IP Library Granted Patent US 8,504,877
Granted Patent B2
US 8,504,877 · App. 13/118,723 · Granted Aug 6, 2013

Method and system for platform independent fault management

Inventors: Scott W. Davenport (San Diego, CA); Tarik Pertev Soydan (Acton, MA); Louis Yonlo Tsien (Watertown, MA)
Assignee: Oracle America, Inc.
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,504,877
App. No.
13/118,723
Granted
Aug 6, 2013
Kind
B2
Abstract

A method for fault management. The method includes generating, in firmware of a computer system, a physical resource inventory (PRI) of a plurality of hardware components of the computer system, wherein the PRI defines a hierarchy of the hardware components. The method further includes traversing, by an enumerator executing in a fault manager, the PRI to generate a topology of the plurality of hardware components. The topology is used for fault management of the computer system.

Claims (47)

1. A method for fault management, comprising:

generating, in firmware of a computer system, a physical resource inventory (PRI) of a plurality of hardware components of the computer system, wherein the PRI comprises a plurality of PRI nodes arranged in a hierarchy, wherein each PRI node of the plurality of PRI nodes corresponds to a hardware component of the plurality of hardware components; and

generating, by an enumerator executing in a fault manager, topology of the plurality of hardware components by:

performing a depth-first traversal of the PRI, wherein for each non-PCI express fabric PRI node of the plurality of PRI nodes processed in the depth-first traversal:

determining whether a skip property for the non-PCI express fabric PRI node is set; and

creating a non-PCI express fabric topology node in the topology for the non-PCI express fabric PRI node only when the skip property for the non-PCI express fabric PRI node is not set; and

constructing, in the topology after performing the depth-first traversal, a PCI express fabric topology node for each PCI express fabric PRI node of the plurality of PRI nodes,

wherein child PRI nodes of each PCI express fabric PRI node are skipped during the depth-first traversal, and

wherein the topology is used for fault management of the computer system.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the PRI comprises an identifier property, wherein the identifier property is unique among the plurality of PRI nodes corresponding to a same type of hardware component.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein a PRI node of the plurality of PRI nodes comprises a serial number, a part number, a revision number, and a dash number when the PRI node corresponds to a hardware component of the plurality of hardware components that is a field replaceable unit.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the PRI node further comprises a location string property.

5. A computer system, comprising:

a plurality of hardware components;

firmware configured to:

generate a physical resource inventory (PRI) of the plurality of hardware components in the computer system, wherein the PRI comprises a plurality of PRI nodes arranged in a hierarchy, wherein each PRI node of the plurality of PRI nodes of the hardware components; and

an enumerator executing on a operating system and configured to:

generate a topology of the plurality of hardware components by:

performing a depth-first traversal of the PRI, wherein for each non-PCI express fabric PRI node of the plurality of PRI nodes processed in the depth-first traversal:

determining whether a skip property for the non-PCI express fabric PRI node is set; and

creating a topology node in the topology for the non-PCI express fabric PRI node only when the skip property for the non-PCI express fabric PRI node is not set; and

constructing, in the topology after performing the depth-first traversal, a PCI express fabric topology node for each PCI express fabric PRI node of the plurality of PRI nodes,

wherein child PRI nodes of each PCI express fabric PRI node are skipped during the depth-first traversal, and

wherein the topology is used for fault management of the computer system.

6. The computer system of claim 5 , wherein the PRI comprises an identifier property, wherein the identifier property is unique among the plurality of PRI nodes corresponding to a same type of hardware component.

7. The computer system of claim 5 , wherein a PRI node of the plurality of in the PRI comprises a serial number, a part number, a revision number, and a dash number when the PRI node corresponds to a hardware component of the plurality of hardware components that is a field replaceable unit.

8. The computer system of claim 7 , wherein the PRI node further comprises a location string property.

9. The computer system of claim 5 , wherein the firmware is further configured to:

detect an error; and

generate an error report,

wherein the error report identifies an error class of the error, and

wherein the error report conforms to an error class specification that is generic to a plurality of computer systems.

10. The computer system of claim 9 , wherein the error class is an error class for a correctable error, and wherein the error class specification comprises a threshold value and a duration of time value, wherein the threshold value identifies allowed correctable errors during a duration of time specified by the duration of time value and, wherein the number value and the duration of time value are provided by the firmware to override default values in a diagnosis engine.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein creating the non-PCI express fabric topology node comprises:

identifying a type property in the non-PCI express fabric PRI node, wherein the type property specifies a type of hardware component corresponding to the non-PCI express fabric PRI node; and

initiating a creation routine specific to the type property.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein creating the non-PCI express fabric topology node comprises:

identifying a type property in the non-PCI express fabric PRI node, wherein the type property specifies a type of hardware component corresponding to the non-PCI express fabric PRI node;

making a determination that a creation routine specific to the type property does not exist; and

initiating a generic creation routine based on the determination.

13. The computer system of claim 5 , wherein creating the non-PCI express fabric topology node comprises:

identifying a type property in the non-PCI express fabric PRI node, wherein the type property specifies a type of hardware component corresponding to non-PCI express fabric PRI node; and

initiating a creation routine specific to the type property.

14. The computer system of claim 5 , wherein creating the non-PCI express fabric topology node comprises:

identifying a type property in the non-PCI express fabric PRI node, wherein the type property specifies a type of hardware component corresponding to non-PCI express fabric PRI node;

making a determination that a creation routine specific to the type property does not exist; and

initiating a generic creation routine based on the determination.

Assignments (2)
MERGER AND CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Dec 16, 2015
From: ORACLE USA, INC.; SUN MICROSYSTEMS, INC.; ORACLE AMERICA, INC.
To: ORACLE AMERICA, INC.
Reel/Frame 037311/0206 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 13, 2011
From: DAVENPORT, SCOTT W.; SOYDAN, TARIK PERTEV; TSIEN, LOUIS YONLO
To: SUN MICROSYSTEMS, INC.
Reel/Frame 026587/0209 →
Continuity (2)
Continuation 12329146 · Dec 5, 2008
Related Publication 20110231707A1 · Sep 22, 2011