Stratus Technologies Bermuda Ltd.

A Charles Suffin

Paul Joyce

Joseph S Amato

A fault-tolerant maintenance bus protocol and method for using the same enables communication between a command module located on a parent maintenance bus and a plurality of subsystem components joined together on a child maintenance bus. The child maintenance bus is interconnected to a bridge assembly that directs messages formatted in the protocol between the subsystem components and the command module through the bridge. The protocol includes a command message structure that uniquely addresses the bridge assembly. It also includes a command string, a command data string for communicating with one of the subsystem components and a command error-checking string. A response message structure is generated by the bridge in response to a command message. The response message uniquely addresses the command module. It includes error and status strings with respect to execution of the command message, a response data string for communicating with the command module and a response error-checking string.

Fault-tolerant maintenance bus protocol and method for using the same

A method for deterministically booting a computer system having redundant components includes the step of selecting hardware and software components. The selected components are booted in a manner consistent with traditional computer systems. If the boot fails, a different set of components is selected and an attempt is made to boot those components traditionally. In one embodiment, the hardware and software components are a processor and an input/output controller. A corresponding apparatus is also discussed.

Method and apparatus for deterministically booting a computer system having redundant components

A fault-tolerant maintenance bus architecture provides dual maintenance buses interconnecting each of a plurality of parent circuit boards. The two maintenance buses are each connected to a pair of system management modules (SMMs) that are configured to perform a variety of maintenance bus activities. Within each parent board are a pair of redundant bridges each having a unique address. One bridge is connected to the first maintenance bus while a second bridge is connected to the second maintenance bus of the pair. A child maintenance bus interconnects the two bridges one a child circuit board. The child maintenance bus is itself interconnected with a variety of monitor and control to functions on maintenance bus-compatible subsystem components. The SMMs can address components on each child board individually and receive appropriate responses therefrom. In the event of a bus failure, the other bus can still communicate with child subsystem components via the unaffected bridge.

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West Boylston, MA, United States of America

A Charles Suffin