Method and apparatus for providing remote memory access in a distributed memory multiprocessor system

In a massively parallel data processing system having a plurality of nodes, with the nodes connected together through a network, wherein each node includes a processor;

• a memory for storing data;
• a processor bus coupling the processor to the memory for facilitating communication and data transfer to and from the processor and the memory;
• and a remote memory access controller, coupled to the bus, for detecting and processing remote memory access requests, said remote memory access controller comprising:
• (a) a remote memory access request mapping module coupled to the processor bus for detecting a remote memory access request;
• (b) a processor bus interface coupled to the processor bus and the remote memory access request mapping module for providing an interface between the processor and the remote memory access controller;
• (c) a packet generator coupled to the processor bus interface, said processor bus interface receiving a remote memory request, accessing a route table for network route information, and generating a request packet having said network route information, said request packet suitable for transmission on the network;
• (d) a packet decoder coupled to the processor bus interface for decoding response packets and request packets into a corresponding response and request;
• (e) a bus master module coupled to the packet decoder and to the packet generator, for implementing a remote memory access protocol;
• and
• (f) a network protocol interface coupled to the network, said network protocol interface having at least two lanes, said network protocol interface receiving request packets from the network and sending response packets to the network and detecting network errors in the response and request packets, said network protocol interface adapted to handle multiple outstanding requests and responses.