Out-of-band Network Reconfigures Bus Interface Port

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing systems lack efficient methods to reconfigure a node's connection to a bus without disrupting other devices when a server cannot connect to a PCIe bus, necessitating manual intervention or affecting other nodes.

Innovation Solution

A computer program product and method utilize an out-of-band network to coordinate reconfiguration of a bus interface port, allowing a secondary node to reconnect by sending a join request and reconfiguring the bus hardware without affecting other nodes, enabling automatic failover and reconnection.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If manual intervention is used to reconfigure a bus interface port, then connection reliability is improved, but operational complexity and time consumption increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveconnection reliabilityVSAvoidoperational complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The system enables automatic self-diagnosis and self-reconfiguration when a bus interface port fails. The first node automatically detects the link status failure, initiates reconfiguration of the bus interface port, and restores connectivity without requiring administrator intervention, making the system serve itself

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

2Reliability

If the bus is reconfigured to restore a failed connection, then connection reliability is improved, but other nodes on the bus may be affected

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveconnection reliabilityVSAvoiddisruption to other nodes

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The reconfiguration operation is localized to only the affected bus interface port and its associated hardware resources. The first node identifies and reconfigures only the specific port experiencing link status failure, leaving other ports and nodes on the bus unchanged and unaffected by the reconfiguration process

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

3Ease of operation

If automatic reconfiguration is implemented, then ease of operation is improved, but system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveautomatic reconnectionVSAvoidsystem complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

An out-of-band communication channel serves as an intermediary between nodes for coordinating reconfiguration operations. This separate communication path allows nodes to exchange reconfiguration requests and status information without interfering with the primary bus operations, managing complexity through dedicated communication protocols

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentUS10567215B2Using an out-of-band network to reconfigure a bus interface port

Publication Date: 2020.02.18 INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINE CORPORATION

AI summary

Provided are a computer program product, system, and method for using an out-of-band network to coordinate a first node reconfiguring a bus interface port used by a second node to communicate on a bus. The first node configures the bus to enable the second node to link to the bus. The second node sends a join request to the first node over an out-of-band network separate from the bus in response to determining that the second node cannot join the bus. The first node reconfigures the bus to enable the second node to communicate on the bus in response to receiving the join request from the second node over the out-of-band network.