Platform Independent Fault Management via Firmware PRI
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing fault management systems in computer systems require pre-programmed knowledge of hardware topology, limiting their ability to diagnose errors accurately across different architectures without additional information.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that generate a physical resource inventory (PRI) in firmware, defining a hierarchy of hardware components, which is traversed by a fault manager to create a topology for fault management, allowing for platform-independent error diagnosis and correction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If fault management systems use pre-programmed hardware topology information, then fault diagnosis can be performed, but the system cannot adapt to different hardware architectures without reprogramming
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs self-service by automatically generating the physical resource inventory and hardware topology through firmware enumeration of actual hardware components, eliminating the need for manual pre-programming of hardware information. The firmware dynamically discovers and records the hardware configuration, allowing the same operating system to adapt to different architectures without reprogramming.
2Reliability
If the operating system is pre-programmed with hardware-specific information, then fault management can be implemented, but the same software cannot diagnose errors across different processor architectures
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary action by generating the physical resource inventory and hardware topology before fault diagnosis occurs. The firmware enumerates all hardware components and their relationships in advance, creating a dynamic representation of the actual hardware configuration. This preliminary hardware discovery enables the fault management system to accurately diagnose errors on any platform without needing platform-specific pre-programming.
3Measurement precision
If fault management requires platform-specific programming, then accurate error diagnosis can be achieved, but additional information and reprogramming are needed for each new hardware architecture
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements universality by creating a platform-independent fault management solution. The firmware enumeration process universally discovers hardware components regardless of architecture, and the generated physical resource inventory serves as a universal data structure that works across different processor architectures. The same fault management software can diagnose errors on any platform without reprogramming, achieving both precision and efficiency.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for fault management. The method includes generating, in firmware of a computer system, a physical resource inventory (PRI) of a plurality of hardware components of the computer system, wherein the PRI defines a hierarchy of the hardware components. The method further includes traversing, by an enumerator executing in a fault manager, the PRI to generate a topology of the plurality of hardware components. The topology is used for fault management of the computer system.