned data processing system having a plurality of logical partitions. A requesting logical partition requests information pertaining to a resource of the data processing system as the resource relates to a requested logical partition of the system. The requesting logical partition is given access to the information when the requesting and requested logical partitions are authorized to access the resource. Thus, access to logical partition information is provided on a per resource basis. Additionally, access is limited such that the requesting logical partition can access information relating to less than all of the logical partitions of the logically partitioned data processing system.

Abstract: An Internal I/O Facility (iIOF) having a general interface for executing I/O related applications in an Input/Ouput SubSystem (IOSS) of a computer system. IIOF applications are executed in the IOSS outside the scope of CPU applications executed under the operating system (OS) of the computer system. IIOF applications are allowed to use all facilities in the IOSS. An iIOF subchannel extension is provided for those subchannels which can execute an iIOF application. IIOF subchannel extensions contain interception control fields which determine if conventional processing for the subchannel by the IOSS is to be intercepted to execute an iIOF application. A front-end interception bit in a subchannel extension is used to initiate iIOF application execution when the subchannel is taken from the IOSS work request queue. A back-end interception bit in a subchannel extension is used to initiate iIOF application execution when the subchannel is to have status put on the IOSS interruption queue.