International Business Machines Corporation

Other

Jeffery David Haumont

Gregory Michael Nordstrom

Patrick Allen Buckland

William Alan Thompson

Thomas Alan Gall

Curtis Shannon Eide

Troy David Armstrong

A method, system and computer program product are provided for implementing sideband control structure for Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (PCIE) add-in cards, or cable cards, that utilize cables to connect to input/output (IO) expansion enclosures in a computer system. System firmware uniquely identifies a cable card present in a PCIE slot in a system unit. Enclosure management functions utilize sideband control paths integrated within at least cable providing sideband control signaling, and providing PCIE signaling lanes between the cable card and the IO enclosure.

Implementing sideband control structure for PCIE cable cards and IO expansion enclosures

A computer system on a network uses IP multicast to recruit other computer systems to share in the processing of a job. If a computer system on the network wants to be available to process shared jobs, it first registers for job sharing by invoking an IP multicast router at a particular IP address. All messages sent to the IP multicast router are broadcast to all computer systems that are registered with the router. When a computer system has a job to share, it recruits other computer systems to help process the job by sending a message to the IP multicast router that corresponds to a request to share the job. The candidate computer systems that receive the recruiter's broadcast determine if they can share the job according to one or more job sharing parameters. These parameters may relate to the job itself, network performance, security, or other criteria for sharing. If a computer system meets the parameters for taking on the particular job, it responds to the recruiter. If the recruiter still needs help (e.g., if not enough candidate systems have responded yet), the recruiter grants the response and delivers the job to the computer system. The computer system then performs the job (or task) and returns the results to the recruiter.

Computer system and method for sharing a job with other computers on a computer network using IP multicast

A method, apparatus and computer program product are provided for detecting and powering off unused I/O slots in a computer system. For each of the I/O slots, the current slot is checked to determine if the slot is powered on and unlocked. When the current slot is powered on and unlocked, the current slot is checked to determine if the current slot is a candidate for being powered off. When the current slot is determined to be a candidate for being powered off, then the current slot is powered off and the checking continues with a next one of the I/O slots. Recording the slot as a candidate for being powered off before the slot is actually powered off ensures a proper delay to avoid powering off a slot that is about to be locked, which could cause slot power cycles in quick succession.

Method for detecting and powering off unused I/O slots in a computer system

A computer system on a network uses IP multicast to recruit other computer stems to share in the processing of a job. If a computer system on the network wants to be available to process shared jobs, it first registers for job sharing by invoking an IP multicast router at a particular IP address. All messages sent to the IP multicast router are broadcast to all computer systems that are registered with the router. When a computer system has ajob to share, it recruits other computer systems to help process the job by sending a message to the IP multicast router that corresponds to a request to share the job. The candidate computer systems that receive the recruiter's broadcast determine if they can share the job according to one or more job sharing parameters. These parameters may relate to the job itself, network performance, security, or other criteria for sharing. If a computer system meets the parameters for taking on the particular job, it responds to the recruiter. If the recruiter still needs help (e.g., if not enough candidate systems have responded yet), the recruiter grants the response and delivers the job to the computer system. The computer system then performs the job (or task) and returns the results to the recruiter.

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Rochester, MN, United States of America

Jeffery David Haumont