US 2013/0212339 A1Published application

Data Coherence Method and Apparatus for Multi-Node Computer System

AssigneeSilicon Graphics International Corp.

InventorsDonglai Dai, Randal Passint

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Abstract

A method for maintaining data coherency in a shared-memory computer system having a plurality of nodes divides the local memory of a given node into one or more blocks and stores a data record for each block indicating a plurality of node groups and a selection of the node groups. Each selected node group represents a number of nodes, and selected node groups represent at least one node that has requested access to the block. In response to receiving an access request from a requesting node that may or may not be in a selected node group, the method and system update the data record to indicate the correct selection. If the requesting node is not in any node group, the data record is adjusted to have new node groups, one of which represents the requesting node.

Claims14

Dependent claims

A method of maintaining the coherency of a local memory of a given node in a computer system having a plurality of processing nodes, each processing node including at least one computing processor and a local memory, wherein a subset of the computing processors cooperate on a common task, the method comprising:

dividing the local memory of the given node into one or more blocks;
in the local memory of the given node, storing a data record for each block of memory in the one or more blocks, each data record comprising:
data indicating a plurality of node groups, each node group representing a number of nodes in the plurality of processing nodes, and
data indicating a selection of node groups in the plurality of node groups, each selected node group representing at least one node that has requested access to the block of memory;
and
in response to receiving a request from a requesting node to access a block of memory in the given node, indicating, in the data record associated with the requested block of memory, a selection of node groups representing at least 1) the nodes already represented by the selection of node groups and 2) the requesting node.

3 more elements

A shared-memory computer system having a plurality of nodes, each node comprising:

at least one computing processor;
a memory, coupled to the at least one computing processor, wherein a subset of the computing processors cooperate on a common task;
and
a directory controller, coupled to the at least one computing processor and the memory, the directory controller being configured to store, for each block of memory in the one or more blocks, a data record comprising:
data indicating a plurality of node groups, each node group representing a number of nodes in the plurality of processing nodes, and
data indicating a selection of node groups in the plurality of node groups, each selected node group representing at least one node that has requested access to the block of memory;
wherein the directory controller is configured to receive a request from a requesting node to access a block of the memory, and to responsively indicate, in the data record associated with the requested block of the memory, a selection of node groups representing at least 1) the nodes already represented by the selection of node groups and 2) the requesting node.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 13/848,546Filed 21 Mar 2013
Priority: 7 Nov 2005
Published: 15 Aug 2013
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification4 codes

G06F 3/0644
Organizing or formatting or addressing of data: management of space entities, e.g. partitions, extents, pools
G06F 12/0817
Cache consistency protocols: using directory methods
G06F 12/0826
Using directory methods: limited pointers directories; State-only directories without pointers
G06F
Computing and data processing

Family

Application11/268,164Continuation · filed 7 Nov 2005
Application13/848,546Continuation
US 2007/0106850 A1Published application
US 8,407,424 B2Related patent
US 8,812,765 B2Related patent
US 2013/0212339 A1This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

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