International Business Machines Corporation

David E Whitney

Ronald Morton Smith, Sr

Scott M Carlson

Dennis J Dahlen

Donald Crabtree

Denise M Sevigny

Michel H T Hack

David Arlen Elko

Beth A Glendening

Judith A Wierbowski

Noshir R Dhondy

Jeffrey Paul Kubala

Georgette L Kurdt

Thomas B Mathias

Ira Glenn Siegel

A protocol for communicating with the timing facility used in a data processing network to provide synchronization is provided via the execution of a machine instruction that accepts a plurality of commands. The interaction is provided through the use of message request blocks and their associated message response blocks. In this way timing parameters may be determined, modified and communicated. This makes it much easier for multiple servers or nodes in a data processing network to exist as a coordinated timing network and to thus more cooperatively operate on the larger yet identical data files.

Channel subsystem server time protocol commands

In a networked data processing system, the updating of timing parameters is carried out via a process in which the detection of the loss of communications with the network is not immediately employed as an indication of parameter invalidity but rather the process employs a system specific delay which permits actions such as server or link recovery to occur without necessitating the declaration of timing parameter invalidity.

Coordinated timing network configuration parameter update procedure

A timing network is provided that includes a plurality of servers. The servers of the network obtain information used to maintain the servers in time synchronization, thus ensuring the integrity of the servers.

Definition of an active stratum-1 server in a coordinated timing network

Recovery is provided in a timing network. A configuration is defined for that network, and in that configuration, an active primary server is identified that provides a clock source for the network. Additionally, an alternate server is identified that can perform the role of the active primary server, should the active primary server fail. In response to a failure of the primary server, the alternate server detects the failure and performs takeover of the primary server.

Facilitating recovery in a coordinated timing network

Facilitating synchronization of servers in a coordinated timing network

Channel subsystem server time protocol commands and system therefor

A method and apparatus for synchronizing selected logical partitions of a partitioned information handling system to a test datesource. A system operator is presented with a display panel in which the operator may specify a set of test partitions and a test clock value. Each partition designated as a test partition is synchronized to the test clock value upon being newly activated, while production partitions are synchronized to a production clock value. The first test partition to be newly activated is synchronized to the test clock value by calculating the difference between the test clock value and a host clock value and storing the difference as an epoch offset for that partition. Each subsequently activated test partition is synchronized to the test clock value by copying the epoch offset of the previously activated test partition.

Method and apparatus for synchronizing selected logical partitions of a

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Poughkeepsie, NY, United States of America

David E Whitney