Message-passing multiprocessor system
DCFirst Claim
1. A network interface for a computer system in which a plurality of nodes are connected with one another through an interconnection network for communicating messages which include data messages, each node including at least one processor and a local shared memory which are connected with one another through a node bus and connected through the network interface to the interconnection network, the network interface comprises:
- a local bus which provides a parallel path for transferring data in said network interface;
a bus connection means for connecting the node bus and said local bus;
a sending means connected to said local bus for packetizing messages requested by the processor, and if a data message, for reading the data portion of the message out of the local shared memory through said local bus, the bus connection means and the node bus to produce a packet, and sending the packet to the interconnection network, said sending means including;
a temporary storage means for transmission for temporarily storing data, to the interconnection network;
a transfer control means for controlling a series of operations thereof by packetizing the messages for transfer requested by the processor, to send the packet to the interconnection network; and
a direct memory access means for directly reading out the data portion of the data messages from the local shared memory; and
a receiving means connected to said local bus for receiving a packet from the interconnection network, restoring the packet to produce a restored message and, if a data message, storing the data portion of the restored message in the local shared memory through said local bus, the bus connection means and the node bus.
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Abstract
A message-passing multiprocessor system, such as, a network interface, a method for transferring messages between a node and a node, and a method for formatting the same in a message-passing computer system are disclosed herein. In the network interface for a computer system there are a plurality of nodes connected with one another through an interconnection network for communicating messages, and more than one processor, and a local shared memory, which are connected with one another through a node bus. These components are connected via the network interface to the interconnection network, the multiprocessor comprises a local bus acting as a path for transferring data in the network interface, a bus connection for connecting the node bus and the local bus, a transferring component for packetizing the messages requested by the processor, if data message, by reading them out from the local shared memory via the local bus, the bus connection and the node bus to produce a packet, and sending the packet to the interconnection network, and a receiver for receiving the message packet from the interconnection network, restoring it to produce a restored message and, if data portion of the data message, storing the restored packet body into the local shared memory through the local bus, the bus connection and the node bus.
104 Citations
52 Claims
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1. A network interface for a computer system in which a plurality of nodes are connected with one another through an interconnection network for communicating messages which include data messages, each node including at least one processor and a local shared memory which are connected with one another through a node bus and connected through the network interface to the interconnection network, the network interface comprises:
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a local bus which provides a parallel path for transferring data in said network interface; a bus connection means for connecting the node bus and said local bus; a sending means connected to said local bus for packetizing messages requested by the processor, and if a data message, for reading the data portion of the message out of the local shared memory through said local bus, the bus connection means and the node bus to produce a packet, and sending the packet to the interconnection network, said sending means including; a temporary storage means for transmission for temporarily storing data, to the interconnection network; a transfer control means for controlling a series of operations thereof by packetizing the messages for transfer requested by the processor, to send the packet to the interconnection network; and a direct memory access means for directly reading out the data portion of the data messages from the local shared memory; and a receiving means connected to said local bus for receiving a packet from the interconnection network, restoring the packet to produce a restored message and, if a data message, storing the data portion of the restored message in the local shared memory through said local bus, the bus connection means and the node bus. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. In a message-passing computer system in which a plurality of source nodes and destination nodes are connected with one another through an interconnection network for communicating messages, and more than one of processors and a local shared memory, which are connected with one another through a node bus, and are connected through a network interface to the interconnection network, a method of transmitting messages at the source nodes comprises the steps of:
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a) requesting transfer of the messages to the network interface at the source node by the processor at the source node, wherein the requesting step a) comprises the step of storing control message or data transfer information of data message into the temporary storage means for transmission in the network interface at the source node by the processor at the source node in order to request the transfer of the messages; b) reading out the data portion of data message to be transferred from the local shared memory by the network interface at the source node; c) packetizing the messages by the network interface at the source node to produce a message packet and transfer the message packet to the destination node; d) receiving an acknowledgement packet from the destination node by the network interface at the source node; and e) enabling a transfer completing interrupt. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8)
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9. In a message-passaging computer system in which a plurality of source nodes and destination nodes are connected with one another through an interconnection network for communicating messages, and more than one of processors and a local shared memory, which are connected with one another through a node bus, are connected through a network interface to the interconnection network, a method of receiving messages at the destination nodes comprises the steps of:
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a) receiving a packet for restoring an original packet body from the packet by the network interface at the destination node; b) transferring a corresponding acknowledgment packet depending on the restored packet body to the source node by the network interface at the destination node, wherein the transferring step b) comprises the steps of; b-1) determining as to whether there is an error in the packet body restored by receiving at the receiving step a), by the network interface at the destination node; b-2) if it is determined that there is an error in the packet body at the step b-1), transferring the error acknowledgment packet to the source node and ending the procedure by the network interface at the destination node; b-3) if it is determined that there is no error in the packet body at the step b-1), determining as to whether or not the packet body is data transfer information or it is the end of the messages; and b-4) if it is determined that the packet body is the data transfer information or it is the end of the messages at the determining step b-3), transferring the corresponding acknowledgment packet to the source node by the network interface at the destination node; c) storing a data packet into the local shared memory at the destination node by the network interface at the destination node; and d) informing the processor at the destination node of the fact that a message receiving has been completed, by the processor at the source node. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11)
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13. In a message-passing computer system in which a plurality of source nodes and destination nodes are connected with one another through an interconnection network for communicating messages, and a plurality of processors and a local shared memory, which are connected with one another through a node bus, are connected through a network interface to the interconnection network, a method of formatting different types of messages which are transmitted in the computer system, the method including
formatting each message to indicate whether the message is: -
a data message which is a direct object to transfer data; a broadcast control message a point-to-point control message; and a multicast control message If a broadcast or a point-to-point control message, formatting such control message to include different control information required for a broadcast transfer for transferring the messages to all of the nodes connected to the interconnection network, and a point-to-point transfer by the network interface; if a multicast control message formatting such control message to include different control information required for a multicast transfer; and formatting a control information flit to include information on a transfer packet. - View Dependent Claims (12, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52)
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Specification