Method and Apparatus for Operating a Massively Parallel Computer System to Utilize Idle Processor Capability at Process Synchronization Points

A program product for operating a parallel computer system, said parallel computer system comprising a plurality of parallel components, each component for executing a respective sub-process of a common process in parallel, the program product comprising:

• a plurality of computer executable instructions recorded on signal-bearing media, wherein said instructions cause the computer system to perform the steps of:
• halting a first sub-process of said plurality of sub-processes at a synchronization point of said common process while waiting for at least one other sub-process of said plurality of sub-processes to reach said synchronization point, said first sub-process executing in a first component of said parallel computer system;
• and
• automatically executing a system maintenance operation in said first component while said first sub-process is halted while waiting for at least one other sub-process of said plurality of sub-processes to reach said synchronization point.

A parallel computer system, comprising:

• a plurality of nodes, each node having at least one processor for executing a respective application sub-process of a common process being executed in parallel and a memory accessible by the at least one processor;
• a respective system maintenance function executable in each of a plurality of said nodes;
• and
• an idle utilization mechanism executable in each of a plurality of said nodes, each said idle utilization mechanism determining when a respective sub-process executing in its respective node is halted at a synchronization point of said common process while waiting for at least one other sub-process of said common process to reach said synchronization point, and responsive to such a determination, automatically executing a system maintenance operation while the respective sub-process is halted while waiting for at least one other sub-process of said common process to reach said synchronization point.