Overview of Intel QuickPath Interconnect System Initialization

After two components based on Intel QuickPath Interconnect (Intel QPI) technology establish a connection between themselves, they can reliably send information back and forth. Consider this quote by Henry David Thoreau: "Reacting to the news that Maine and Texas had been connected by telegraph lines—The point at issue is not whether Maine and Texas may now talk to one another, but rather whether they have anything significant to say." What shall we do with that connection? This article describes the first steps in the effective use of those communication pathways, the process of initializing the entire system so that the system can perform the overall function for which it was intended.