Connecting accelerator resources using a switch

At least one non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions for being executed by at least one machine, the at least one machine being associated with an interconnect retimer switch, the interconnect retimer switch being for use incommunicatively coupling central processing unit (CPU) nodes and resource nodes, the CPU nodes to be coupled to the interconnect retimer switch via switch interfaces, the interconnect retimer switch comprising (1) ports to be communicatively coupled to the CPU nodes and the resource nodes, (2) multiplexers associated with the ports, and (3) at least one Link Training Status State Machine (LTSSM)-related circuit, the instructions, when executed, resulting in performance of operations comprising:

• configuring the multiplexers to provide selectable communication paths between respective ones of the ports so as to selectively communicatively couple respective of the CPU nodes with respective of the resource nodes;
• and
• using the at least one LTSSM-related circuit in association with connection establishment between at least one of the CPU nodes and at least one of the resource nodes;
• wherein:
• the switch interfaces permit communication with the CPU nodes via multiple interconnect protocols;
• the multiple interconnect protocols include Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (PCIe) protocol;
• the interconnect retimer switch is configured for use with the multiple interconnect protocols;
• and
• the multiplexers are configurable based upon configuration data to be provided from management software to the interconnect retimer switch,
• wherein:
• the interconnect retimer switch is configured to use Flexbus interconnect protocol;
• the multiple interconnect protocols also comprise Intel Accelerator Link protocol, and
• the interconnect retimer switch is configured to perform data processing operations related to serial to parallel format conversion, data alignment, decoding, descrambling, and buffering.

A method implemented, at least in part, using an interconnect retimer switch, the interconnect retimer switch being for use in communicatively coupling central processing unit (CPU) nodes and resource nodes, the CPU nodes to be coupled to the interconnect retimer switch via switch interfaces, the interconnect retimer switch comprising (1) ports to be communicatively coupled to the CPU nodes and the resource nodes, (2) multiplexers associated with the ports, and (3) at least one Link Training Status State Machine (LTSSM)-related circuit, the method comprising:

• configuring the multiplexers to provide selectable communication paths between respective ones of the ports so as to selectively communicatively couple respective of the CPU nodes with respective of the resource nodes;
• and
• using the at least one LTSSM-related circuit in association with connection establishment between at least one of the CPU nodes and at least one of the resource nodes;
• wherein:
• the switch interfaces permit communication with the CPU nodes via multiple interconnect protocols;
• the multiple interconnect protocols include Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (PCIe) protocol;
• the interconnect retimer switch is configured for use with the multiple interconnect protocols;
• and
• the multiplexers are configurable based upon configuration data to be provided from management software to the interconnect retimer switch;
• wherein:
• the interconnect retimer switch is configured to use Flexbus interconnect protocol;
• the multiple interconnect protocols also comprise Intel Accelerator Link protocol;
• and
• the interconnect retimer switch is configured to perform data processing operations related to serial to parallel format conversion, data alignment, decoding, descrambling, and buffering.

A rack system usable in association with a data center, the rack system comprising:

• central processing unit (CPU) nodes;
• resource nodes;
• switch interfaces;
• and
• an interconnect retimer switch for use in communicatively coupling the CPU nodes and the resource nodes, the CPU nodes to be coupled to the interconnect retimer switch via the switch interfaces, the interconnect retimer switch comprising:
• ports to be communicatively coupled to the CPU nodes and the resource nodes;
• multiplexers associated with the ports, the multiplexers being configurable to provide selectable communication paths between respective ones of the ports so as to selectively communicatively couple respective of the CPU nodes with respective of the resource nodes;
• and
• at least one Link Training Status State Machine (LTSSM)-related circuit for use in association with connection establishment between at least one of the CPU nodes and at least one of the resource nodes;
• wherein:
• the switch interfaces permit communication with the CPU nodes via multiple interconnect protocols;
• the multiple interconnect protocols include Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (PCIe) protocol;
• the interconnect retimer switch is configured for use with the multiple interconnect protocols, and
• the multiplexers are configurable based upon configuration data to be provided from management software to the interconnect retimer switch;
• wherein:
• the interconnect retimer switch is configured to use Flexbus interconnect protocol;
• the multiple interconnect protocols also comprise Intel Accelerator Link protocol;
• and
• the interconnect retimer switch is configured to perform data processing operations related to serial to parallel format conversion, data alignment, decoding, descrambling, and buffering.