International Business Machines Corporation

Constantine Gavrilov

Alex Friedman

Lior Chen

Gregory Etelson

Leah Shalev

Zorik Machulsky

Alexander Snast

Artemy Voikhansky

Ari Zigler

Alex Snast

Leonid Chernin

Eli Koren

Ilya Tkachevsky

Aharon Novogrodski

Baruch Even

Jonathan Amit

Rivka Mayraz Matosevich

Sergey Marenkov

Osnat Shasha

Ehood Garmiza

Asaf Porat-Stoler

Jonathan Fischer-Toubol

Christopher M Dennett

Daniel Gan-Levi

Afief Halumi

Shlomit Neufeld

Alexander Guller

A method and system may reconstruct data in a smart storage array where upon detection of data inconsistency, an application of the system is notified and affected data strips are rebuilt. When an initiator detects stripe corruption, the initiator may report the strip corruption to storage. The storage may lock the strip for I/O operations. Initiators may determine recovery scenarios for rebuilding the data strips and send the scenarios to storage. At storage, initiator replies may be collected, and a rebuild option with the highest votes may be automatically determined for a reconstruction operation. Once the reconstruction operation is completed, the rebuilt stripe may be unlocked and data operations may recommence.

Reconstructing data in a smart storage array

A mechanism is provided in a data processing system comprising at least one processor and at least one memory, the at least one memory comprising instructions that are executed by the at least one processor and configure the at least one processor to implement a device context device driver for forced detaching of an application from mapped devices. The device context device driver receives a command to detach an application, wherein the command specifies a process descriptor associated with the application. The device context device driver identifies a plurality of matching device context entries in a list of open device contexts maintained by the device context device driver that match the process descriptor. The device context device driver marks the plurality of matching device context entries as detached. The device context device driver invalidates mapped memory areas associated with the plurality of matching device context entries. The device context device driver shuts down all device contexts associated with the plurality of matching device context entries.

Forced detaching of applications from DMA-capable PCI mapped devices

A computer-implemented method according to one aspect includes determining whether an operating system of a node of a distributed computing environment is functioning correctly by sending a first management query to the node; in response to determining that the operating system of the node is not functioning correctly, determining whether the node has an active communication link by sending a second management query to ports associated with the node; and in response to determining that the node has an active communication link, resetting the active communication link for the node by sending a reset request to the ports associated with the node.

Fencing non-responding ports in a network fabric

Methods that can boot a target computing device and/or target computing system from a checkpoint image for the target computing device and/or target computing system generated at a source computing system are disclosed herein. One method includes generating, by a processor on a source computing system, a checkpoint image for a target computing device and distributing the checkpoint image from the source computing system to the target computing device. Here, the checkpoint image is stored in the host computing system and is configured to enable the target computing device to restore itself from the checkpoint image and the source computing system and the target computing device are separate computing entities. Apparatus, systems, and computer program products that can include, perform, and/or implement the methods are also disclosed herein.

Apparatus, systems, and methods for booting from a checkpoint image

A processor initiates an execution of a network driver in a first node comprising a master node of a plurality of nodes in a switchless network. The network driver configures the plurality of nodes and service level in the switchless network by transmitting management datagrams from the master node, wherein the management datagrams include an attribute that allows the management datagrams to be propagated among the plurality of nodes of the switchless network without being terminated at host channel adapters of the plurality of nodes.

Configuration mechanisms in a switchless network

Provided are a method, a system, and a computer program product in which a switchless network is maintained. A processor discovers a plurality of nodes in the switchless network by requesting and receiving port information and node information in association with an attribute that allows datagrams to be propagated among the plurality of nodes of the switchless network without being terminated at host channel adapters of the plurality of nodes.

Node discovery mechanisms in a switchless network

Mechanisms are provided for implementing intelligent input/output (I/O) operation completion modes in a high-speed network. An application thread executing on a central processing unit in the data processing system, receives a first indication to enter a mode of operation. The application thread enters the mode of operation, arms an arm file descriptor, and processes further completions that enter the completion queue until a second indication is received indicating that the mode is to be exited. Responsive to receiving the second indication to exit the mode, the application thread exits the mode of operation and disarms the arm file descriptor.

