EP0539313A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
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Method and apparatus for simulating I/O devices
Assignee: International Business Machines Corp
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Filing: 1992-09-25
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2012-09-25
Abstract
Abstract A computer system comprises a CPU (101), a main memory (102), and a plurality of I/O Processors (IOPs) (111-118), coupled to each other by a system I/O bus (105). The IOPs perform slave processing functions relating to I/O devices. A simulation protocol is defined for the IOPs, whereby the host CPU can command an IOP to execute a simulation script. The simulation script defines one or more I/O devices to be simulated, and specifies a simulated workload associated with the devices. The IOP executes the simulation script by sending simulated input streams to the host and receiving output destined for the simulated I/O devices from the host on the system I/O bus. An IOP may simulate multiple I/O devices, and may simulate I/O devices concurrently with servicing real I/O devices. In typical use, one or more applications programs will execute on the CPU concurrently with the execution of one or more simulation scripts in the IOPs attached to the system I/O bus. The behavior of the system under such conditions can be used for capacity planning forecasts, for developing and debugging the application software, for reproducing and diagnosing intermittent error conditions, or for performing other tasks in which it is necessary to determine the characteristics of the system under hypothetical conditions.
Inventors
- 👤 Mark Arnold Boegel
- 👤 Douglas Olaf Bolstad
- 👤 Steven Arthur Knight
- 👤 Harvey Gene Kiel
- 👤 Robert Russell Nelson
- 👤 Pamela Ann Wright
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-29 15:37
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06F; G06F11/00; G06F11/36; G06F11/3698; G06F11/22; G06F11/26; G06F11/261; G06F13/00; G06F13/10; G06F13/105; G06F11/30; G06F11/34; G06F11/3409; G06F11/3414; G06F11/3442
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 17
Claim 1
Independent Claim
67 words
A computer system comprising: a central processing unit; a system I/O bus coupled to said central processing unit; an I/O processor assembly coupled to said system I/O bus, said I/O processor assembly comprising a programmable processor and a local memory for storing instructions capable of execution on said programmable processor; and means in said I/O processor assembly for simulating an I/O device to said system I/O bus.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
24 words
The computer system of claim 1, wherein said means for simulating an I/O device comprises means for simulating a plurality of I/O devices simultaneously.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
40 words
The computer system of claim 1, further comprising: a real I/O device coupled to said I/O processor assembly; wherein said means for simulating an I/O device comprises means for simulating an I/O device concurrently with servicing said real I/O device.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
38 words
The computer system of claim 1, wherein said means for simulating an I/O device comprises: means for receiving a simulation script from said system I/O bus; and means for executing said simulation script to simulate an I/O device.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
26 words
The computer system of claim 4, wherein said simulation script comprises a plurality of data bytes representing simulated input data and a plurality of imbedded commands.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
32 words
The computer system of claim 4, wherein said means for executing said simulation script comprises a plurality of instructions stored in said local memory and capable of execution on said programmable processor.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
24 words
The computer system of claim 6, wherein said means for simulating an I/O device comprises means for simulating a plurality of I/O devices simultaneously.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
40 words
The computer system of claim 6, further comprising: a real I/O device coupled to said I/O processor assembly; wherein said means for simulating an I/O device comprises means for simulating an I/O device concurrently with servicing said real I/O device.
Claim 9
Independent Claim
81 words
A method for performing introspective tasks on a computer system, having a central processing unit, a system I/O bus, and an I/O processor assembly coupled to said system I/O bus, said method comprising the steps of: receiving a command with said I/O processor assembly from said system I/O bus to simulate an I/O device; generating, with said I/O processor assembly, a plurality of simulated data streams; transmitting, with said I/O processor assembly, said simulated data streams on said system I/O bus.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
32 words
The method for performing introspective tasks on a computer system of claim 9, further comprising the step of: receiving, with said I/O processor assembly, output destined for said I/O device being simulated.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
56 words
The method for performing introspective tasks on a computer system of claim 9, wherein: said command received with said I/O processor assembly commands said I/O processor to simulate a plurality of I/O devices simultaneously; and said generating and transmitting steps generate and transmit a plurality of data streams from said plurality of simulated I/O devices simultaneously.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
52 words
The method for performing introspective tasks on a computer system of claim 9, further comprising the step of: servicing, with said I/O processor assembly, a real I/O device coupled to said I/O processor assembly, wherein said servicing step is performed concurrently with said steps of generating and transmitting said simulated data streams.
Claim 13
Independent Claim
89 words
A method for simulating the performance of a hypothetical computer system having a first number of I/O devices with a real computer system having a second number of I/O devices, wherein said first number is greater than said second number, comprising the steps of: defining a plurality of I/O devices to be simulated by said real computer system; commanding an I/O processor attached to said real computer system to simulate said I/O devices to be simulated; simulating, with said I/O processor, said I/O devices to said real computer system.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
42 words
The method of claim 13, wherein said simulation is performed as part of a capacity planning task executed by said real computer system, in which information concerning the operational characteristics of said hypothetical system is used to perform said capacity planning task.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
51 words
The method of claim 13, wherein said simulation is performed as part of a software development task executed by said real computer system to develop a software module, in which information concerning the operational characteristics of said hypothetical system executing said software module is used to perform said software development task.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
31 words
The method of claim 13, wherein said commanding step comprises sending a simulation script to said I/O processor, and said simulating step comprises executing said simulation script with said I/O processor.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method of claim 16, wherein said simulation script comprises a plurality of data bytes representing simulated input data and a plurality of imbedded commands.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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