International Business Machines Corporation

Dennis J Dahlen

David Arlen Elko

Scott M Carlson

Donald Crabtree

Denise M Sevigny

David Harold Surman

Ronald Morton Smith, Sr

Jeffrey Mark Nick

Judith A Wierbowski

Michel H T Hack

Noshir R Dhondy

David E Whitney

Douglas W Westcott

Beth A Glendening

Wendell W Wilkinson

Georgette L Kurdt

Audrey A Helffrich

Ruth A Allen

Mark A Brooks

Peter Grimm Sutton

Peter Dana Driever

Steven N Goss

Michael J Jordan

Richard Pervin King

Stephen P Cherniak

Stewart Laundon Palmer

Li Feng Zhang

Michael D Swanson

Richard K Errickson

Kelly B Pushong

Steven Bruce Jones

John Charles Nagy

Michael Ht Hack

Lin Zhang

Michael H T Hack

A computing system is configured to maintain equivalency of independent structures located in different coupling facilities. The computing system includes a first coupling facility and a second coupling facility different from the first coupling facility. The first coupling facility includes a first structure that receives a first data modification based on a modification command requested by an application executed by an operating system. The second coupling facility in signal communication with the first coupling facility and includes a secondary structure that receives a second data modification based on the first data modification applied to the first structure. The first coupling facility outputs a Push List Structure Object (PLSO) command data block to the second coupling facility. The PLSO command data block indicates the first data modification applied to the first structure.

Computing system including PLSO command to maintain equivalency between independent coupling facilities

A computer-implemented method for operating multiple processors is described. The method includes receiving, by a processor operatively connected to a data channel, work task data that includes execution instructions, and storing, with the processor, the work task data to an operatively connected memory storage area. The method further includes updating a sequential work buffer indicative of whether the work task data is a highest current value in a plurality of sequential execution values, performing a compare double swap (CDS) lock attempt, and executing, with the processor, the work task data responsive to a successful lock attempt.

Execution of serialized work data with interlocked full area instructions

In an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, a computer-implemented method may include storing in a primary storage a plurality of list entries belonging to an ordered list. Free space in the primary storage may be monitored to determine whether a first predetermined condition related to the free space is met. In a secondary storage, a storage block of a predetermined size may be allocated for migration, when the first predetermined condition is met. A cursor may be provided pointing to a first list entry in the primary storage. One or more list entries may be selected at the cursor. The selected list entries may be migrated to the storage block while maintaining their order in the list.

Migrating and retrieving queued data in byte-addressable storage

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

A stratum-1 configuration for a timing network is defined. The stratum-1 configuration includes a single active stratum-1 server usable in ensuring that the servers in the network use the same primary reference time to synchronize their clocks. The servers in the network are synchronizing to the same root primary reference time and synchronization accuracy is not dependent on the quality of an external time source or of the existence of an external time source at the stratum-1 server.

Employing configuration information to determine the role of a server in a coordinated timing network

Server time protocol (STP) messages and methods of exchange thereof are provided for facilitating synchronization of processing units of a timing network. The STP messages include exchange time parameters (XTP) commands and responses, and STP control (STC) commands and responses. XTP message exchange processing includes: generating an XTP message command at a first processing unit including a command transmit timestamp field set by the first processing unit and a command receive timestamp field which is unset by the first processing unit; transmitting the XTP message command to a second processing unit; setting the command receive timestamp field in the XTP command with the time the XTP command is received at the second processing unit; and generating an XTP message response at the second processing unit, the message response including the command transmit timestamp set by the first processing unit and the command receive timestamp set by the second processing unit.

Server time protocol messages and methods

Communication and processing within a timing network that supports servers having different capabilities are facilitated. Individual servers of the network are dynamically updated without disrupting the operational characteristics of the timing network. New capabilities are not utilized between two servers until it is known that both servers are capable of supporting the new features. One server communicates to another server at an acceptable level of the another server.

Coordinated timing network having servers of different capabilities

A system, method and computer program product for calibrating a Time Of Day (TOD)-clock in a computing system node provided in a multi-node network. The network comprises an infrastructure of computing devices each having a physical clock providing a time base for executing operations that is stepped to a common oscillator. The system implements steps for obtaining samples of timing values of a computing device in the network, the values including a physical clock value maintained at that device and a TOD-offset value; computing an oscillator skew value from the samples; setting a fine steering rate value as equal to the opposite of the computed oscillator skew value; and, utilizing the fine steering rate value to adjust the physical clock value and correct for potential oscillator skew errors occurring in the oscillator crystal at the computing device.

System and method for calibrating a time of day (TOD) clock in a computing system node provided in a multi-node network

A server of a network of servers determines that its power source is failing. In response, the server communicates to one or more other servers of this network that it is leaving the network. This communication is powered by another power source.

Backup power source used in indicating that server may leave network

A failsafe recovery capability for a Coordinated Timing Network. The recovery capability facilitates recovery when communication is lost between two servers of the coordinated timing network. The capability includes checking another system's status in order to determine what action is to be taken. The status includes the stratum level of the servers and a version number indicating the code level of the servers.

Failsafe recovery facility in a coordinated timing network

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

Growing community of inventors

Rhinebeck, NY, United States of America

Dennis J Dahlen