Throttling a point-to-point, serial input/output expansion subsystem within a computing system

1. A method of throttling a point-to-point, serial I/O expansion subsystem within a computing system, the method comprising:

receiving, by a link configuration module, an external environmental parameter value representing a condition of an environment external to the computing system, wherein the external environmental parameter is measured by an environmental sensor that is external to a chassis of the computing system;

determining, by the link configuration module, a link configuration of a communication link for an I/O adapter in a point-to-point, serial I/O expansion subsystem within the computing system in dependence upon the external environmental parameter value; and

configuring, by the link configuration module, the communication link for the I/O adapter in dependence upon the link configuration.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein determining, by the link configuration module, a link configuration of a communication link for an I/O adapter in dependence upon the external environmental parameter value further comprises:

identifying a link configuration profile for the I/O adapter, the link configuration profile specifying acceptable configuration changes to the communication link for the I/O adapter based on the condition of the environment external to the computing system; and

determining the link configuration of the communication link for the I/O adapter in dependence upon the link configuration profile for the I/O adapter.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein configuring, by the link configuration module, the communication link for the I/O adapter in dependence upon the link configuration further comprises changing a link speed of the communication link for the I/O adapter.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein configuring, by the link configuration module, the communication link for the I/O adapter in dependence upon the link configuration further comprises changing a link width of the communication link for the I/O adapter.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the computing system includes a plurality of computing devices, each of the computing devices having an I/O adapter;

determining, by the link configuration module, a link configuration of a communication link for an I/O adapter in dependence upon the external environmental parameter value further comprises determining, for each computing device, the link configuration of the communication link for the I/O adapter of that computing device in dependence upon the external environmental parameter value; and

configuring, by the link configuration module, the communication link for the I/O adapter in dependence upon the link configuration further comprises configuring, for each computing device, the communication link of the I/O adapter of that computing device in dependence upon the link configuration for the communication link of the I/O adapter of that computing device.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the point-to-point, serial I/O expansion subsystem is a Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (‘PCIe’) expansion subsystem;

the communication link is a PCIe link; and

the I/O adapter is a PCIe adapter.

7. A computing system for throttling a point-to-point, serial I/O expansion subsystem within the computing system, the computing system comprising a computer processor and a computer memory operatively coupled to the computer processor, the computer memory having disposed within it a link configuration module, the link configuration module including computer program instructions capable of:

receiving an external environmental parameter value representing a condition of an environment external to the computing system, wherein the external environmental parameter is measured by an environmental sensor that is external to a chassis of the computing system;

determining a link configuration of a communication link for an I/O adapter in a point-to-point, serial I/O expansion subsystem within the computing system in dependence upon the external environmental parameter value; and

configuring the communication link for the I/O adapter in dependence upon the link configuration.

8. The computing system of claim 7 wherein determining a link configuration of a communication link for an I/O adapter in dependence upon the external environmental parameter value further comprises:

identifying a link configuration profile for the I/O adapter, the link configuration profile specifying acceptable configuration changes to the communication link for the I/O adapter based on the condition of the environment external to the computing system; and

determining the link configuration of the communication link for the I/O adapter in dependence upon the link configuration profile for the I/O adapter.

9. The computing system of claim 7 wherein configuring the communication link for the I/O adapter in dependence upon the link configuration further comprises changing a link speed of the communication link for the I/O adapter.

10. The computing system of claim 7 wherein configuring the communication link for the I/O adapter in dependence upon the link configuration further comprises changing a link width of the communication link for the I/O adapter.

11. The computing system of claim 7 wherein:

the computing system includes a plurality of computing devices, each of the computing devices having an I/O adapter;

determining a link configuration of a communication link for an I/O adapter in dependence upon the external environmental parameter value further comprises determining, for each computing device, the link configuration of the communication link for the I/O adapter of that computing device in dependence upon the external environmental parameter value; and

configuring the communication link for the I/O adapter in dependence upon the link configuration further comprises configuring, for each computing device, the communication link of the I/O adapter of that computing device in dependence upon the link configuration for the communication link of the I/O adapter of that computing device.

12. The computing system of claim 7 wherein:

the point-to-point, serial I/O expansion subsystem is a Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (‘PCIe’) expansion subsystem;

the communication link is a PCIe link; and

the I/O adapter is a PCIe adapter.

13. A computer program product for throttling a point-to-point, serial I/O expansion subsystem within a computing system, the computer program product disposed upon a computer readable recordable medium, the computer program product comprising computer program instructions capable of:

receiving, by a link configuration module, an external environmental parameter value representing a condition of an environment external to the computing system, wherein the external environmental parameter is measured by an environmental sensor that is external to a chassis of the computing system;

determining, by the link configuration module, a link configuration of a communication link for an I/O adapter in a point-to-point, serial I/O expansion subsystem within the computing system in dependence upon the external environmental parameter value; and

configuring, by the link configuration module, the communication link for the I/O adapter in dependence upon the link configuration.

14. The computer program product of claim 13 wherein determining, by the link configuration module, a link configuration of a communication link for an I/O adapter in dependence upon the external environmental parameter value further comprises:

identifying a link configuration profile for the I/O adapter, the link configuration profile specifying acceptable configuration changes to the communication link for the I/O adapter based on the condition of the environment external to the computing system; and

determining the link configuration of the communication link for the I/O adapter in dependence upon the link configuration profile for the I/O adapter.

15. The computer program product of claim 13 wherein configuring, by the link configuration module, the communication link for the I/O adapter in dependence upon the link configuration further comprises changing a link speed of the communication link for the I/O adapter.

16. The computer program product of claim 13 wherein configuring, by the link configuration module, the communication link for the I/O adapter in dependence upon the link configuration further comprises changing a link width of the communication link for the I/O adapter.

17. The computer program product of claim 13 wherein:

the computing system includes a plurality of computing devices, each of the computing devices having an I/O adapter;

determining, by the link configuration module, a link configuration of a communication link for an I/O adapter in dependence upon the external environmental parameter value further comprises determining, for each computing device, the link configuration of the communication link for the I/O adapter of that computing device in dependence upon the external environmental parameter value; and

configuring, by the link configuration module, the communication link for the I/O adapter in dependence upon the link configuration further comprises configuring, for each computing device, the communication link of the I/O adapter of that computing device in dependence upon the link configuration for the communication link of the I/O adapter of that computing device.

18. The computer program product of claim 13 wherein:

the point-to-point, serial I/O expansion subsystem is a Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (‘PCIe’) expansion subsystem;

the communication link is a PCIe link; and

the I/O adapter is a PCIe adapter.