Method for resolving a cable mismatch in a target device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10049058-B2
Application number	US-201514725189-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 29, 2015
Priority date	May 29, 2015
Publication date	Aug 14, 2018
Grant date	Aug 14, 2018

Abstract

A method for method for resolving a cable mismatch by a target device is provided. The method includes determining that all PHYs in a receptacle are currently inactive, a PHY in the receptacle became active, and determining if there is a mismatch between a cable type and a stored cable configuration. If there is a mismatch between the cable type and the stored cable configuration, the method further includes disabling all other PHY groups in the receptacle that do not include the PHY that became active and notifying a user that a cable mismatch corresponding to the receptacle has occurred. If there is not a mismatch between the cable type and the stored cable configuration, then the method includes re-enabling PHYs in the receptacle, if any PHYs are disabled, and notifying a user that a cable mismatch corresponding to the receptacle has been corrected.

First claim

I claim:

1. A method for resolving a cable mismatch by a target device, comprising:
determining, by the target device, that all Physical Interfaces in a cable receptacle are currently inactive, the cable receptacle configured to accept a cable that connects the target device with one or more initiator devices;
determining, by the target device, that a Physical Interface in the cable receptacle became active, a Physical Interface becomes active comprising a cable is plugged into the cable receptacle and a non-disabled initiator device is plugged into the cable;
determining, by the target device, if there is a mismatch between a cable type and a stored cable configuration, the cable type being stored in a first memory device of a cable plugged into the cable receptacle, the stored cable configuration being stored in a second memory device in the target device; and
in response to determining there is a mismatch between the cable type and the stored cable configuration, then:
disabling, by the target device, all other Physical Interface Groups in the cable receptacle that do not include the Physical Interface that became active, each Physical Interface Group comprising an exclusive grouping of Physical Interfaces within a cable receptacle and mutually exclusive from other Physical Interfaces and Physical Interface Groups; and
notifying, by the target device, a user that a cable mismatch corresponding to the cable receptacle has occurred;

in response to determining there is not a mismatch between the cable type and the stored cable configuration, then:
re-enabling, by the target device, Physical Interfaces in the cable receptacle, if any Physical Interfaces are disabled; and
notifying, by the target device, a user that a cable mismatch corresponding to the cable receptacle has been corrected.

2. The method for resolving a cable mismatch by a target device of claim 1 , wherein the first and second memory devices each comprises an indication of whether the cable type and the stored cable configuration, respectively, are either a straight cable or a fanout cable, the number of Physical Interface Groups, and the number of Physical Interfaces per Physical Interface Group, wherein the straight cable is configured to provide interconnection to only a single initiator device, wherein the fanout cable is configured to provide interconnection to a plurality of initiator devices.

3. The method for resolving a cable mismatch by a target device of claim 2 , wherein a mismatch between a cable type and a stored cable configuration comprises at least one of the indications of straight or fanout cable, number of Physical Interface Groups, and the number of Physical Interfaces per Physical Interface Group are different.

4. The method for resolving a cable mismatch by a target device of claim 2 , wherein the number of Physical Interface Groups in the cable receptacle is the greater of the number of Physical Interface Groups identified in the first and second memory devices.

5. The method for resolving a cable mismatch by a target device of claim 4 , wherein disabling all other Physical Interface Groups in the cable receptacle that do not include the Physical Interface that became active comprises the target device causing a protocol controller coupled to all other Physical Interface Groups in the cable receptacle to prevent receiving and transmitting data through the other Physical Interface Groups.

6. The method for resolving a cable mismatch by a target device of claim 4 , wherein each Physical Interface Group of a straight cable is configured to provide interconnection with a single initiator device, wherein each Physical Interface Group of a fanout cable is configured to provide interconnection with a different initiator device.

7. The method for resolving a cable mismatch by a target device of claim 1 , wherein the target device comprises a plurality of cable receptacles and resolves cable mismatches in the cable receptacle independent of other cable receptacles of the plurality of cable receptacles.

8. The method for resolving a cable mismatch by a target device of claim 1 , wherein all Physical Interfaces in a cable receptacle are currently inactive comprises one of a cable is not plugged into the cable receptacle, no initiators are plugged into the cable, and the target device has disabled all Physical Interfaces in the cable receptacle.

9. A method for resolving a cable mismatch between a target device and one or more initiator devices, comprising:
determining, by the target device, that all Physical Interfaces in a cable receptacle are currently inactive;
initializing, by the target device, a timer with a count value; and
determining, by the target device, if a Physical Interface in the cable receptacle becomes active;
in response to determining a Physical Interface in the cable receptacle becomes active, then;
determining, by the target device, if there is a mismatch between a cable type and a stored cable configuration, the cable type being stored in a cable plugged into the cable receptacle, the stored cable configuration being stored in the target device; and
resolving, by the target device, the mismatch in response to determining there is a mismatch between the cable type and the stored cable configuration;

in response to determining a Physical Interface in the cable receptacle does not become active, then;
determining, by the target device, if any Physical Interfaces in the receptacle are disabled, disabled Physical Interfaces being Physical Interfaces whereby the target device caused a protocol controller coupled to the Physical Interfaces to prevent the Physical Interfaces from receiving or transmitting data; and
in response to determining no Physical Interfaces in the cable receptacle are disabled, then:
repeating determining if a Physical Interface in the cable receptacle becomes active; and

in response to determining any Physical Interfaces in the cable receptacle are disabled, then:
decrementing, by the target device, the timer; and
determining, by the target device, if the timer times out;
in response to determining the timer times out, then:
enabling, by the target device, all Physical Interfaces in the cable receptacle; and
repeating determining if a Physical Interface in the cable receptacle becomes active; and

in response to determining the timer does not time out, then:
repeating determining a Physical Interface in the cable receptacle becomes active.

10. The method for resolving a cable mismatch between a target device and one or more initiator devices of claim 9 , wherein the target device comprises a plurality of cable receptacles and resolves cable mismatches in the cable receptacle independent of other cable receptacles of the plurality of cable receptacles.

11. The method for resolving a cable mismatch between a target device and one or more initiator devices of claim 9 , wherein all Physical Interfaces in a cable receptacle are currently inactive comprises one of a cable is not plugged into the cable receptacle, no initiators are plugged into the cable, and the target device has disabled all Physical Interfaces in the cable receptacle.

12. The method for resolving a cable mismatch between a target device and one or more initiator devices of claim 9 , wherein if there is not a mismatch between the cable type and the stored cable configuration, the method further comprising:
re-enabling all Physical Interfaces in the cable receptacle, by the target device, if any Physical Interfaces in the cable receptacle are disabled; and
notifying a user that the mismatch between the cable type and the stored configuration has been corrected, if an

Assignees

• Dot Hill Systems Corp
• Seagate Technology Llc

Inventors

• Colline Phillip Raymond

Classifications

• G06F13/102 Primary

  where the program performs an interfacing function, e.g. device driver (G06F13/105 takes precedence; contention policies within device drivers G06F9/4881; scheduling within device drivers G06F9/52) · CPC title

• G06F13/4247

  on a daisy chain bus · CPC title

• G06F13/4068

  Electrical coupling · CPC title