Configuring expansion component interconnect (‘ECI’) physical functions on an ECI device in a computing system

1. A method of configuring expansion component interconnect (‘ECI’) physical functions on an ECI device in a computing system, the method comprising:

configuring by an ECI device configuration manager, during run-time of the computing system, vital product data to include an ECI physical function configuration, wherein the ECI physical function configuration comprises data describing a type of ECI physical function and data identifying a particular port that a particular ECI physical function resides on;

retrieving by an ECI device configuration manager, upon a subsequent startup of the computing system, the ECI physical function configuration from the vital product data; and

configuring, by an ECI device configuration manager, a physical function of the ECI device to carry out the type of ECI physical function described in the ECI physical function configuration.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein configuring vital product data to include an ECI physical function configuration includes:

receiving, through a system administrator interface, the ECI physical function configuration;

receiving, through a system administrator interface, an identification of the ECI physical function; and

associating, in the vital product data, the ECI physical function configuration with the identification of the ECI physical function.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the ECI device is a Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (‘PCIe’) device and the ECI physical function is a PCIe physical function.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the vital product data is stored in PCIe configuration space for the PCIe device.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the ECI device is a Peripheral Component Interconnect (‘PCI’) device and the ECI physical function is a PCI physical function.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the ECI device configuration manager is a baseboard management controller (‘BMC’).

7. An apparatus for configuring Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (‘PCIe’) physical functions, the apparatus comprising an ECI device, a computer processor, a computer memory operatively coupled to the computer processor, the computer memory having disposed within it computer program instructions that, when executed by the computer processor carry out the steps of:

configuring by an ECI device configuration manager, during run-time of the computing system, vital product data to include an ECI physical function configuration, wherein the ECI physical function configuration comprises data describing a type of ECI physical function and data identifying a particular port that a particular ECI physical function resides on;

retrieving by an ECI device configuration manager, upon a subsequent startup of the computing system, the ECI physical function configuration from the vital product data; and

configuring, by an ECI device configuration manager, a physical function of the ECI device to carry out the type of ECI physical function described in the ECI physical function configuration.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein configuring vital product data to include an ECI physical function configuration includes:

receiving, through a system administrator interface, the ECI physical function configuration;

receiving, through a system administrator interface, an identification of the ECI physical function; and

associating, in the vital product data, the ECI physical function configuration with the identification of the ECI physical function.

9. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the ECI device is a Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (‘PCIe’) device and the ECI physical function is a PCIe physical function.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the vital product data is stored in PCIe configuration space for the PCIe device.

11. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the ECI device is a Peripheral Component Interconnect (‘PCI’) device and the ECI physical function is a PCI physical function.

12. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the ECI device configuration manager is a baseboard management controller (‘BMC’).

13. A computer program product for configuring expansion component interconnect (‘ECI’) physical functions on an ECI device in a computing system, the computer program product disposed upon a computer readable storage medium, the computer program product comprising computer program instructions that, when executed, cause a computer to carry out the steps of:

configuring by an ECI device configuration manager, during run-time of the computing system, vital product data to include an ECI physical function configuration, wherein the ECI physical function configuration comprises data describing a type of ECI physical function and data identifying a particular port that a particular ECI physical function resides on;

retrieving by an ECI device configuration manager, upon a subsequent startup of the computing system, the ECI physical function configuration from the vital product data; and

configuring, by an ECI device configuration manager, a physical function of the ECI device to carry out the type of ECI physical function described in the ECI physical function configuration.

14. The computer program product of claim 13 wherein configuring vital product data to include an ECI physical function configuration includes:

receiving, through a system administrator interface, the ECI physical function configuration;

receiving, through a system administrator interface, an identification of the ECI physical function; and

associating, in the vital product data, the ECI physical function configuration with the identification of the ECI physical function.

15. The computer program product of claim 13 wherein the ECI device is a Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (‘PCIe’) device and the ECI physical function is a PCIe physical function.

16. The computer program product of claim 15 wherein the vital product data is stored in PCIe configuration space for the PCIe device.

17. The computer program product of claim 13 wherein the ECI device is a Peripheral Component Interconnect (‘PCI’) device and the ECI physical function is a PCI physical function.

18. The computer program product of claim 13 wherein the ECI device configuration manager is a baseboard management controller (‘BMC’).