International Business Machines Corporation

Jeffrey Michael Franke

James A O'Connor

Thomas M Brey

Christopher Harry Austen

John K Whetzel

Edward Klodnicki

Nicholas M Williamson

William M Edmonds

Paul Edward McKenney

Luke David Remis

Michael DeCesaris

Gregory William Dake

Claudia Andrea Salzberg

Donald Eugene Johnson

Albert Andre Asselin

Michael Scott Rollins

David Robert Woodham

Shane Michael Lardinois

Torez Smith

Theodore Y Tso

Rene Vandenbroeck

Peter H Reynolds

Keith Mannthey

Techniques are disclosed for managing inventory data for components of a server system. In one embodiment, a global management controller is provided, that is operatively connected to a plurality of local management controllers. Each local management controller is configured to manage a subset of the components of the server system. Each local management controller is also configured to generate, for each component, a checksum based on vital product data (VPD) of the component. Each local management controller is also configured to compute a composite checksum based on the checksums generated for the components in the subset. The global management controller is configured to maintain a global view of the VPD in the computer system, based on the checksums and/or composite checksums.

Managing inventory data for components of a server system

An I2C system comprises an inter-integrated circuit (I2C) master device coupled to an I2C multiplexer via a master I2C bus. A plurality of slave I2C busses emanating from the I2C multiplexer couple the I2C multiplexer to a plurality of I2C slave devices. Each of the slave I2C busses comprises a serial data (SDA) line and serial clock (SCL) line. Each of the slave I2C busses, which is coupled to two I2C slave devices, has a first channel and a second channel. The first channel puts bidirectional serial data on the SDA line and clock signals on the SCL line, and the second channel puts bidirectional serial data on the SCL line and clock signals on the SDA line. A channel selector, associated with the I2C multiplexer, selectively couples the I2C master device to one of the two I2C slave devices via the first channel or the second channel.

Double density I2C system

A computing system is provided with real-time capabilities so that the system is capable of running applications such that one or more real-time criteria are satisfied. An interrupt architecture of the computing system is disabled. The interrupt architecture generates interrupts sent to a firmware of the computing system in response to events. A different architecture is substituted within the computing system for the interrupt architecture. The different architecture is responsive to the events without violating the real-time criteria. In response to the events occurring, the different architecture causes one or more corrective actions to be performed.

Providing a computing system with real-time capabilities

A data processing network includes a set of servers, at least one switch module to interconnect the servers, and a management module. The management module consults power state information stored in the network following a power transition and restores power to at least some of the servers and switch modules based on the power state information. The power state information prevents the management module from restoring power to servers and switch modules having incompatible communication protocols. In one embodiment, the plurality of servers and the switch modules are hot-swappable modules that are all inserted into a single chassis. In this embodiment, the server modules and at least one switch module share selected resources of the network including system power. The switch modules and servers may employ Ethernet, fiber channel, optical, and serial communication protocols.

Restoring power in a hot swappable multi-server data processing environment

Growing community of inventors

Apex, NC, United States of America

Jeffrey Michael Franke