I/O Device Safe Mode Boot Recovery
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Solution Overview
Problem
Devices such as network interface cards (NICs) that require more resources than available on the platform often fail to boot, leading to high maintenance costs and long recovery times, especially in geographically distributed systems, as conventional safe mode operation is not available, necessitating physical removal and replacement by technicians.
Innovation Solution
A method where a device detects misconfiguration during startup and autonomously transitions to a safe mode operation, requiring minimal resources, allowing the system to boot, by modifying its configuration and communicating this change to the host via a bus reset event, enabling independent recovery without physical intervention.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a device requires more resources than available on the platform, then the device can provide enhanced functionality, but the system fails to boot and requires physical intervention for recovery
Solution Approach 1:
The device dynamically adjusts its resource requirements by transitioning between full functionality mode and safe mode. When resource conflicts are detected during boot, the device automatically reduces its resource allocation requirements, allowing the system to boot successfully. This dynamic adaptation resolves the contradiction by making device functionality adjustable rather than fixed.
Solution Approach 2:
The device changes operational parameters by modifying its configuration state between full functionality and safe mode. By detecting resource allocation failures during boot and switching to safe mode with reduced resource requirements, the device enables system recovery without physical intervention, directly addressing the ease of operation issue while preserving the ability to provide enhanced functionality when resources are available.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a device requires more resources than available on the platform, then the device can provide enhanced functionality, but maintenance costs and recovery time increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The device performs self-diagnosis and self-recovery by detecting resource allocation failures during boot and autonomously transitioning to safe mode. This self-service capability eliminates the need for technician intervention in most cases, dramatically reducing recovery time and associated maintenance costs while preserving the device's ability to provide enhanced functionality when resources permit.
Solution Approach 2:
The device performs preliminary resource detection during the boot process before full operation begins. By identifying resource conflicts early and proactively switching to safe mode, the device prevents complete system failure and minimizes downtime, addressing both the loss of time and maintenance cost issues.
3Adaptability or versatility
If a device requires more resources than available on the platform, then the device can provide enhanced functionality, but the system complexity and difficulty of management increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the complexity of resource management from the system administrator by implementing automatic detection and adaptive configuration within the device itself. The device independently determines whether to operate in full functionality mode or safe mode based on available resources, removing the need for complex manual configuration and simplifying system management while preserving enhanced functionality when applicable.
Data Source
AI summary
A startup sequence in a computer system is initiated by detecting a bus reset event in an I/O device connected to a host, and responsively to the bus reset event communicating resources required to be allocated by the host. When a startup command from a host driver is not received within a predetermined bus reset count, the device autonomously changes its current configuration to a safe mode configuration, wherein fewer resources are required to be allocated relative to the current configuration. The safe mode configuration is communicated from the device to the host.