Patent ID: 8195589

Claim:
Apparatus for dynamically determining a primary adapter in a heterogeneous N-way adapter configuration comprising: a plurality of host computer systems, each said host computer systems connected to at least one adapter; each of the plurality of adapters connected to a communication network, each adapter connected by said communication network to at least one device and to all other adapters; each said adapter generating information about itself including providing vital product data (VPD); said VPD including a predefined model number of the adapter and a current level of the firmware executing on the adapter; and each of the respective adapters generating a scalar value using a respective algorithm for the respective adapter to determine the generated scalar value, said scalar value indicating a capability of the respective adapter; each of the adapters exchanging the adapter-generated information including said VPD with all other adapters and each of the adapters utilizing the exchanged information including said VPD and identifying a decision-making adapter of the plurality of adapters; said identified decision-making adapter comparing the adapter-generated information of each of the adapters and making a decision determining the primary adapter; said identified decision-making adapter notifying all other adapters of said determined primary adapter; and said determined primary adapter assuming a role as the primary adapter and the other adapters assuming a role as a secondary adapter; said primary adapter controlling said at least one device; and each said secondary adapter forwarding commands to said primary adapter for processing.