Abstract: Apparatuses, methods, program products, and systems are presented for guided cable management. An apparatus includes a cable module that detects a first end of a cable installed at a port of a first node, a first port module that determines whether the cable that is installed at the port is an expected cable for the port based on a cable mapping table, and a first indicator module that triggers a visual indicator at the port to visually confirm that the cable is the expected cable for the port. The apparatus includes a second port module that determines a port of a second node where a second end of the cable is expected to be installed and a second indicator module that triggers a visual indicator at the port to visually indicate that the second end of the cable is expected to be installed in the port.

Abstract: Apparatuses, methods, program products, and systems are presented for guided cable management. An apparatus includes a cable module that detects a first end of a cable installed at a port of a first node, a first port module that determines whether the cable that is installed at the port is an expected cable for the port based on a cable mapping table, and a first indicator module that triggers a visual indicator at the port to visually confirm that the cable is the expected cable for the port. The apparatus includes a second port module that determines a port of a second node where a second end of the cable is expected to be installed and a second indicator module that triggers a visual indicator at the port to visually indicate that the second end of the cable is expected to be installed in the port.

Abstract: A method and system for communication in a system area network (SAN) data processing system are described. The SAN includes a plurality of interconnected nodes that each have at least one port for communication. To avoid communication-induced errors that may arise, for example, if multiple nodes share the same node ID, the port of a node in the SAN is marked as “fenced” to prevent transmission of packets of a first traffic type while permitting transmission of packets of a second traffic type. The marking of the port may be recorded, for example, in a configuration register of the port. While the port is fenced, only packets of other than the first traffic type are routed via the port. In one preferred embodiment, the second traffic type represents SAN configuration traffic, and the first traffic type represents non-configuration traffic.

Abstract: A method and system for communication in a system area network (SAN) data processing system are described. The SAN includes a plurality of interconnected nodes that each have at least one port for communication. To avoid communication-induced errors that may arise, for example, if multiple nodes share the same node ID, the port of a node in the SAN is marked as “fenced” to prevent transmission of packets of a first traffic type while permitting transmission of packets of a second traffic type. The marking of the port may be recorded, for example, in a configuration register of the port. While the port is fenced, only packets of other than the first traffic type are routed via the port. In one preferred embodiment, the second traffic type represents SAN configuration traffic, and the first traffic type represents non-configuration traffic.

Abstract: In a computer system that includes multiple physical enclosures, an enclosure includes a non-volatile memory that includes bus numbering information for its own buses as well as bus numbering information for one or more of its neighbors. In the preferred implementation, all enclosures include a non-volatile memory that includes bus numbering information for its own buses and for both of its neighbors. This creates a distributed database of the interconnection topology for the computer system. Because an enclosure contains bus numbering information about its neighbor enclosure(s), the bus numbers for the buses in the physical enclosures are made persistent across numerous different system reconfigurations. The preferred embodiments also include a bus number manager that reads the non-volatile memories in the physical enclosures during initial program load (i.e.