Providing service address space for diagnostics collection

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10025515-B2
Application number	US-201715630626-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 22, 2017
Priority date	Aug 10, 2012
Publication date	Jul 17, 2018
Grant date	Jul 17, 2018

Abstract

A system and technique are provided for providing a service address space. The system includes a service co-processor provided with a service address space. The service co-processor is attached to a main processor where the main processor is provided with a main address space. The service co-processor creates and maintains an independent copy of the main address space in the form of the service address space. The service co-processor updates the service address space with storage delta packets received from the main processor, and the service co-processor performs diagnostic services based on command packets received from the main processor.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A computer program product for providing a service address space, the computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium having program instructions embodied therewith, the program instructions executable to enable:
a service co-processor to create and maintain an independent copy of a main address space of a main processor in the form of a service address space;
the main processor to intercept instructions that modify the main address space;
the main processor to generate storage delta packets based on intercepted instructions; and
the service co-processor to update the service address space by receiving the storage delta packets from the main processor and applying the storage delta packets to the service address space.

2. The computer program product of claim 1 , wherein the program instructions are executable to enable the main processor to send the storage delta packets to the service co-processor across an instruction pipe between the main processor and the service co-processor.

3. The computer program product of claim 1 , wherein the program instructions are executable to enable the main processor to delegate collection of diagnostic data to the service co-processor by sending a collection command to the service co-processor for collection of data from the service address space.

4. The computer program product of claim 1 , wherein the program instructions are executable to enable the main processor to send commands to the service co-processor across a command pipe between the main processor and the service co-processor.

5. The computer program product of claim 1 , wherein the program instructions are executable to enable the service co-processor to reset the service address space by copying the main address space.

6. The computer program product of claim 1 , wherein the program instructions are executable to enable the service co-processor to run asynchronously to the main processor with the storage delta packets queued in an instruction pipe.

7. A system for providing a service address space, comprising:
a service co-processor provided with a service address space, the service co-processor attached to a main processor wherein the main processor is provided with a main address space, wherein the service co-processor creates and maintains an independent copy of the main address space in the form of the service address space; and
wherein the service co-processor updates the service address space with storage delta packets received from the main processor, and wherein the service co-processor performs diagnostic services based on command packets received from the main processor.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the service co-processor is attached to the main processor via an instruction pipe and a command pipe.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the main processor includes a service delegation component for delegating collection of diagnostic data to the co-processor by sending a collection command via the command pipe from the main processor to the service co-processor for collection of data from the service address space.

10. The system of claim 7 , wherein the main processor has an instruction intercepting component for intercepting instructions that modify the main address space.

11. The system of claim 7 , wherein the main processor has a storage delta packet generator component for generating the storage delta packets.

12. The system of claim 7 , wherein the service co-processor is configured to prioritize the command packets over the storage delta packets.

13. The system of claim 7 , wherein the service co-processor is configured to perform a service function at a particular value of a system clock.

14. The system of claim 7 , wherein the service co-processor is configured to initiate a service function based on a particular value of a system clock indicated in a respective command packet.

15. The system of claim 7 , wherein the service co-processor is configured to initiate a delayed service function in response to processing a storage delta packet having a time stamp corresponding to a particular system clock value.

16. A system for providing service address space, comprising: a main processor provided with a main address space, wherein the main processor includes: an instruction intercepting component configured to intercept instructions that modify the main address space; a storage delta packet generator component configured to generate storage delta packets based on intercepted instructions; and a storage delta packet sending component configured to send the storage delta packets to a service co-processor, the storage delta packets generated having select information corresponding to the modified main address space, the service co-processor using the storage delta packets to maintain an independent copy of the main address space in the form of a service address space.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the service co-processor is attached to the main processor via an instruction pipe and a command pipe.

18. The system of claim 16 , wherein the main processor further includes a service delegation component configured to delegate collection of diagnostic data to the service co-processor.

19. The system of claim 16 , wherein the service co-processor is configured to perform a service function at a particular value of a system clock.

20. The system of claim 16 , wherein the service co-processor is configured to initiate a service function based on a particular value of a system clock indicated in a command packet received from the main processor.

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Harman David J
• Leedham Neil W
• Walsh Kim P
• Wright Andrew

Classifications

• G06F11/34

  Recording or statistical evaluation of computer activity, e.g. of down time, of input/output operation {; Recording or statistical evaluation of user activity, e.g. usability assessment} · CPC title

• G06F11/3648 Primary

  using additional hardware · CPC title

• G06F3/0659

  Command handling arrangements, e.g. command buffers, queues, command scheduling · CPC title

• G06F11/0778

  Dumping, i.e. gathering error/state information after a fault for later diagnosis · CPC title

• G06F2212/1032

  Reliability improvement, data loss prevention, degraded operation etc · CPC title