Raymond Chi Wan Ho

US Patent:

6594150, Jul 15, 2003

Filed:

Feb 2, 2001

Appl. No.:

09/776455

Inventors:

Richard Creason - Palo Alto CA
Clifford B. Willis - Tracy CA
Denise Silverman - San Carlos CA
Michael Sean White - San Jose CA
David M. Arstein - Scotts Valley CA
Timothy E. Mautz - San Francisco CA
Steve M. Wilson - San Jose CA
Raymond Kai Ho - San Jose CA
Kaamel Kermaani - Cupertino CA
Carl Meert - Sunnyvale CA
Vince Hileman - Sunnyvale CA

Assignee:

Sun Microsystems, Inc. - Santa Clara CA

International Classification:

H05K 114

US Classification:

361727, 361679, 345503, 439 61

Abstract:

A computer system comprising a chassis and housing removable servers supported in subchassis, each chassis having optional front or read cable access. Power and signal connectivity to the servers may be made from the front or rear of the system. The subchassis may be half the width of the chassis or a quarter of a width of the chassis. The subchassis further include an upper bay and a lower bay as well as a plurality of field replaceable units, which all may be access through the front of the chassis. One or more of the field replaceable units connect to the system through a midplane, located within the subchassis.

US Patent:

20020158770, Oct 31, 2002

Filed:

Apr 27, 2001

Appl. No.:

09/844844

Inventors:

Shakil Ahmed - Newark CA, US
David Rudy - Austin TX, US
Denise Silverman - San Carlos CA, US
Timothy Mautz - San Anselmo CA, US
Raymond Ho - San Jose CA, US

International Classification:

G08B021/00

US Classification:

340/686400, 340/635000, 439/490000

Abstract:

An apparatus and method for communicating configuration information are disclosed. A live insertion device has a status, or configuration, such as a state of readiness to be removed from a powered up computer and a state of readiness to operate. The removal readiness may include factors such as whether the live insertion device is related to ongoing processes, such that immediate removal would cause errors. The operational readiness may includes factors such as whether the relevant software is ready and whether the live insertion device can function. The live insertion device also has a seating state, such as whether the live insertion device is properly physically positioned in or coupled to the computer. Prior to an attempt at removing and/or operating the live insertion device, the configuration state of the live insertion device can be verified via an indicator that receives the configuration information about the live insertion device.

US Patent:

20040073833, Apr 15, 2004

Filed:

Oct 10, 2002

Appl. No.:

10/268325

Inventors:

Ramani Krishnamurthy - Fremont CA, US
Raymond Ho - San Jose CA, US
Viswanath Krishnamurthy - Sunnyvale CA, US

Assignee:

Sun Microsystems, Inc.

International Classification:

G06F015/00
G06F015/76

US Classification:

714/010000, 714/031000

Abstract:

An interconnect system connects two drawer management cards (DMCs) of a drawer. The drawer contains a plurality of independent nodes. The nodes are managed by at least two DMCs. Thus, if one of the DMCs fails, the other DMC can take over and manage the drawer. In one embodiment of the invention, the nodes within the drawer are managed through an Intelligent Platform Management Bus (IPMB). The other field replaceble units (FRUs) or hardware components in the drawer, such as fans, power supplies, etc., may be managed using an Inter Integrated Circuit bus (I2C). The first and second DMCs are interconnected with each other within a chassis of the drawer. The two DMCs are also interconnected with the management channels (e.g., buses) of the drawer. During power up, the first DMC and the second DMC on the drawer may determine, whether the DMC's are interconnected (or not). The DMCs then decide each of their roles (i.e., determining which DMC should be in an active state and which DMC should be in a standby state). Thus, by interconnecting (e.g., the IPMBs and I2Cs of) the two DMC's, both of the DMC's are able to manage nodes on a drawer and the drawer is allowed to operate uninterrupted in the event of a failure or inoperativeness of one of the DMCs.

US Patent:

20040246982, Dec 9, 2004

Filed:

Jun 6, 2003

Appl. No.:

10/455938

Inventors:

Ramani Krishnamurthy - Fremont CA, US
Raymond Ho - San Jose CA, US
Balkar Sidhu - San Jose CA, US

Assignee:

SUN MICROSYSTEMS, INC.

International Classification:

H04L012/56

US Classification:

370/422000

Abstract:

A method and system is adapted to provide for a low-cost and highly flexible system that can control and change configurations on one or more segments of a Compact Peripheral Component Interconnect Packet Switching Backplane (CPCI/PSB or CPCI and CPSB) during the backplane's lifetime that overcomes the limitations of the prior art. In one embodiment of the present invention, the segments are configurable to either a CPCI and CPSB configuration or a CPSB only configuration by controlling a CPCI indication signal, such as a PCI_PRESENT# signal. The PCI_PRESENT# signal of the present invention is to be controlled by a Chassis Management Controller (CMC) and the CMC software is used to configure each of the segments by driving zero or one on the segments (instead of hardwiring these segments to ground or open during the manufacturing of the backplane). This embodiment allows for the flexibility to configure each of the segments to either a CPCI and CPSB configuration or a CPSB only configuration and provides the flexibility to support CPCI and CPSB front cards (or interface boards) in a host-less (e.g., CPSB only) environment and/or host (e.g., CPCI and CPSB) environment.

Author:

Raymond Ho

ISBN #:

0768420733

Author:

Raymond Ho

ISBN #:

0768421691