Abstract: The system and method address the situation where an input/output (I/O) fabric is shared by more than one logical partition (LPAR) and where each LPAR can share with the other LPARs an I/O adapter (IOA). In particular, each LPAR is assigned its own separate address space to access a virtual function (VF) assigned to it such that each LPAR's perception is that it has its own independent IOA. Each VF may be shared across multiple LPARs. Facilities are provided for management of the shared resources of the IOA via a Physical Function (PF) of the IOA by assignment of that PF to an I/O Virtualization Management Partition (IMP). The code running in the IMP acts as a virtual intermediary to the VFs for fully managing the VF error handling, VF reset, and configuration operations. The IMP also acts as an interface to the PF for accessing common VF functionality.

Abstract: A system and method which provide a mechanism for an I/O virtualization management partition (IMP) to control the shared functionality of an I/O virtualization (IOV) enabled I/O adapter (IOA) through a physical function (PF) of the IOA while the virtual functions (VFs) are assigned to client partitions for normal I/O operations directly. A hypervisor provides device-independent facilities to the code running in the IMP and client partitions. The IMP may include device specific code without the hypervisor needing to sacrifice its size, robustness, and upgradeability. The hypervisor provides the virtual intermediary functionally for the sharing and control of the IOA's control functions.

Abstract: A method, mechanism and computer usable medium is provided for distributing I/O fabric errors to the appropriate root nodes in a multi-root environment. The case where the I/O fabric is attached to more than one root node and where each root can potentially share with the other roots the I/O adapter (IOA) resources which are attached to the I/O is addressed. Additionally, a method, mechanism and computer usable medium is provided by which errors detected in an I/O fabric may be routed to all root nodes which may be affected by the error, while not being reported to the root nodes that will not be affected by those errors. In particular, distributed computing system which uses the PCI Express protocol to communicate over the I/O fabric is addressed.

Abstract: A system and method for registering combinations of physical and/or virtual functions for configuring an endpoint are provided. With the system and method, a mechanism informs a management component of a multifunction endpoint's functional combinations. The management component may then use this information to select the functional combinations that are to be made visible to each system image. The informing of the management component may be performed by writing values to various predefined fields in a configuration space for a physical or virtual function that provides information regarding the number of virtual functions supported, the combination of functions supported, a nominal combination of virtual functions to be used by the physical function, and a group identifier for identifying which functions are linked in a combination grouping.

Abstract: A system and method for providing a memory region/memory window (MR/MW) access notification on a system area network are provided. Whenever a previously allocated MR/MW is accessed, such as via a remote direct memory access (RDMA) read/write operation, a notification of the access is generated and written to a queue data structure associated with the MR/MW. In one illustrative embodiment, this queue data structure may be a MR/MW event queue (EQ) data structure that is created and used for all consumer processes and all MR/MWs. In other illustrative embodiments, the EQ is associated with a protection domain. In yet another illustrative embodiment, an event record may be posted to an asynchronous event handler in response to the accessing of the MR/MW. In another illustrative embodiment, a previously posted queue element may be used to generate a completion queue element in response to the accessing of the MR/MW.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method, apparatus, and computer usable program code are disclosed for migrating a virtual adapter from a source physical adapter to a destination physical adapter in a data processing system where multiple host computer systems share multiple adapters and communicate with those adapters through a PCI switched-fabric bus. The virtual adapter is first caused to stop processing transactions. All in-flight transactions that are associated with the virtual adapter are then captured. The configuration information that defines the virtual adapter is moved from the source physical adapter to the destination physical adapter. The in-flight transactions are then restored to their original locations on the destination virtual adapter. The virtual adapter is then restarted on the destination physical adapter such that the virtual adapter begins processing transactions.

Abstract: A method is directed to use of a master root node, in a distributed computer system provided with multiple root nodes, to control the configuration of routings through an I/O switched-fabric. One of the root nodes is designated as the master root node or PCI Configuration Manager (PCM), and is operable to carry out the configuration while each of the other root nodes remains in a quiescent or inactive state. In one useful embodiment pertaining to a system of the above type, that includes multiple root nodes, PCI switches, and PCI adapters available for sharing by different root nodes, a method is provided wherein the master root node is operated to configure routings through the PCI switches. Respective routings are configured between respective root nodes and the PCI adapters, wherein each of the configured routings corresponds to only one of the root nodes.

Abstract: A method for communicating with an input/output (I/O) adapter configured to communicate with a locally attached I/O device are provided using cached address translations. With the method, in response to receiving a storage transaction request, a queue element is created in a command queue specifying an untranslated buffer address. The queue element may be retrieved by the I/O adapter and a determination may be made as to whether the queue element contains a read operation command. If so, a translation request may be sent from the I/O adapter to a root complex at substantially a same time as the read operation command is sent to a locally attached external I/O device. The translated address corresponding to the untranslated address of the queue element may be returned and stored in the I/O adapter prior to receiving the data read from the external I/O device.

Abstract: A computer implemented method, data processing system, and computer usable program code are provided for migrating a persistent cache. A priming request is received at an intermediary to prime the persistent cache of a first partition. Data is moved from a disk to the persistent cache and, responsive to the data being moved to the persistent cache, an unmounting command is issued to unmount a first file system in the first partition from the persistent cache. A mounting command is then issued to mount a second file system in a second partition to the persistent cache, wherein the second partition may now use the data contained in the persistent cache.