Intelligent input/output operation completion modes in a high-speed network

Apparatuses, methods, systems, and program products are disclosed for resetting a peripheral device. An apparatus includes a disconnect module that detaches each of one or more device contexts from a peripheral device in response to a reset request for the peripheral device. Each of the one or more device contexts describes a connection between the peripheral device and a process. An apparatus includes an access module that prevents the one or more device contexts for one or more processes from accessing the peripheral device. An apparatus includes a reset module that resets the peripheral device in response to the one or more device contexts being detached from the peripheral device.

Resetting a peripheral device

An apparatus for detecting a degraded grid controller includes a status module that collects for individual grid controllers in a grid array a status update comprising a keepalive status and a connectivity indicator and/or a pending transaction indicator between pairs of the individual grid controllers. The apparatus also includes a responsiveness module that determines a responsiveness indicator for a particular grid controller based on the keepalive status and the connectivity indicator and/or the pending transaction indicator of the particular grid controller. The apparatus further includes a configuration module that removes the particular grid controller of the individual grid controllers from use in the grid array in response to the responsiveness module determining that the responsiveness indicator of the particular grid controller indicates that the particular grid controller is degraded. A method and a system for detecting a degraded grid controller perform similar functions to those of the apparatus.

Apparatus, method, system for detecting a degraded grid controller

Methods and systems for transaction fencing in a multi-domain network are provided. A system for providing transaction fencing in a multi-domain network includes an error identification module that identifies a communication error between a source domain and a destination node. The communication error is associated with a connection in a plurality of connections between a plurality of domains. Additionally, the system includes a tearing module that disconnects the destination node from the plurality of domains and clears outstanding transactions associated with the destination node in the plurality of domains. Further, the system includes a connection enable module that enables connections between the plurality of domains and the destination node.

Transaction fencing in a multi-domain network

A plurality of nodes are maintained in a switchless network, wherein each of the plurality of nodes has at least one host channel adapter for communication. A management datagram that indicates source to destination routes for communication in the plurality of nodes is provided. An attribute is configured in the management datagram to allow the management datagram to be propagated among the plurality of nodes of the switchless network without being terminated at host channel adapters.

Method, system, and computer program product for configuring an attribute for propagating management datagrams in a switchless network

A computer program product, system, and method are provided for upgrading a kernel or kernel module with a configured persistent memory. A persistent memory space is configured in the memory to store application data from applications in user mode. A kernel executing in the memory is prevented from accessing the persistent memory space. A service is called to load an updated kernel in the memory to replace the kernel, wherein the applications have access to the persistent memory space after the updated kernel is loaded. The service may comprise a kernel execution mechanism that directly loads the updated kernel into the memory without a full reboot of the computer system. An extended memory kernel service may be loaded during a boot operation to reserve the persistent memory space as an extended memory space for use by the applications and prevent the kernel from accessing the persistent memory space.

Upgrading a kernel or kernel module with a configured persistent memory unused by the kernel

A mechanism is provided in a data processing system comprising at least one processor and at least one memory, the at least one memory comprising instructions that are executed by the at least one processor and configure the at least one processor to implement a replication protocol for replicating memory from an initiator to a target. The initiator requests one or more pages of memory at the target. Responsive to the initiator receiving a page advertisement from the target, the initiator updates a list of pages at the initiator. The list of pages is replicated at the target. The initiator performs a remote direct memory access (RDMA) write to the one or more pages of memory at the target. Responsive to successful completion of the RDMA write, the initiator updates the list of pages at the initiator. Upon completion of the RDMA write the list of pages is updated at the target.

Persistent memory replication in RDMA-capable networks

Communication of a node is maintained in a switchless network via point-to-point connections of a plurality of nodes having a plurality of ports. Address Resolution Protocol (ARP) announces are performed, via a virtual network device of the node, periodically or in response to an occurrence of a change in the node, for communications among the plurality of nodes in the switchless network.

Method, system, and computer program product for a network device in switchless networks

Remotely debugging a non-responsive operating system (OS) of a computer system. Central processing units (CPUs) in a computer system are bound to receive queues of a network adapter. Interrupts for a CPU is disabled, wherein the CPU is not available to process hardware interrupt requests queued in the bound receive queues. A debugging message including debugging commands is received by the network adapter, wherein the debugging message is stored in a first receive queue of the network adapter bound to a first CPU. If the first CPU is available, the debugging commands in the debugging message stored in the first of the one or more receive queues of the network adapter are identified by a debugger of the computer system. The identified debugging commands are executed by the CPU to debug the non-responsive OS of the computer system.

Growing community of inventors

Rishon-Le-Zion, Israel

Constantine Gavrilov