Abstract:
One embodiment of the present invention provides a method for removing power and signals from a bus card in a computer system when the bus card is inadvertently removed from the computer system while the computer system is operating. The method includes sensing a movement of the bus card from a bus connector in the computer system while the computer system is operating, and in response to the movement, removing power and signals from the bus card. The present invention can thereby prevent damage or failure of the computer system when a bus card is inadvertently removed from the computer system by powering down the bus card and/or removing signals from the bus card before it is completely removed. Another embodiment of the present invention includes sensing an insertion of the bus card into the bus connector, and in response to the insertion of the bus card, resetting the bus card.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATION 
     The subject matter of this application is related to the subject matter in patent application Ser. No. 09/093,654, filed Jun. 8, 1998, pending. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to fault tolerance in computer systems, and more particularly to a method for removing power and signals from a bus card that is inadvertently removed from a computer system during a “hot swap” operation while the computer system is running. 
     2. Related Art 
     The demand for reliability in computer systems has led to the development of computer systems that support “hot swapping” of bus cards. This allows a computer system to continue operating while a bus card is removed from the computer system, and while a new bus card is inserted into the computer system. In this way, failed system components located on bus cards can be replaced without shutting down the computer system. The other bus cards in the computer system can continue to function while the defective bus card is being replaced. 
     Existing hot swapping systems typically use software routines to remove power from a bus slot before a bus card is removed from the bus slot. A similar software routine is used to “power up” a new bus card after the new bus card is inserted into the bus slot. These power removal and power up functions prevent the bus card and the computer system from being damaged when the bus card is removed and/or replaced. 
     However, hot swapping can lead to other problems. If a computer system operator is not careful during the hot swapping process, the computer system operator may inadvertently remove the wrong bus card. This is an easy mistake to make because bus cards are typically packed close together and are often similar or identical in appearance. In order to guard against inadvertent removal, the computer system operator must take special care to power down the proper bus card, and to properly identify the powered down bus card for removal. 
     Some existing systems provide light emitting diodes (LEDs) near each bus card to indicate whether or not the bus card is receiving power. By examining these diodes, the computer system operator can locate the proper card to remove. However, these LEDs are often a number of inches from their corresponding bus card connectors, and the bus cards are often packed very closely together. Consequently, an operator can still easily remove the wrong bus card during the hot swapping process, in spite of the presence of the LEDs. 
     Removal of the bus card while the computer system is operating can have serious consequences. At a minimum, the system is likely to “hang” while waiting on an uncompleted bus transaction involving the removed bus card. At worst, removal of the bus card from an operating computer system can cause damage to the computer system and/or the bus card. 
     What is needed is a mechanism that removes power and signals from a bus card before the bus card can be inadvertently removed from a computer system. 
     SUMMARY 
     One embodiment of the present invention provides a method for removing power and signals from a bus card in a computer system when the bus card is inadvertently removed from the computer system while the computer system is operating. The method includes sensing a movement of the bus card from a bus connector in the computer system while the computer system is operating, and in response to the movement, removing power and signals from the bus card. The present invention can thereby prevent damage or failure of the computer system when a bus card is inadvertently removed from the computer system by powering down the bus card and/or removing signals from the bus card before it is completely removed. 
     Another embodiment of the present invention includes sensing an insertion of the bus card into the bus connector, and in response to the insertion of the bus card, resetting the bus card. In a variation on this embodiment, resetting the bus card includes reinitializing the bus card to an initial state. In another variation, removing power from the bus card includes saving state from the bus card to the computer system, and resetting the bus card includes restoring the state to the bus card from the computer system. 
     In another embodiment of the present invention, removing power from the bus card includes waiting until a bus transaction involving the bus card completes before removing the power. In another embodiment, removing power from the bus card includes waiting until the computer system completes a task involving the bus card before removing power. 
     In another embodiment of the present invention, removing power from the bus card includes isolating the computer system from the bus card using isolation buffers interposed in signal lines coupling the bus connector to the computer system. Another embodiment of the present invention includes limiting rapid influxes of current into the bus card using an inrush limiter. 