Abstract: A method that enables user space middleware or applications to pass I/O storage requests directly to a network attached storage device via a storage server that performs authentication is provided. A mechanism is provided for using a translation protection table (TPT) data structure, which may include a file name protection table (FNPT) and file extension protection table (FEPT), or logical volume protection table (LVPT), to control user space and out of user space Input/Output (I/O) operations. The storage server performs authentication of an application instance's request to open an operating system logical volume and, upon being authenticated, permits the application instance to submit I/O storage requests via the TPT to the opened OS logical volume. I/O storage requests are translated into storage commands using the TPT and the storage commands are encapsulated for transmission via one or more networks to the storage server.

Abstract: A network system supports multiple network communication protocols. In one embodiment, network device driver software provides a “Fibre Channel over Ethernet” communication capability and methodology. Device driver software manages a Fibre Channel to Ethernet and Ethernet to Fibre Channel address translation in real time for data packet communications in the network system. Different embodiments of the disclosed network system include multiple name servers and network device driver software that together provide multiple adapter name discovery methodologies. In one embodiment, the adapter name discovery methodologies include port name discovery and adapter attributes discovery.

Abstract: A network system supports multiple network communication protocols. In one embodiment, network device driver software provides a “Fibre Channel over Ethernet” communication capability and methodology. Device driver software manages a Fibre Channel to Ethernet and Ethernet to Fibre Channel address translation in real time for data packet communications in the network system. Different embodiments of the disclosed network system include multiple name servers and network device driver software that together provide multiple adapter name discovery methodologies. In one embodiment, the adapter name discovery methodologies include port name discovery and adapter attributes discovery.

Abstract: A network system supports multiple network communication protocols. In one embodiment, network device driver software provides a “Fibre Channel over Ethernet” communication capability and methodology. Device driver software manages a Fibre Channel to Ethernet and Ethernet to Fibre Channel address translation in real time for data packet communications in the network system. Different embodiments of the disclosed network system include multiple name servers and network device driver software that together provide multiple adapter name discovery methodologies. In one embodiment, the adapter name discovery methodologies include port name discovery and adapter attributes discovery.

Abstract: A method, mechanism and computer usable medium is provided for distributing I/O fabric errors to the appropriate root nodes in a multi-root environment. The case where the I/O fabric is attached to more than one root node and where each root can potentially share with the other roots the I/O adapter (IOA) resources which are attached to the I/O is addressed. Additionally, a method, mechanism and computer usable medium is provided by which errors detected in an I/O fabric may be routed to all root nodes which may be affected by the error, while not being reported to the root nodes that will not be affected by those errors. In particular, distributed computing system which uses the PCI Express protocol to communicate over the I/O fabric is addressed.

Abstract: A mechanism, method and computer usable medium is provided for each root node of a multiple root node system and its own independent address space. This mechanism also allows multiple system images within the same root node to have their own independent address spaces. A mechanism is also provided for incorporating legacy root node and input/output adapters that are non-aware of the mechanisms introduced by this invention. Input/ output adapters which implement this invention may also have the number of functions that they support greatly expanded beyond the present eight functions per input/output adapter.

Abstract: Multiple logical partitions are provided access to a self-virtualizing input/output device of a data processing system via multiple dedicated partition adjunct instances.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method, apparatus, and computer usable program code are disclosed for migrating a virtual adapter from a source physical adapter to a destination physical adapter in a data processing system where multiple host computer systems share multiple adapters and communicate with those adapters through a PCI switched-fabric bus. The virtual adapter is first caused to stop processing transactions. All in-flight transactions that are associated with the virtual adapter are then captured. The configuration information that defines the virtual adapter is moved from the source physical adapter to the destination physical adapter. The in-flight transactions are then restored to their original locations on the destination virtual adapter. The virtual adapter is then restarted on the destination physical adapter such that the virtual adapter begins processing transactions.

Abstract: A method and apparatus is provided for routing error messages in a distributed computer system comprising multiple root nodes, and further comprising one or more PCI switches and one or more I/O adapters, wherein each root node includes one or more system images. In one useful embodiment, a method is provided for routing I/O error messages to root nodes respectively associated with the errors contained in the messages. The method includes detecting occurrence of an error at a specified one of the adapters, wherein the error affects one of the system images, and generating an error message at the specified adapter. The method further comprises routing the error message from the specified adapter to the particular root node that includes the affected system image. The error message is then selectively processed at the particular root node, in order to identify the affected system image.

Abstract: Method and system for address routing in a distributed computing system, such as a distributed computing system that uses PCI Express protocol to communicate over an I/O fabric. A destination identifier is provided to identify a physical or virtual host or end point. When a physical or virtual host or end point receives a PCI data packet it compares a list of source identifiers with destination identifiers to determine if a source identifier included in the transaction packet is associated with a destination identifier included in the transaction packet to determine if the transaction packet has a valid association. If the transaction packet has a valid association, it is routed to the target device. The present invention enables each host that attaches to PCI bridges or switches and shares a set of common PCI devices to have its own PCI 64-bit address space and enables the routing of PCI transaction packets between multiple hosts and adapters, through a PCI switched-fabric bus using a destination identifier.

Abstract: Resources of a server node are logically divided into a plurality of sets of resources. At least one set of resources is assigned to one or more client nodes. The association of the at least one set of resources with the one or more client nodes is via a data structure stored at the server node. The data structure is provided by a trusted agent over a communications medium coupling the server node and the one or more client nodes. It includes information that indicates the resources accessible by the client nodes. To access the information, an identifier, also provided by a trusted agent, is employed.