Abstract: An image of system software is installed by loading an executable image of the system software using a boot loader, where the executable image includes a kernel and a plurality of files used by the kernel. The kernel of the system software is executed to generate the image of the system software that includes a copy of the kernel. Generating the image of the system software involves the steps of generating a plurality of pointers that each point to a different one of the files, retrieving the files using the pointers, and storing a copy of the kernel and the files in a storage device from which the system software is to be booted as the image of the system software.

Abstract: An image of system software is installed by loading an executable image of the system software using a boot loader, where the executable image includes a kernel and a plurality of files used by the kernel. The kernel of the system software is executed to generate the image of the system software that includes a copy of the kernel. Generating the image of the system software involves the steps of generating a plurality of pointers that each point to a different one of the files, retrieving the files using the pointers, and storing a copy of the kernel and the files in a storage device from which the system software is to be booted as the image of the system software.

Abstract: One embodiment is a method of transferring data from a computer system to a Universal Serial Bus (USB) device after a computer system crash where interrupts are masked, the method comprising: (a) detecting the computer system crash; (b) transferring at least a portion of the data to a USB driver for the USB device; (c) the USB driver transferring the portion of the data to a USB controller driver for a USB controller for the USB device; (d) the USB controller driver causing the USB controller to transfer the portion of the data to the USB device; (e) polling the USB controller to determine whether the data transfer was completed; and (f) if the data transfer was completed, providing a notification to the computer system.

Abstract: In virtualized computer system in which a guest operating system runs on a virtual machine of a virtualized computer system and has direct access to a hardware device coupled to the virtualized computer system via a communication interface, a computer-implemented method of handling interrupts from the hardware device to the guest operating system includes: (a) receiving a physical interrupt from the hardware device on a shared interrupt line of an interrupt controller; (b) masking the shared interrupt line of the interrupt controller; (c) generating a virtual interrupt corresponding to the physical interrupt to the guest operating system; and (d) the guest operating system executing an interrupt service routine.

Abstract: One embodiment is a method of transferring data from a computer system to a Universal Serial Bus (USB) device after a computer system crash where interrupts are masked, the method comprising: (a) detecting the computer system crash; (b) transferring at least a portion of the data to a USB driver for the USB device; (c) the USB driver transferring the portion of the data to a USB controller driver for a USB controller for the USB device; (d) the USB controller driver causing the USB controller to transfer the portion of the data to the USB device; (e) polling the USB controller to determine whether the data transfer was completed; and (f) if the data transfer was completed, providing a notification to the computer system.

Abstract: In virtualized computer system in which a guest operating system runs on a virtual machine of a virtualized computer system and has direct access to a hardware device coupled to the virtualized computer system via a communication interface, a computer-implemented method of handling interrupts from the hardware device to the guest operating system includes: (a) receiving a physical interrupt from the hardware device on a shared interrupt line of an interrupt controller; (b) masking the shared interrupt line of the interrupt controller; (c) generating a virtual interrupt corresponding to the physical interrupt to the guest operating system; and (d) the guest operating system executing an interrupt service routine.

Abstract: A system for supporting management operations associated with an interconnect device includes a port of the interconnect device to maintain authentication data that facilitates authorization of a management operation and a configuration switch coupled to the port to generate a reset signal in response to an operator's command. The port is operable to reset the authentication data upon receiving the reset signal from the configuration switch.

Abstract: A method and management port for an indirect loop protocol associated with an interconnect device. In one embodiment, a method to handle a request sent to an interconnect device includes receiving the request at a destination switch from a host network adapter; generating a response to the request in the destination switch; and returning the response to the host network adapter, wherein the destination switch includes a management port for addressing the interconnect device that implements an indirect loop protocol.

Abstract: In one embodiment a method for processing an incoming packet in a port of an interconnect device includes speculatively forwarding the incoming packet to multiple buffers within the port prior to determining which of the multiple buffers is a target buffer for the packet, decoding the packet, and determining which of the multiple buffers is the target buffer for the packet using the decoded packet. The method further includes notifying an agent associated with the target buffer that the target buffer is an intended owner of the data packet. In one embodiment, agents associated with the multiple buffers are designated to process packets that are not subject to a credit-based flow control method.