     In another embodiment of the present invention, sensing the movement of the bus card includes sensing a movement of the bus card using a mechanical switch. In another embodiment, sensing the movement of the bus card includes using an optical switch. In yet another embodiment, sensing the movement of the bus card includes sensing a movement of the bus card using a switch located inside the bus connector at a furthest insertion distance of the bus card into the bus connector. In yet another embodiment, sensing the movement of the bus card includes sensing a movement of the bus card using a switch located outside of the bus connector. In another embodiment, sensing the movement of the bus card includes sensing a movement of the bus card using two switches located at opposing ends of the bus connector. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES 
     FIG. 1 illustrates a computer system  100  including a bus connector  120  that automatically removes power from a bus card when the bus card is removed from the computer system in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
     FIG. 2 illustrates part of the internal structure of a bus connector  120  from FIG. 1 in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
     FIG. 3 is a state diagram illustrating the operation of controller  200  from FIG. 2 in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
     FIG. 4 illustrates an embodiment of the present invention including a mechanical switch  406  located outside of bus connector  402 . 
     FIG. 5 illustrates an embodiment of the present invention including two switches  502  and  504  located at opposing ends of bus connector  402  in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
     FIG. 6 is a flow chart illustrating the operation of one embodiment of the present invention. 
    
    
     DEFINITIONS 
     Bus Card—any type of removable computer system module in a computer system. 
     Bus Connector—an interface for coupling a bus card into a computer system, sometimes referred to as a bus slot. A bus connector typically includes electrical contacts for electrically coupling the bus card to the computer system. 
     Computer System Task—a unit of work performed by a central processing unit in a computer system. A task may include from one to many thousands of central processing unit instructions. 
     Optical Switch—an apparatus including an optical sensor that triggers an electrical relay when light shines on the optical sensor or is removed from the optical sensor. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The following description is presented to enable any person skilled in the art to make and use the invention, and is provided in the context of a particular application and its requirements. Various modifications to the disclosed embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be applied to other embodiments and applications without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Thus, the present invention is not intended to be limited to the embodiments shown, but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and features disclosed herein. 
     Description of Computer System 
     FIG. 1 illustrates a computer system  100  including a bus connector  120  that automatically removes power from a bus card when the bus card is removed from the computer system in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, computer system  100  includes processor  101 , which is coupled to core logic unit  102 . Core logic unit  102  is additionally coupled to memory  104 , and bus  106 . Processor  101  may be any type of processor that can be used in a computing system. This includes, but is not limited to, microprocessors, mainframe processors, and device controllers. Core logic unit  102  includes circuitry to couple processor  101  to memory  104  and to bus  122 . Memory  104  is any type of random access memory that can be used to store code and data for processor  101 . 
     In this embodiment, processor  101  can communicate with additional computer system components across bus  106 . These components are located on bus cards  108 ,  110 ,  112  and  116 . Bus card  108  includes a disk drive controller and is coupled to a disk drive  109 . Disk drive  109  can include any type of nonvolatile storage device for storing code and data used by processor  101 . Bus card  110  includes an audio unit that processes audio signals from the computer system for output through speaker  111 . Bus card  112  includes a network interface controller, which can include any type of interface to a computer network  114 . Bus card  116  includes a graphics unit including graphics processing hardware. Bus card  116  is coupled to display  118 , which can include any type of display that can be used with a computer system. This includes, but is not limited to, a graphical display on a cathode ray tube or a flat panel LCD. 
     In this embodiment, each of bus cards  108 ,  110 ,  112  and  116  are coupled to bus  106  through a separate bus connectors  120 . Bus connectors  120  are designed so that power is removed from a bus connector  120  when a bus card located in the bus connector  120  is removed from computer system  100  while computer system  100  operating. 
