Sun Microsystems, Inc.

David S Gordon

Paul Durrant

Raymond J Gilstrap

Stephen Richard Hanson

Neil Simpson

Michael Sohn

Emrys J Williams

Jeremy Graham Harris

Hossein Moiin

Stephen C Evans

Steven E Weiss

Gregory S Jumper

Fongyan Gang

Claudia Wessner

Marco Caspari

Jonathan Woodward

Daniel J Hain

Mike Turner

Front part for railway carriage body

Car body for a rail vehicle

In a computer network, an object identifier relating to the identity of a network component is generated by applying an algorithm to manufacturer's data stored in a memory associated with the component. An MIB correlating the generated object identifier and the component description is produced by applying the same algorithm to corresponding data items in a manufacturer's product database and correlating product description information with the generated object identifier data.

Network component identification

A method of a copying data includes a cache subsystem loading data to be copied from a first address, and placing the data in a cache as if the data had been loaded from a second address. The data can then subsequently be written to the second address to effect the copy.

Virtual copy system and method

A device driver (GRAPHICS, NETWORK, HIO, IOL, SERIAL) for use in a computer system comprising a processor (P), memory (M) and a device (GRAPHICS, NETWORK, HIO, IOL, SERIAL) operatively coupled to the computer system, the device driver being operable to control the device to monitor an operational status of the device, and consequent upon a change in the operational status to generate a fault report data indicating whether the change of status was caused internally within the device or externally by another connected device which caused the change of operational status to occur. The fault reports may also include an indication of the operational status of the device. Furthermore, if the fault report data indicates that the change of status was caused externally, the device driver may generate fault direction information indicative of an apparent direction on a connection between the device and the other device suspected as causing the indicated external fault. By providing an indication as to whether a fault has occurred internally or externally, and if externally, a relative direction on a data path from which the fault is perceived, a fault response processor can estimate the location of a faulty device of the computer system with improved accuracy.

Device drivers configured to monitor device status

A method for configuring a computer system includes identifying a defective component in the computer system; disabling at least the defective component; and dynamically reconfiguring the computer system to allow continued operation with the defective component disabled. A computer system includes a plurality of components and a system controller. The system controller is adapted to identify a defective component from the plurality of components, disable at least the defective component, and dynamically reconfigure the computer system to allow continued operation with the defective component disabled.

Method and apparatus for disabling defective components in a computer system

A computer system compnses a processor (), memory () and a plurality of devices (), the processor () and the memory () being operable to effect the operation of a fault response processor (AFR), and a device driver (GRAPHICS, NETWORK, H2IO, IO2L, SERIAL) for each of the devices. The fault response processor (AFR) is operable to generate a model which represents the processor (), the memory () and the devices () of the computer system and the inter-connection of the processor (), memory () and the devices (GRAPHICS, NETWORK, H2IO, IO2L, SERIAL). The device driver (GRAPHICS, NETWORK, H2IO, IO2L, SERIAL) for each of the devices () is arranged, consequent upon a change of operational status of the device, to generate fault report data indicating whether the change of status was caused internally within the device or externally by another connected device. The devices of the computer system may be formed as a plurality of Field Replaceable Units (FRU). The fault response processor (AFR) is operable, consequent upon receipt of the fault reports from the device drivers (GRAPHICS, NETWORK, H2IO, IO2L, SERIAL) to estimate the location of a FRU containing a faulty device by applying the fault indication to the model. In other embodiments the fault report data includes direction information indicating a connection between the device and the other connected device which caused the external fault. Having identified the faulty device the FRU may be replaced, thereby minimizing down time of the computer system.

Method and apparatus for locating a faulty device in a computer system

A method for tracking repair histories includes providing a field replaceable unit having a memory device. Operational history data is collected during the operation of the field replaceable unit. The operational history data is stored in the memory device. A computing system includes a field replaceable unit including a memory device configured to store operational history data associated with the field replaceable unit.

Method and system for storing field replaceable unit operational history information

Growing community of inventors

Farnborough, United Kingdom

David S Gordon