Sync Network
AssigneeGraphcore Limited
InventorLars Paul HUSE
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The provision of redundancy in a sync network, which protects the sync network against faults, such as broken cables in the sync network. The gateway comprises a sync propagation module configured to provide redundant sync requests that are sent along different pathways in the sync network. These sync requests are sent to towards different masters in the sync network. If a fault occurs at a point in one of the paths, the gateway will still receive a sync acknowledgment returned along the other path. Furthermore, the use of redundant sync networks, propagating the sync requests across different paths, allows fault detection in the wiring to be detected.
Claims20
A sync propagation node comprising circuitry configured to:
- receive one or more sync requests, each of the one or more sync requests originating from one of a plurality of computing devices and being a request for coordinating a barrier synchronisation between the plurality of computing devices;
- in response to receipt of the one or more sync requests, propagate two redundant sync requests by:
- propagating a first of the two redundant sync requests towards a first of two different nodes;
- and
- propagating a second of the two redundant sync requests towards a second of the two different nodes;
- following the propagation of the two redundant sync requests towards the two different nodes, receive from the first of the two different nodes, a first acknowledgment of the first of the two redundant sync requests;
- and
- in response to the receipt of the first acknowledgment, cause further acknowledgments to be returned to ones of the plurality of computing devices from which the one or more sync requests originated.
A system on chip comprising circuitry configured to:
- receive a sync request originating from a first one of a plurality of computing devices and being a request for coordinating a barrier synchronisation between the plurality of computing devices;
- in response to receipt of the sync request, propagate two further sync requests by:
- propagating a first of the two further sync requests towards a first of two different nodes;
- and
- propagating a second of the two further sync requests towards a second of the two different nodes;
- following the propagation of the two further sync requests, receive from the first of the two different nodes, a first acknowledgment of the first of the two further sync requests;
- and
- in response to the receipt of the first acknowledgment, cause a second acknowledgment to be returned to the first one of the plurality of computing devices.
A method comprising:
- receiving a sync request from a first one of a plurality of computing devices and being a request for coordinating a barrier synchronisation between the plurality of computing devices;
- in response to receipt of the sync request:
- propagating a first of two further sync requests towards a first of two different nodes;
- and
- propagating a second of the two further sync requests towards a second of the two different nodes;
- following the propagation of the two further sync requests, receiving from the first of the two different nodes, a first acknowledgment of the first of the two further sync requests;
- and
- in response to the receipt of the first acknowledgment, causing a second acknowledgment to be returned to the first one of the plurality of computing devices.
A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a computer program comprising computer readable instructions, which when executed cause a method to be performed, the method comprising:
- in response to receipt of a sync request originating from a first computing device of a plurality of computing devices:
- propagating a first of two further sync requests towards a first of two different nodes;
- and
- propagating a second of the two further sync requests towards a second of the two different nodes, wherein the sync request and each of the two further sync requests is a request for coordinating a barrier synchronisation between the plurality of computing devices;
- and
- in response to the receipt of a first acknowledgment of the first of the two further sync requests from the first of the two different nodes, causing an acknowledgment to be returned to of the first computing device.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.