Distributed copies of configuration information using token ring
A system for synchronizing configuration information in a plurality of data processing devices using a common system interconnect bus. The present invention provides a method and apparatus for enforcing automatic updates to the configuration registers in various agents in the data processing system. A node controller is operably connected to a system interconnect bus and a switch. A plurality of interface agents are connected to the switch, with each of the interface agents comprising a configuration space register, a configuration space shadow register and a control and status register (CSR). A token ring connected to the node controller is operable to transmit data from the node controller to a plurality of interface agents connected to the token ring, thereby providing a system for updating the various configuration registers in each of the agents.
1. A system for synchronizing configuration information in a plurality of data processing devices, comprising:
a node controller;
a plurality of interface agents operably connected to said node controller, said interface agents operating in accordance with the hypertransport (HT) protocol, wherein each of said agents comprises a plurality of configuration registers, including an HT configuration space register and an HT configuration space shadow register; and
a token ring connecting said node controller and said plurality of interface agents;
wherein a transaction from an interface agents is directed to said node controller and said node controller transmits information to each agent using said token ring, wherein said information transmitted on said token ring is used by said agents to update said configuration space registers.
2. The system of claim 1 , wherein said transaction comprises an input/output transaction.
3. The system of claim 1 , wherein said transaction comprises a control command.
4. The system of claim 1 , wherein said transaction comprises a write to a memory addresses.
5. The system of claim 1 , wherein said transaction comprises a read from a memory addresses.
6. The system of claim 1 , wherein information stored in the HT configuration space shadow register of an agent is updated by a snoop on said token ring executed by said agent.
7. A system for synchronizing configuration information in a plurality of data processing devices using a common system interconnect bus, comprising:
a node controller operably connected to said system interconnect bus, wherein said node controller comprises a configuration block and transactions are detected by said configuration block;
a plurality of interface agents operably connected to said node controller, said interface agents operating in accordance with the hypertransport (HT) protocol, wherein each of said agents comprises a plurality of configuration registers, including an HT configuration space register and an HT configuration space shadow register; and
a token ring connecting said node controller and said plurality of interface agents, wherein said token ring is connected to said configuration block of said node controller;
wherein a transaction from an interface agents is directed to said node controller and said node controller:
detects said transaction;
transfers said transaction to said system interconnect bus; and
transmits information to said agents using said to said token ring, wherein said information transmitted on said token ring is used by said agents to update said configuration space registers.
8. The system of claim 7 , wherein said transaction comprises an input/output transaction.
9. The system of claim 7 , wherein said transaction comprises a control command.
10. The system of claim 7 , wherein said transaction comprises a write to a memory addresses.
11. The system of claim 7 , wherein said transaction comprises a read from a memory addresses.
12. The system of claim 7 , wherein information stored in the HT configuration space shadow register of an agent is updated by a snoop on said token ring executed by said agent.