Multi-processor startup system
View Patent ↗A switch includes a PCI bus. A line card processor is coupled to a line card memory system and includes a line card processor port connected to the PCI bus. A management processor is coupled to a management memory system and includes a management processor port connected to the PCI bus and associated with a register. The management processor retrieves an OS image and stores the OS image in the management memory system. The management processor then configures the register with a mapping between the management memory system and the line card memory system. The management processor then provides a write instruction to write the OS image to an address range included in the management memory system, and the management processor port converts the write instruction using the address mapping such that the OS image is written over the PCI bus to the line card memory system.
1. A multi-processor startup system, comprising:
a Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) bus;
a secondary processing system that is coupled to a secondary memory system and that includes a secondary processing system port that is connected to the PCI bus;
a primary processing system that is coupled to a primary memory system and that includes a primary processing system port that is connected to the PCI bus and that is associated with at least one primary port register, wherein the primary processing system is configured to:
retrieve a secondary processing system operating system (OS) image and store the secondary processing system OS image in the primary memory system;
configure the at least one primary port register with an address mapping between the primary memory system and the secondary memory system; and
copy the secondary processing system OS image to the secondary memory system by providing a write instruction to write the secondary processing system OS image to an address range included in the primary memory system, wherein the primary processing system port converts the write instruction using the address mapping such that the secondary processing system OS image is written over the PCI bus to the secondary memory system.
2. The multi-processor startup system of claim 1 , wherein the primary processing system port and the secondary processing system port are Non-Transparent Bridge (NTB) ports.
3. The multi-processor startup system of claim 1 , wherein the primary processing system is configured to:
determine a size of the secondary processing system OS image; and
configure the at least one primary port register with the size of the secondary processing system OS image.
4. The multi-processor startup system of claim 1 , wherein the secondary processing system is configured to:
determine a written checksum using the secondary processing system OS image that was written to the secondary memory system; and
inform the primary processing system of the written checksum.
5. The multi-processor startup system of claim 4 , wherein the primary processing system is configured to:
determine a retrieved checksum using the secondary processing system OS image that was retrieved; and
determine that the written checksum matches the retrieved checksum and, in response, send an instruction to the secondary processing system to load the secondary processing system OS image.
6. The multi-processor startup system of claim 1 , wherein the primary processing system is configured to:
discover the primary processing system port; and
determine that the primary processing system port is associated with the secondary processing system and the address range of the primary memory system and, in response, provide the write instruction to write the secondary processing system OS image to the address range included in the primary memory system.
7. A switch, comprising:
a Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) bus;
a line card processor that is coupled to a line card memory system and that includes a line card processor port that is connected to the PCI bus;
a management processor that is coupled to a management memory system and that includes a management processor port that is connected to the PCI bus and that is associated with at least one management port register, wherein the management processor is configured to:
retrieve a line card operating system (OS) image and store the line card OS image in the management memory system;
configure the at least one management port register with a mapping between the management memory system and the line card memory system; and
provide a write instruction to write the line card OS image to an address range included in the management memory system, wherein the management processor port converts the write instruction using the address mapping such that the line card OS image is written over the PCI bus to the line card memory system.
8. The switch of claim 7 , wherein the management processor port and the line card processor port are Non-Transparent Bridge (NTB) ports.
9. The switch of claim 7 , wherein the management processor is configured to:
determine a size of the line card OS image; and
configure the at least one management port register with the size of the line card OS image.
10. The switch of claim 7 , wherein the line card processor is configured to:
determine a written checksum using the line card OS image that was written to the line card memory system; and
inform the management processor of the written checksum.
11. The switch of claim 10 , wherein the management processor is configured to:
determine a retrieved checksum using the line card OS image that was retrieved; and
determine that the written checksum matches the retrieved checksum and, in response, send an instruction to the line card processor to load the line card OS image.
12. The switch of claim 7 , wherein the management processor is configured to:
discover the management processor port; and
determine that the management processor port is associated with the line card processor and the address range of the management memory system and, in response, provide the write instruction to write the line card OS image to the address range included in the management memory system.
13. The switch of claim 7 , wherein the PCI bus is a PCI express bus.
14. A method for starting up a multi-processor system, comprising:
initializing a networking system that includes a primary processing system that is coupled to a secondary processing system by a Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) bus that extends between a primary processing system port on the primary processing system and a secondary processing system port on the secondary processing system;
retrieving, by the primary processing system, a secondary processing system operating system (OS) image and storing the secondary processing system OS image in a primary memory system of the primary processing system;
configuring, by the primary processing system, at least one primary port register for the primary processing system port with an address mapping between the primary memory system and a secondary memory system of the secondary processing system; and
copying, by the primary processing system, the secondary processing system OS image to the secondary memory system by providing a write instruction to write the secondary processing system OS image to an address range included in the primary memory system, wherein the primary processing system port converts the write instruction using the address mapping such that the secondary processing system OS image is written over the PCI bus to the secondary memory system.
15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the primary processing system port and the secondary processing system port are Non-Transparent Bridge (NTB) ports.
16. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:
determining, by the primary processing system, a size of the secondary processing system OS image; and
configuring, by the primary processing system, the at least one primary port register with the size of the secondary processing system OS image.
17. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:
determining, by the secondary processing system, a written checksum using the secondary processing system OS image that was written to the secondary memory system; and
informing, by the secondary processing system, the primary processing system of the written checksum.
18. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:
determining, by the primary processing system, a retrieved checksum using the secondary processing system OS image that was retrieved; and
determining, by the primary processing system, that the written checksum matches the retrieved checksum and, in response, sending an instruction to the secondary processing system to load the secondary processing system OS image.
19. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:
discovering, by the primary processing system, the primary processing system port; and
determining, by the primary processing system, that the primary processing system port is associated with the secondary processing system and the address range of the primary memory system and, in response, providing the write instruction to write the secondary processing system OS image to the address range included in the primary memory system.
20. The method of claim 14 , wherein the PCI bus is a PCI express bus.