The present invention relates to the identification of a node in a data processing input/output system, and more particularly relates to the identification of a neighboring node during the definition of a data processing input/output system.
Many times in the operation of a data processing input/output (I/O) system, it is desirable to know the identity of the neighboring node. Such information is particularly helpful in such applications as reporting a broken data transmission line or in selecting an alternate route through an I/O network to avoid a fault or suspected fault.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,693,161 to Price et al. issued Sept. 19, 1972 for Apparatus for Interrogating the Availability of a Communication Path to a Peripheral Device and discloses a computer system in which one or more processors interrogate the input/output system to determine whether communication paths are available to the respective peripheral units. A particular peripheral unit is identified by a coded signal from a processor.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,360,870 to McVey issued Nov. 23, 1982 for Programmable I/O Device Identification and discloses a computer system in which each I/O device is loaded with a unique assigned identifier. The identifiers are assigned in an ordered priority by device type.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,589,063 to Shah et al. issued May 13, 1986 for Data Processing System Having Automatic Configuration and discloses a method and apparatus for automatic configuration of a computer system. One or more of several I/O devices are interfaced to the system through I/O boards that plug into various option slots in a system motherboard Each of the I/O devices includes a controlling device driver module. Each driver module is self-identifying.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,638,313 to Sherwood, Jr. et al. issued Jan. 20, 1987 for Addressing for a Multipoint Communication System for Patient Monitoring and discloses a method for dynamically assigning addresses to new modules as they are coupled to a communication system. At power up, a process is disclosed which is used by a primary station to assign an address to each module in an order derived from the serial number of the module.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,939,726 to Flammer et al. issued Jul. 3, 1990 for Method for Routing Packets in a Packet Communication Network and discloses a packet network method and system in which each node in the network is uniquely identified by absolute geographical coordinates or by a code indicating absolute location in an external coordinate-based reference system.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,953,072 to Williams issued Aug. 28, 1990 for Node For Servicing Interrupt Request Messages on a Pended Bus and discloses an interrupt servicing node whose ID is generated using a unique set of wires from the backplane that are hardcoded with the particular ID for the slot in which the node resides.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,003,508 to Hall issued Mar. 26, 1991 for Linear Nearest Neighbor Interconnect Bus System and discloses an apparatus for providing data communication between concurrently operating random access memory and processing devices including a set of interface nodes interconnected in series by bidirectional buses. Each node also includes means for receiving data from any nearest neighbor node to which it is connected, and to forward to nearest neighbor nodes messages generated by a processing device to which it is connected.