Physical to hierarchical bus translation

Abstract

In an embodiment, a translation of a physical bus number to a hierarchical bus number is written to a south chip. The south chip receives a configuration write command that comprises a physical bus number. The south chip sends the configuration write command to a device via the bus identified by the physical bus number, and the device stores the physical bus number in the device. In response to a received message from a device that comprises the physical bus number, the south chip replaces the physical bus number in the message with the hierarchical bus number. The south chip sends the message to a north chip via a point-to-point serial link. Both the physical bus number and the hierarchical bus number identify a bus with which the device connects to a bridge in the south chip.