     Description of Bus Connector 
     FIG. 2 illustrates part of the internal structure of a bus connector  120  in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. Bus connector  120  includes a physical slot  204  with signal lines  201  coupled to bus  106  through isolation buffers  202 . Physical slot  204  is coupled to power supplies  208  through inrush limiter and switch  206 . Controller  200  is coupled to bus  106 , isolation buffers  202 , physical slot  204  and inrush limiter and switch  206 . Bus  106  may be any type of computer system bus  106 , including a bus designed according to the PCI standard. 
     In this embodiment, a number of signal lines from bus  106  feed into controller  200 . These include GNT signal  214  and CLK signal  212 , which are bus grant and clock signals specified under the PCI bus standard. Controller  200  additionally receives card detect signal  216  from optical card detector  210  within physical slot  204 . Card detect signal  216  is asserted when a bus card is inserted into physical slot  204  causing optical card detector  210  to detect the presence of the card. In this embodiment, optical card detector includes a light emitting diode (LED) which shines onto an optical detector when no bus card is present in physical slot  204 . Light from the LED is blocked from the optical sensor when a bus card is inserted into physical slot  204  so that the bus card is interposed between the LED and the optical sensor. Other embodiments use mechanical switches to detect the presence or absence of a bus card from physical slot  204 . 
     Controller  200  generates an enhanced GNT signal  220  and a slot disable signal  218 . In this embodiment, enhanced GNT signal  220  is asserted whenever GNT signal  214  from bus  106  is asserted and card detect signal  216  is asserted. Enhanced GNT signal  220  is a modified grant signal for a card in physical slot  204 . Enhanced GNT signal  220  is active only when a card is detected in physical slot  204 . Slot disable signal  218  feeds into isolation buffers  202  and inrush limiter and switch  206 . Slot disable signal  218  causes isolation buffers  202  to isolate signal lines  201  from bus  106 . In one embodiment, isolation buffers  202  are implemented as pass transistors. In response to slot disable signal  218 , inrush limiter and switch  206  cause power supplies  208  to be decoupled from physical slot  204 . Inrush limiter and switch  206  additionally limits a surge of current into physical slot  204 . 
     During operation of the system in FIG. 2, optical card detector  210  detects a movement of a bus card from physical slot  204 , and changes card detect signal  216 . Before the bus card is fully disengaged from physical slot  204 , controller  200  responds to the movement by asserting slot disable signal  218 , which causes isolation buffers  202  to isolate signal lines  201  from bus  106 , and causes inrush limiter and switch  206  to remove power from physical slot  204 . In a variation on this embodiment, slot disable signal  218  is delayed so that computer system  100  (from FIG. 1) can complete a bus transaction or a task involving a card in physical slot  204 . Additionally, when no card is detected in physical slot  204 , enhanced GNT signal  220  is disabled. Note that computer system  100  can determine whether physical slot  204  is disabled by reading slot status from bus  106 . 
     Description of Bus Connector Controller 
     FIG. 3 is a state diagram illustrating the operation of controller  200  from FIG. 2 in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, controller  200  takes as input a number of transaction control signals from a bus  106  that conforms to the PCI standard. These signals include: FRAME, IRDY, TRDY, GNT, IDSEL and DEVSEL. The FRAME signal is driven by the current bus initiator and indicates the start and duration of a bus transaction. The IRDY signal is driven by the current bus master. During a write, IRDY being asserted indicates that the initiator is driving valid data onto the bus. During a read, IRDY being asserted indicates that the initiator is ready to accept data from the currently addressed target. The TRDY signal is driven by the currently addressed target on the bus. It is asserted when the target is ready to complete the current data transfer. GNT is asserted when the arbiter has determined that the requesting master should be granted control of the PCI bus. In doing so, the arbiter asserts a GNT line specific to the requesting master. The IDSEL signal is an input to a PCI device that is used as a chip select during an access to one of the device&#39;s configuration registers. The DEVSEL signal is asserted by the target when the target has decoded its address. The state machine additionally receives card detect signal  216  from optical card detector  210  from FIG.  1 . 
