Patent ID: 7685335

Claim:
A multi-partitioned data processing system, comprising a multi-processor data processing system server having a plurality of processors, a main memory, a plurality of partitions and a plurality of system images, wherein a system image of the plurality of the system images is executable in a given partition associated with each one of the plurality of processors, said data processing system further comprising: a fibre channel adapter comprising a processor port, a plurality of fibre channel device ports and a plurality of queues, wherein one of the plurality of queues is accessible by one of the plurality of processors and another of the plurality of queues is accessible by another of the plurality of processors; a first device coupled to one of the plurality of fibre channel device ports and a second device coupled to another of the plurality of fibre channel device ports, wherein a first system image of the plurality of system images is executable in a first partition and accesses the first device using at least one first queue of the plurality of queues while a second system image of the plurality of system images is executable in a second partition and accesses the second device using at least one second queue of the plurality of queues; and a supervisor system, separate from the plurality of partitions, that (1) configures the plurality of queues of the fibre channel adapter to enable access to the plurality of queues by the first system image and the second system image, and (2) enforces local partitioning of the plurality of partitions by prohibiting one partition from accessing memory of the main memory that is associated with another partition of the plurality of partitions, wherein one partition associated with one of the plurality of processors is a hosting partition that configures the plurality of queues of the fibre channel adapter as specified by the supervisor system.