US 6,665,699 B1Granted

Method and data processing system providing processor affinity dispatching

AssigneeBull HN Information Systems Inc.

InventorsJesse D. Hunter, Michel Brown, David A. Egolf, Jon Keil, Michael Meduna

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Abstract

A processor in a data processing system having multiple cache memories performs cache memory or processor module affinity dispatchin. Processes awaiting dispatch are stored in prioritized queues. Each queue has a priority chain, and a chain for each cache memory or processor module, with each chain containing processes ready for dispatch. The dispatcher checks the queues in priority order, starting with the priority chain for a queue, followed by the chain corresponding to the cache memory or processor module that the process last executed upon, followed by chains corresponding to other cache memories or processor modules.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A method of dispatching a dispatch unit of work ready for execution in an operating system supporting a plurality of processors, wherein:

a dispatcher in the operating system utilizes a set of queues for dispatching units of work queued for execution by the plurality of processors, with each queue of the set of queues having a plurality of chains of dispatch units of work, each dispatch unit of work being scheduled for execution when queued on one of the plurality of chains according to which component was utilized to execute the dispatch unit of work;
and
a selected queue is one of the set of queues;
said dispatching method comprising:
A) selecting a first chain from the plurality of chains in the selected queue as a primary chain, wherein:
the selecting of the first chain utilizes an identification of a component in a data processing system that will be utilized to execute a queued dispatch unit of work when dispatched;
B) testing the primary chain in the selected queue for the dispatch unit of work to dispatch;
C) selecting that dispatch unit of work from the primary chain in the selected queue as a next unit of work to dispatch if the primary chain in the selected queue contains a dispatch unit of work to dispatch;
D) selecting a second chain from the plurality of chains in the selected queue as a secondary chain if the next unit of work has not been selected, wherein:
the selecting of the second chain utilizes the identification of the component in the data processing system that will be utilized to execute the queued dispatch unit of work when dispatched;
E) testing the secondary chain in the selected queue for the dispatch unit of work to dispatch if the next unit of work has not been selected;
F) selecting that dispatch unit of work from the secondary chain in the selected queue as the next unit of work to dispatch if the secondary chain in the selected queue contains the dispatch unit of work to dispatch;
and
G) dispatching the next unit of work to dispatch.

11 more elements

Dispatcher software in an operating system stored in a memory in a data processing system for dispatching a dispatch unit of work ready for execution in the operating system supporting a plurality of processors, wherein:

the dispatcher software utilizes a set of queues for dispatching units of work queued for execution by the plurality of processors, with each of the set of queues having a plurality of chains of dispatch units, each dispatch unit of work being scheduled for execution when queued on one of the plurality of chains according to which component was utilized to execute the dispatch unit of work and
a selected queue is one of the set of queues;
said dispatcher software comprising:
A) a set of computer instructions stored in the memory for selecting a first chain from the plurality of chains in the selected queue as a primary chain, wherein:
the selecting of the first chain utilizes an identification of a component in the data processing system that will be utilized to execute a queued dispatch unit of work when dispatched;
B) a set of computer instructions stored in the memory for testing the primary chain in the selected queue for the dispatch unit of work to dispatch;
C) a set of computer instructions stored in the memory for selecting that dispatch unit of work from the primary chain in the selected queue as a next unit of work to dispatch if the primary chain in the selected queue contains the dispatch unit of work to dispatch;
D) a set of computer instructions stored in the memory for selecting a second chain from the plurality of chains in the selected queue as a secondary chain if the next unit of work has not been selected, wherein:
the selecting of the second chain utilizes the identification of the component in the data processing system that will be utilized to execute the queued dispatch unit of work when dispatched;
E) a set of computer instructions stored in the memory for testing the secondary chain in the selected queue for the dispatch unit of work to dispatch if the next unit of work has not been selected;
F) a set of computer instructions stored in the memory for selecting that dispatch unit of work from the secondary chain in the selected queue as the next unit of work to dispatch if the secondary chain in the selected queue contains the unit of work to dispatch;
and
G) a set of computer instructions stored in the memory for dispatching the next unit of work to dispatch.

10 more elements

A dispatch queue storage structure for storing a plurality of dispatch units of work in a memory for access by dispatcher software in an operating system for selecting a next unit of work ready for execution to dispatch, said dispatcher software being executed in a data processing system for determining process execution, the dispatch queue storage structure comprising:

a plurality of queues, wherein each queue of the plurality of queues comprises:
a first chain of dispatch units of work and
a second chain of dispatch units of work;
each dispatch unit of work being scheduled for execution when queued on one of the plurality of chains according to which component was utilized to execute the dispatch unit of work
wherein:
the data processing system comprises a first set of components and a second set of components;
an execution environment component is a component that is utilized to execute the next unit of work to dispatch;
and
for each of the plurality of queues:
the first chain of dispatch units of work is searched for the next queued unit of work to dispatch before the second chain of dispatch units of work when the execution environment component is in the first set of components;
and
the second chain of dispatch units of work is searched for the next queued unit of work to dispatch before the first chain of dispatch units of work when the execution environment component is in the second set of components.

9 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.