A multi-processor computer system permits various types of partitions to
be implemented to contain and isolate hardware failures. The various
types of partitions include hard, semi-hard, firm, and soft partitions.
Each partition can include one or more processors. Upon detecting a
failure associated with a processor, the connection to adjacent
processors in the system can be severed, thereby precluding corrupted
data from contaminating the rest of the system. If an inter-processor
connection is severed, message traffic in the system can become congested
as messages become backed up in other processors. Accordingly, each
processor includes various timers to monitor for traffic congestion that
may be due to a severed connection. Rather than letting the processor
continue to wait to be able to transmit its messages, the timers will
expire at preprogrammed time periods and the processor will take
appropriate action, such as simply dropping queued messages, to keep the
system from locking up.