     Assume the state machine in FIG. 3 starts in state  300 . In state  300  the bus card is idle. If card detect signal  216  is de-asserted, this indicates that the card is being removed from its bus connector; the system proceeds to state  302 . If a FRAME signal is detected, indicating a bus transaction is taking place, the system proceeds to state  304 . Otherwise, the system remains in state  300 . 
     In state  302 , the slot disable signal is asserted, causing power to be removed from physical slot  204  (from FIG.  2 ), and causing isolation buffers  202  to decouple signal lines  201  from bus  106 . If card detect signal  216  is asserted again. This indicates a card has been inserted into physical slot  204 , and the system returns to state  300 . 
     In state  304 , the system looks for two conditions. Condition A occurs if GNT or IDSEL or /DEVSEL is asserted. If condition A is true, either bus control is being transferred, or a bus device is being initialized or no target has detected its address. In this case, the system proceeds to state  306 . Condition B occurs if bus control is not changing, no device is being initialized and a target has decoded its address. If condition B is true, a normal bus transfer is taking place, and the system proceeds to state  310 . 
     In state  306 , the system looks for the same two conditions. If condition A is true the system proceeds to state  308 . If condition B is true, the system proceeds to state  310 . 
     In state  308 , the system again looks for the same two conditions. If condition A is true, the system returns to state  300 . If condition B is true, the system proceeds to state  310 . 
     In state  310 , a bus transaction is taking place. The system waits for the end of the current PCI bus cycle, which is indicated by /FRAME and IRDY and TRDY. When the end of the current cycle is detected, the system returns to state  300 . Otherwise, the system remains in state  310 . 
     The state diagram illustrated in FIG. 3 effectively causes controller  200  (from FIG. 2) to wait for a bus transaction to complete before disabling physical slot  204 . This prevents the computer system from hanging while waiting for a response from a bus card when the card is disabled in the middle of a bus transaction. 
     Description of Sensor Locations 
     FIG. 4 illustrates an embodiment of the present invention including a mechanical switch  406  located outside of bus connector  402 . In this embodiment, bus card  400  fits into bus connector  402  on printed circuit board (PCB)  404 . When bus card  400  is fully inserted into bus connector  402 , switch  406  is depressed, which indicates that bus card  400  is seated in bus connector  402 . 
     FIG. 5 illustrates an embodiment of the present invention including two switches  502  and  504  located at opposing ends of bus connector  402  in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the two switches  502  and  504  are located inside of bus connector  402 . Furthermore, switches  502  and  504  are located at a furthest insertion distance of bus card  400  into bus connector  402 . This allows switches  502  and  504  to determine when bus card  400  is being moved from bus connector  402 , before bus card  400  is completely removed from bus connector  402 . This enables power to be removed from bus card  400  before the electrical connections from bus card  400  to bus connector  402  are completely disengaged. 
     Providing two switches  502  and  504  at opposing end of bus connector  402  allows the system to detect if either end of bus card  400  is disengaged from bus connector  402 . 
     Description of Operation of System 
     FIG. 6 is a flow chart illustrating the operation of one embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the system starts at state  600  and proceeds to state  602 . In state  602 , the system senses a movement of the bus card using a sensor, such as optical card detector  210  from FIG.  2 . The system then proceeds to state  604 . In state  604 , the system waits until a bus transaction completes so that the bus card is not disabled while a bus transaction involving the bus card is in progress. Details of this waiting are described above with reference to the state diagram in FIG.  3 . The system next advances to state  606 . In state  606 , the system removes power from the bus card. The system next advances to state  608 . In state  608 , the system senses insertion of a new bus card. The system next proceeds to state  610 . In state  610 , the new bus card is reset. The system next advances to state  612 , which is an end state. 
     The foregoing descriptions of embodiments of the invention have been presented for purposes of illustration and description only. They are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the forms disclosed. Obviously, many modifications and variations will be apparent to practitioners skilled in the art.