US 7,257,816 B2 · Digital data processing apparatus and methods with dynamically configurable application execution on accelerated resources

Abstract

The invention provides, in one aspect, an improved digital data processing system of the type having a plurality of execution resources, including a central processing unit (CPU) and one or more further execution resources (or “components”). The improvement is characterized by a process executing on the central processing unit that selects portions of an applications program and effects their execution on one or more of the further execution resources, while effecting execution of remaining portions of the application on the CPU. The further execution resources, according to related aspects of the invention, can include co-processors, accelerators, controllers or other devices, of the “plug-and-play” variety or otherwise. They may provide specialized functionality for any of fast Fourier transforms, image reconstruction and synthetic aperture radar algorithms, to name a few. Those resources may be disposed locally or remotely with respect to the CPU.

Claims33

Dependent claims

In a digital data processing system having a plurality of execution resources, including a central processing unit (CPU) and one or more further execution resources, the improvement comprising

a process executing on the central processing unit,
a store providing one or more descriptors each identifying a functionality of a configuration of a respective one of said further execution resources,
the process dynamically selecting one or more portions of an application and effecting their execution on one or more of the further execution resources,
a framework in communication with the process and the store,
wherein the process generates at least one proxy for performing a function defined in at least one of said application portions and transmits said proxy and an identifier indicative of the function associated with that proxy to the framework, and
wherein said framework assigns said proxy to one of said further execution resources based on a correspondence of the proxy identifier and a descriptor of said one further execution resource.

3 more elements

In a digital data processing system having a plurality of execution resources, including a central processing unit (CPU) and one or more further execution resources,

the improvement comprising
a framework, in communications coupling with the CPU and with the one or more further execution resources,
a first store comprising a functional characterization and at least one configuration characterization of each of the further execution resources,
a process executing on the central processing unit, the process (i) invoking a proxy in place of each of one or more portions of an application, and (ii) executing remaining portions of the application on the CPU,
the process dynamically selecting for invocation the proxy in place of one or more portions of the application comprising functions that match the functional characterizations contained within the first store,
the framework responding to the invoked proxies to perform functions on the further execution resources in lieu of those which would otherwise be performed by the CPU executing corresponding portions of the application in place of which those proxies were invoked.

3 more elements

In a method of operating a digital data processing system of the type having a plurality of execution resources, including a central processing unit (CPU) and one or more further execution resources, the improvement comprising

a process executing on the central processing unit, invoking one or more proxies in place of each of one or more portions of an application, dynamically selecting for invocation of the one or more proxies in place of one or more portions of the application comprising functions that match the functional characterizations contained within a first store that comprises a functional characterization and at least one configuration characterization of each of the further execution resources,
responding to the one or more invoke proxies to perform functions on the further execution resources in lieu of those which would otherwise be performed by the CPU executing corresponding portions of the application in place of which the one or more proxies were invoked, and
executing remaining portions of the application on the CPU and utilizing in connection therewith data generated in connection with performance of functions on the further execution resources.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Digital data processing apparatus and methods with dynamically configurable application execution on accelerated resources

Life of this patent

Digital data processing apparatus and methods with dynamically configurable application execution on accelerated resources

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims33