Hypervisor Interrupt Migration for I/O Adapter Reconfiguration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current server-class systems face limitations in configuration flexibility and reconfiguration due to the complex handling of interrupts across multiple layers of hardware and software configurations, particularly when migrating logical partitions from one I/O adapter to another, which requires complete reconfiguration and loss of interrupt mappings.
Innovation Solution
The method involves a hypervisor collecting interrupt mapping information, configuring the destination I/O adapter with this information, placing both adapters in an error state, deconfiguring the source adapter, and enabling the logical partition and destination adapter to recover, thereby maintaining logical interrupt source numbers and updating mappings without complete reconfiguration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If complete reconfiguration is performed when migrating logical partitions between I/O adapters, then system reliability is maintained, but configuration flexibility and reconfiguration ability are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The hypervisor collects interrupt mapping information from the source I/O adapter before migration occurs. This preliminary collection of mapping data allows the destination I/O adapter to be pre-configured with the correct interrupt mappings, eliminating the need for complete reconfiguration during the migration process and thus maintaining both reliability and flexibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The hypervisor acts as an intermediary that facilitates the migration process. It collects interrupt mapping information, configures the destination adapter, manages the error state transition, and coordinates the deconfiguration of the source adapter. This intermediary role enables seamless migration without requiring complete reconfiguration, resolving the contradiction between reliability and configuration flexibility.
2Adaptability or versatility
If interrupt mapping information is collected and transferred during migration, then configuration flexibility is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts only the essential interrupt mapping information from the source I/O adapter and transfers it to the destination adapter. By taking out only the necessary mapping data rather than transferring complete adapter configurations, the system achieves configuration flexibility while minimizing the complexity increase that would result from transferring all adapter state information.
3Adaptability or versatility
If migration process places adapters in error state, then reconfiguration ability is improved, but loss of time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The hypervisor collects interrupt mapping information and configures the destination I/O adapter with this information before placing the adapters in the error state. This preliminary preparation eliminates the need for time-consuming reconfiguration operations during the error state transition, thereby improving reconfiguration ability while minimizing the time loss associated with the migration process.
Data Source
AI summary
Migrating interrupts from a source I/O adapter of a computing system to a destination I/O adapter of the computing system, includes: collecting, by a hypervisor of the computing system, interrupt mapping information, where the hypervisor supports operation of a logical partition executing and the logical partition is configured to receive interrupts from the source I/O adapter; configuring, by the hypervisor, the destination I/O adapter with the interrupt mapping information collected by the hypervisor; placing, by the hypervisor, the destination I/O adapter and the source I/O in an error state; deconfiguring the source I/O adapter from the logical partition; and enabling the logical partition and destination I/O adapter to recover from the error state.