International Business Machines Corporation

Daniel Ray Spach

Elizabeth A McGlone

Curtis Carl Wollbrink

Ronald Ernest Freking

Joseph Kinman Lee

Prasanna Srinivasan

Darren Paul Umstead

Techniques for broadcasting a command in a distributed switch, at a first switch module within the distributed switch. Embodiments receive a request to reset a PCIe link for a first host device, the first host device connected to a plurality of downstream PCIe devices through the distributed switch. A routing table specifying a plurality of downstream switch modules, connected to the first switch modules by one or more ports of the first switch module, is identified. Embodiments suspend PCIe traffic for the first host device on the one or more ports of the first switch module. Broadcast messages are transmitted to the plurality of downstream switch modules, specifying a first reset operation. Upon receiving an acknowledgement message from each of the plurality of downstream switch modules specified in the routing table, embodiments resume PCIe traffic for the first host device on the one or more ports.

Broadcast for a distributed switch network

Each PCIe device may include a media access control (MAC) interface and a physical (PHY) interface that support a plurality of different lane configurations. These interfaces may include hardware modules that support 1&#xd7;32, 2&#xd7;16, 4&#xd7;8, 8&#xd7;4, 16&#xd7;2, and 32&#xd7;1 communication. Instead of physically connecting each of the hardware modules in the MAC interface to respective hardware modules in the PHY interface using dedicated traces, the device may include two bus controllers that arbitrate which hardware modules are connected to a internal bus coupling the two interfaces. When a different lane configuration is desired, the bus controller couples the corresponding hardware module to the internal bus. In this manner, the different lane configurations share the same lanes (and wires) of the bus as the other lane configurations. Accordingly, the shared bus only needs to include enough lanes (and wires) necessary to accommodate the widest lane configuration.

Versatile lane configuration using a PCIe PIE-8 interface

The standard hot-plug controller (SHPC) specification may be used to generate PCI messages in a distributed switch to disconnect and/or connect virtual hierarchies of an endpoint from hosts that are connected based on multi-root input/output virtualization (MR-IOV). A management controller may instruct a SHPC to generate a PCI packet that specifies a particular virtual hierarchy to disconnect from a particular host. An upstream port connected to the host and the SHPC receives the PCI packet and uses a header that identifies the virtual endpoint in the packet to index into a routing table to identify a downstream port in the distributed switch that is connected to the endpoint. Once the PCI packet traverses the switch and arrives at the downstream port, the downstream port changes routing logic which logically disconnects the host from the specified virtual hierarchy.

Using a PCI standard hot plug controller to modify the hierarchy of a distributed switch

Versatile lane configuration using a PCIe PIe-8 interface

Method, circuit, and system for performing an operation for regulating bandwidth, the operation comprising receiving at a memory, debug data packets and functional data packets for transmittal on a shared bus. The operation then transmits, via the shared bus, the functional data packets and one or more of the debug data packets according to a predefined ratio of debug data packets to functional data packets. The operation then drops one or more of the received debug data packets at the memory, and maintains a count of the one or more dropped debug data packets. The operation then updates the predefined ratio based on the count, and uses the updated predefined ratio to transmit the functional data packets and one or more of the debug data packets.

Bandwidth limiting on generated PCIe packets from debug source

Bandwidth limiting on generated PCIE packets from debug source

A wireless system that detects the presence of a child in a safety seat located in the passenger cabin of a vehicle includes a controller responsive to signals generated by sensors monitoring predefined functions of the vehicle, RFID tag device attached to the safety seat and RFID tag reader mounted in the cabin. The system generates control signals which activate an alarm, open the doors of the vehicle and roll down windows if the child is left in the safety seat of an unattended vehicle.

Growing community of inventors

Pittsboro, NC, United States of America

Daniel Ray Spach