Parallel computer system

A digital computer comprising:

• A. a plurality of processing elements each performing data processing operations in connection with commands, each processing element also generating and receiving data transfer messages, each including an address portion containing an address, for transfer to another processing elements as identified by the address and further generating and receiving control network messages;
• B. a communications router comprising a plurality of router node groups interconnected in a tree pattern in a series of levels from a lower leaf level to an upper root level, each node group in the leaf level having one router node connected to a processing element, and each node group in levels above the leaf level including a plurality of router nodes, with router nodes in levels below the root level being connected to a plurality of router nodes in the next higher level thereby forming a fat-tree structure, each node receiving data transfer messages and coupling them to another node or to a processing element connected thereto as determined by the address in the respective address portion;
• and
• C. a control network comprising a like plurality of control network node groups interconnected in a like tree pattern in a series of levels from a lower leaf level to an upper physical root level, each control network node group below the upper root level receiving control network messages from a processing element or a lower-level control network node group and generating a control network message in response thereto for transmission to a higher-level control network node group, and receiving control network messages from a higher-level control network node group and generating control network messages in response thereto for transmission to lower-level control network node groups, the control network node group at the root level generating control network messages for transmission to the lower level control network node groups in response to control network messages received therefrom.

A digital computer comprising:

• A. a plurality of processing elements each performing data processing operations in connection with commands, each processing element also generating and receiving data transfer messages, each including an address portion containing an address, for transfer to another processing elements as identified by the address and further generating and receiving control network messages;
• B. at least one scalar processor for generating control network messages containing commands for processing by said processing elements;
• C. a control network comprising a plurality of control network nodes interconnected in a tree pattern in a series of levels from a lower leaf level to an upper root level, control network nodes in the leaf level being connected to said processing elements and said scalar processor,
• i. said control network nodes below the root level, upon receiving a control network message containing a command from the scalar processor or a lower-level control network node, generating a control network message for transmission to a higher-level control network node, and
• ii. the root control network node, upon receiving a control network message containing a command from a lower-level control network node, and the lower-level control network nodes, upon receiving a control network message containing a command from a higher-level control network node, generating control network messages containing the command from transmission to lower-level control network nodes and the processing elements, thereby to transmit messages containing a command to all of the processing elements;
• and
• D. a communications router comprising a like plurality of router nodes interconnected in a tree pattern in a series of levels from a lower leaf level to an upper root level, router nodes in the leaf level being connected to said processing elements, the nodes receiving data transfer messages and coupling them to another node or to a processing element connected thereto as determined by the address in the respective address portion.

A message generating element for generating messages for transmission over a routing network comprising a plurality of router nodes interconnected in a tree pattern in a series of levels from a leaf level to a root level, each node being connected to a parent node at a higher level and a child node at a lower level and at least some of said nodes being connected to a plurality of child nodes to thereby define a tree pattern, the nodes at the leaf level being connected to receive messages from and transmit messages to the message generating elements, each message having an address portion including a level identifier portion containing a level identifier value and a destination identifier portion containing a destination path identifier value, said message generating elements being identified by a message generating element identifier identifying the relative position of its connection to a routing network, said message generating element including an address generator for generating said level identifier value and said destination path identifier value comprising:

• A. an absolute address generator responsive to generation of a message for generating an absolute address value corresponding to the message generating element identifier for a message generating element to receive the message;
• B. a height value generating portion for generating a level identifier value in response to the absolute address value generated by the absolute address generator and the message generating element identifier of the message generating element that is generating the message;
• C. an address combiner for generating said address portion in response to the level identifier value generated by the height value generating portion and said absolute address generated by said absolute address generator.