International Business Machines Corporation

Ashwini Kulkarni

Gordon David McIntosh

Alongkorn Kitamorn

David R Willoughby

Michael Anthony Perez

George John Dawkins

Kanisha Patel

Gary Lee Ruzek

Van Hoa Lee

David Lee Randall

Douglas Wayne Oliver

Steven Vongvibool

Mark Elliott Hack

Shaival Jagdishbhai Chokshi

Thi Ngoc Tran

A method, apparatus, and computer instructions for processing trace data in a logical partitioned data processing system. A partition causing an exception is identified in response to detecting the exception. The partition is one within a set of partitions in the logical partitioned data processing system. The trace data for the identified partition is stored in an error log or other data structure for a machine check interrupt handler.

Apparatus to preserve trace data

A method, system, and computer program product in a logical partitioned data processing system are disclosed for providing a host bridge that implements extended error handling (EEH). If all devices coupled to the host bridge implement EEH, the host bridge is initialized to operate in EEH mode. In EEH mode, the devices handle any error that occurs within the devices without reporting the error to the host bridge. All partitions that share the host bridge continue to operate without being terminated while the devices are handling the error. If at least one device does not implement EEH, the host bridge is initialized to operate in non-EEH mode. In non-EEH mode, a machine check is generated by the host bridge when an error occurs within one of the devices resulting in the termination of all partitions that share the host bridge in response to a receipt of the machine check.

Method, system, and product for providing extended error handling capability in host bridges

A method, apparatus, and computer instructions for preserving trace data in a logical partitioned data processing system. A call is received from a partition in a plurality of partitions to register a buffer in the partition for the trace data. The call includes a pointer to the buffer. The buffer is associated with a trace routine in platform firmware. The trace routine stores the trace data for calls made by the partition to the platform firmware in the buffer.

Method and apparatus for preserving trace data in a logical partitioned data processing system

Method and apparatus to preserve trace data

A method, apparatus, and computer instructions for recovering terminated partitions in a logical partitioned data processing system. A termination of a partition in a set of partitions associated with a host bridge in the logical partitioned data processing system is detected. The state of other partitions within the set of partitions is checked in response to detecting the termination. A recovery process is initiated if all partitions in the set of partitions have terminated. Input/output slots associated with the host bridge are reset to a normal state if the recovery process is successful. The set of partitions is rebooted after resetting the input/output slots associated with the host bridge without rebooting the logical partitioned data processing system.

Method and apparatus for recovery of partitions in a logical partitioned data processing system

A method, system, and computer program product are disclosed for improving isolation of I/O errors in logical partitioned data processing systems. A machine check is generated that indicates that an I/O error has occurred in the system. The PCI host bridge (PHB) that generated the machine check is identified. The system includes multiple PHBs, each with its own set of slots. Some of these slots may be enabled for enhanced error handling while others of them are not. The adapters that are not enabled for enhanced error handling and that are coupled to the PHB that generated the machine check are identified. It is then determined that the I/O error occurred in at least one of these slots that are not enabled for enhanced error handling.

Method, system, and product for improving isolation of input/output errors in logically partitioned data processing systems

A method, apparatus, and computer instructions for reporting errors occurring in a data processing system. Responsive to an error occurring in a host bridge in the data processing system, a determination is made as to whether a device required for generating an error report is located below the host bridge. Responsive to the device required for generating an error report being located below a host bridge, the host bridge is isolated from other portions of the data processing system, wherein only a processor analyzing the error is able to access the host bridge. An error reporting process is performed. The error reporting process is able to access the host bridge and the device.

Apparatus for reporting and isolating errors below a host bridge

A interrupt is generated for all processors in a multiprocessor system when a critical datapath experiences an error. Serialization code in the interrupt handling routine for that interrupt suspends all processors except one and places the suspended processors in a waiting queue while the one processor handles the error. After the error has been handled, the remaining processors are allow to execute the interrupt handler, which simply exits detecting no error.

Critical datapath error handling in a multiprocessor architecture

A method, apparatus, and computer instructions for processing errors in a hierarchical input/output sub-system having an input/output bridge with a plurality of hardware devices in a level below the bridge. A value is read from a selected register to form a read value in response to detecting an error. The selected register is reset. Each bit in the read value associated with the error is cleared to form a cleared value. The cleared value is written into the selected register such that errors occurring since the register was cleared are preserved. The error registers below the bridge are scanned in response to an absence of an error being detected in a bridge within the input/output sub-system. A determination is made as to whether the error has previously occurred in response to a presence of an error being found by scanning the registers below the bridge. The error is reported in response to an absence of a determination that the error has previously occurred.

Method and apparatus for analyzing hardware errors in a logical partitioned data processing system

A method, apparatus, and computer instructions for halting input/output error propagation in the logically partitioned data processing system. All components associated with the bridge are identified to form a set of failed components in response to detecting an error state in a bridge within a set of bridges in the logical partitioned data processing system. An identification of the failed components is stored in which the identification is used by each partition during a boot process.

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Austin, TX, United States of America

Ashwini Kulkarni