US 7,096,306 B2 · Distributed system with cross-connect interconnect transaction aliasing

Abstract

An aliasing technique allows transparently connecting multiple interconnects across a shared cross-connect interconnect, allowing devices on one interconnect to communicate with devices on another interconnect as if both interconnects were connected by a single interconnect bridge. Each interconnect appears to the cross-connect interconnect as a device on the cross-connect interconnect. Transactions between devices on different interconnects are aliased by a routing engine connected to the cross-connect interconnect for transmittal across the cross-connect interconnect and are invisible to other transactions on the cross-connect interconnect. Transactions between devices on the same interconnect are invisible to other interconnects. Cache coherent requests are supported by the use of additional attribute bits.

Claims31

Dependent claims

A distributed computer system, comprising:

a first subsystem;
a second subsystem;
and
a cross-connect subsystem, couplable to the first subsystem and the second subsystem, the cross-connect subsystem comprising:
a cross-connect interconnect, couplable to the first subsystem and to the second subsystem, the cross-connect interconnect transparently aliasing transactions between the first subsystem and the second subsystem as transactions on the cross-connect interconnect, wherein the second subsystem comprises a shared memory subsystem, the shared memory subsystem interpreting cache coherency attributes on transactions from the first subsystem to preserve cache coherency.

2 more elements

A method of routing transactions from a first device of a first interconnect to a second device of a second interconnect across a cross-connect interconnect, the first interconnect having a first interconnect number, the second interconnect having a second interconnect number, and the cross-connect interconnect having a cross-connect interconnect number, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) assigning a first cross-connect interconnect device number to a first interconnect interface, the first interconnect coupled to the cross-connect interconnect via the first interconnect interface;
(b) assigning a second cross-connect interconnect device number to a second interconnect interface, the second interconnect coupled to the cross-connect interconnect via the second interconnect interface;
(c) receiving a transaction from the first interconnect on the cross-connect interconnect at the first interconnect interface;
(d) converting the transaction to indicate the second cross-connect interconnect device number of the cross-connect interconnect;
(e) transmitting the transaction across the cross-connect interconnect;
(f) converting the transaction to be destined to the second device of the second interconnect;
and
(g) sending the transaction on the second interconnect, wherein the first interconnect, the second interconnect and the cross-connect interconnect operate according to the PCI-X protocol.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Distributed system with cross-connect interconnect transaction aliasing

Life of this patent

Distributed system with cross-connect interconnect transaction aliasing

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims31