BIOS Dependency Lists for Dynamic Server Device Addition and Removal
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current device hot-plugging technologies face challenges in dynamically adding and removing devices due to complex dependency relationships between server components, with existing methods failing to accurately manage these dependencies, leading to potential disruptions and inefficiencies in server operations.
Innovation Solution
A method and apparatus for device dynamic addition and removal processing that utilize dependency relationship lists to determine the state of basic device units, ensuring that devices are added or removed in a manner that maintains system stability and avoids circular dependencies, by obtaining and analyzing dynamic addition and removal dependency lists through the BIOS using ACPI and DSM methods.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If device hot-plugging is implemented to enable dynamic capacity expansion and error processing, then server flexibility and reliability are improved, but system complexity increases due to dependency relationships between devices
Solution Approach 1:
The BIOS performs preliminary actions by pre-establishing dependency relationship lists that map all devices dependent on a target device before hot-plugging operations. This allows the OS to query and understand the full dependency structure in advance, enabling proper sequencing of device addition/removal operations without complex runtime analysis
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary mechanism where the BIOS acts as a mediator between the hardware platform and the OS. The BIOS translates hardware dependency relationships into structured data (dependency relationship lists) that the OS can process, simplifying the interface and reducing the complexity burden on the OS while maintaining accurate device dependency tracking
2Measurement precision
If dependency relationship lists are used to manage device dependencies, then device addition and removal accuracy is improved, but information processing overhead increases
Solution Approach 1:
The dependency relationship information is segmented into two distinct parts: (1) dependency relationship lists established by the BIOS that map device dependencies, and (2) device state information maintained by the OS. This segmentation allows each component to handle only its specialized data, reducing redundant processing and information overhead while maintaining precise dependency tracking
3Reliability
If comprehensive dependency checking is performed before device removal, then system stability is maintained, but operation time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The BIOS performs preliminary action by pre-calculating and storing complete dependency relationship lists before any hot-plugging operation. When a device removal is requested, the system simply queries the pre-existing lists to determine affected devices, avoiding time-consuming runtime analysis while ensuring comprehensive dependency checking for system stability
Data Source
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AI summary
Embodiments of the present invention disclose a method and an apparatus for device dynamic addition processing, and a method and an apparatus for device dynamic removal processing. A dynamic addition dependency relationship list may be obtained from a BIOS, and dynamic addition processing is performed on a certain device to be dynamically added, according to the dynamic addition dependency relationship list; a user is prompted to dynamically add the target device, and when there is a certain device to be dynamically removed, a dynamic removal dependency relationship list and a dynamic addition dependency relationship list of a corresponding device may be obtained from the BIOS as needed, and dynamic removal analysis and processing are performed according to the combination of the dynamic removal dependency relationship list and dynamic addition dependency relationship list of the corresponding device, so as to prompt the user to dynamically remove the target device. With the present invention, a device dynamic addition dependency relationship list may be returned through the BIOS, thereby better implementing device dynamic removal processing.