Providing service address space for diagnostics collection

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10031683-B2
Application number	US-201715630669-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 22, 2017
Priority date	Aug 10, 2012
Publication date	Jul 24, 2018
Grant date	Jul 24, 2018

Abstract

A method and technique are provided for providing a service address space. The method includes providing a service co-processor with a service address space attached to a main processor. The main processor is provided with a main address space. Instructions that modify the main address space are intercepted, storage delta packets are generated based on intercepted instructions, and the storage delta packets are sent to a service co-processor maintaining a service address space.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for providing service address space, comprising: providing a main processor having provided with a main address space; intercepting instructions that modify the main address space; generating storage delta packets based on intercepted instructions; and sending 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.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising delegating collection of diagnostic data to the service co-processor.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising sending a collection command from the main processor to the service co-processor for collection of data from the service address space.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, at the main processor:
monitoring for instructions that modify the main address space; and
sending the storage delta packets on an instruction pipe to the service co-processor.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, at the service co-processor:
monitoring an instruction pipe for the storage delta packets; and
applying the storage delta packets to the service address space.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
queuing the storage delta packets in an instruction pipe from the main processor to the service co-processor such that the service co-processor runs behind the main processor; and
wherein the service address space contains a historical copy of the main address space.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the storage delta packets includes:
a storage address to be updated;
a new value of storage to be updated; and
associated information including a system clock value.

8. The method of claim 3 , further comprising prioritizing the collection command over the storage delta packets.

9. The method of claim 3 , further comprising receiving the collection command over a command pipe from the main processor.

10. The method of claim 3 , further comprising instructing the collection of diagnostic data at a particular system clock value.

11. The method of claim 3 , further comprising:
receiving the collection command with a given system clock value; and
actioning the collection command at the service co-processor when a storage delta packet pertaining to the clock value is processed.

12. The method of claim 3 , wherein the collection of diagnostic data includes one or more of the group of: a system dump, a system trace, and a collection of monitoring and statistics data.

13. The method of claim 3 , further comprising after carrying out the collection of diagnostic data, the service co-processor resetting the service address space by copying the contents of the main address space to the service address space and re-starting the process of mirroring all storage updates to the service co-processor.

14. The method of claim 3 , further comprising enabling direct access to service address registers of the service co-processor for analysis.

15. A method for providing service address space, comprising:
providing a service co-processor attached to a main processor, wherein the service co-processor has a service address space, 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;
updating the service address space by receiving storage delta packets from the main processor and applying the storage delta packets to the service address space; and
performing diagnostic services by the service co-processor based on command packets received from the main processor.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising delegating, by a service delegation component of the main processor, collection of diagnostic data to the co-processor.

17. The method of claim 15 , further comprising prioritizing, by the service co-processor, the command packets over the storage delta packets.

18. The method of claim 15 , further comprising performing, by the service co-processor, a service function at a particular value of a system clock.

19. The method of claim 15 , further comprising initiating a service function based on a particular value of a system clock indicated in a respective command packet.

20. The method of claim 15 , further comprising initiating a delayed service function in response to processing a storage delta packet having a time stamp corresponding to a particular system clock value.

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

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

Classifications

• G06F12/0615

  Address space extension · CPC title

• G06F3/065

  Replication mechanisms · CPC title

• G06F12/0842

  for multiprocessing or multitasking · CPC title

• G06F3/0659

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

• G06F11/0724 Primary

  in a multiprocessor or a multi-core unit (multiprocessors per se G06F15/80) · CPC title