Systems and methods for using a bus exchange switch to control processor affinity

1. An information handling system comprising:

two processor sockets comprising a first processor socket and a second processor socket;

a first information handling resource communicatively coupled to the first processor socket;

a second information handling resource; and

a bus exchange switch communicatively coupled to the first processor socket, the second processor socket, and the second information handling resource such that:

in response to the second processor socket being unpopulated, the bus exchange switch is configured to create a first electrically conductive path between the first processor socket and the second information handling resource and is further configured to create an electrically conductive loop path between a first portion of the unpopulated second processor socket and a second portion of the unpopulated second processor socket; and

in response to the second processor socket being populated, the bus exchange switch is configured to create a second electrically conductive path between the first processor socket and the second processor socket and is further configured to create a third electrically conductive path between the second processor socket and the second information handling resource;

wherein a determination of whether or not a particular processor socket is populated is based upon whether a particular software process is executing on a processor residing in such processor socket.

2. The information handling system of claim 1 , wherein the first information handling resource is a management controller.

3. The information handling system of claim 2 , wherein the second information handling resource is a network interface.

4. The information handling system of claim 1 , wherein the bus exchange switch is configured to operate in a hot-pluggable manner to switch between the first electrically conductive path on one hand and the second electrically conductive path and the third electrically conductive path on the other hand in response to population of the second processor socket, and switch between the second electrically conductive path and the third electrically conductive path on one hand and the first electrically conductive path on the other hand in response to depopulation of the second processor socket.

5. The information handling system of claim 1 , wherein the first information handling resource is communicatively coupled to the first processor socket and the bus exchange switch is communicatively coupled to the first processor socket, the second processor socket, and the second information handling resource via respective Peripheral Component Interconnect Express lanes.

6. A method comprising, in an information handling system comprising two processor sockets comprising a first processor socket and a second processor socket, a first information handling resource communicatively coupled to the first processor socket, a second information handling resource, and a bus exchange switch communicatively coupled to the first processor socket, the second processor socket, and the second information handling resource:

creating, by the bus exchange switch, a first electrically conductive path between the first processor socket and the second information handling resource if the second processor socket is unpopulated, and further creating an electrically conductive loop path between a first portion of the unpopulated second processor socket and a second portion of the unpopulated second processor socket;

and

creating, by the bus exchange switch, a second electrically conductive path between the first processor socket and the second processor socket and a third electrically conductive path between the second processor socket and the second information handling resource if the second processor socket is populated;

wherein a determination of whether or not a particular processor socket is populated is based upon whether a particular software process is executing on a processor residing in such processor socket.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the first information handling resource is a management controller.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the second information handling resource is a network interface.

9. The method of claim 6 , further comprising operating, by the bus exchange switch, in a hot-pluggable manner to switch between the first electrically conductive path on one hand and the second electrically conductive path and the third electrically conductive path on the other hand in response to population of the second processor socket, and switch between the second electrically conductive path and the third electrically conductive path on one hand and the first electrically conductive path on the other hand in response to depopulation of the second processor socket.

10. The method of claim 6 , wherein the first information handling resource is communicatively coupled to the first processor socket and the bus exchange switch is communicatively coupled to the first processor socket, the second processor socket, and the second information handling resource via respective Peripheral Component Interconnect Express lanes.

11. A bus exchange switch configured to, in an information handling system comprising two processor sockets comprising a first processor socket and a second processor socket, a first information handling resource communicatively coupled to the first processor socket, and a second information handling resource, wherein the bus exchange switch is communicatively coupled to the first processor socket, the second processor socket, and the second information handling resource:

create a first electrically conductive path between the first processor socket and the second information handling resource in response to the second processor socket being unpopulated, and further create an electrically conductive loop path between a first portion of the unpopulated second processor socket and a second portion of the unpopulated second processor socket; and

create a second electrically conductive path between the first processor socket and the second processor socket and a third electrically conductive path between the second processor socket and the second information handling resource in response to the second processor socket being populated;

wherein a determination of whether or not a particular processor socket is populated is based upon whether a particular software process is executing on a processor residing in such processor socket.

12. The bus exchange switch of claim 11 , wherein the first information handling resource is a management controller.

13. The bus exchange switch of claim 12 , wherein the second information handling resource is a network interface.

14. The bus exchange switch of claim 11 , further configured to operate in a hot-pluggable manner to switch between the first electrically conductive path on one hand and the second electrically conductive path and the third electrically conductive path on the other hand in response to population of the second processor socket, and switch between the second electrically conductive path and the third electrically conductive path on one hand and the first electrically conductive path on the other hand in response to depopulation of the second processor socket.

15. The bus exchange switch of claim 11 , wherein the first information handling resource is communicatively coupled to the first processor socket and the bus exchange switch is communicatively coupled to the first processor socket, the second processor socket, and the second information handling resource via respective Peripheral Component Interconnect Express lanes.