Non-volatile memory for checkpoint storage

A method for checkpointing messages in a parallel computing system having a plurality of nodes connected as a network, each node having multiple processor units and an associated memory operatively connected therewith via an interconnect device, said method comprising:

• receiving, at one or more control units, a command instruction from a processor for controlling data flow of packets received by a network and flow of packets to be transmitted to the network, each said one or more control units coupled to each of a plurality of devices within said node involved with processing of received and transmitted packets for communicating data therebetween;
• performing, at each said node, a checkpoint, said performing including:
• generating, at said control units, a control signal to initiate stopping flow of packets received by a network and flow of packets to be transmitted to the network;
• and,
• responding to a first control signal received at a logic device associated with each said plurality of devices, to initiate obtaining said checkpoint data when said packet data flow has stopped, said checkpointing data obtained from said plurality of devices for receipt in register devices associated with each said one or more control units;
• and,
• responding to a second control signal for writing out said checkpoint data received at said associated register devices to a non-volatile memory storage device,
• wherein each said control unit generates selective control signals to perform said checkpointing of system related data in presence of messaging activity associated with a user application running at the node, and each control unit responding to a further control signal for restoring checkpoint data received at said non-volatile memory storage device back to said associated register devices.

A computer program product for checkpointing messages in a parallel computing system having a plurality of nodes connected as a network, each node having multiple processor units and an associated memory operatively connected therewith via an interconnect device, said computer program product comprising:

• a storage medium, said storage medium not a propagating signal, said storage medium readable by a processing circuit and storing instructions for execution by the processing circuit for performing a method comprising:
• receiving, at one or more control units, a command instruction from a processor for controlling data flow of packets received by a network and flow of packets to be transmitted to the network, each said one or more control units coupled to each of a plurality of devices within said node involved with processing of received and transmitted packets for communicating data therebetween;
• performing, at each said node, a checkpoint, said performing including:
• generating, at said control units, a control signal to initiate stopping flow of packets received by a network and flow of packets to be transmitted to the network;
• and,
• responding to a first control signal received at a logic device associated with each said plurality of devices, to initiate obtaining said checkpoint data when said packet data flow has stopped, said checkpointing data obtained from said plurality of devices for receipt in register devices associated with each said one or more control units;
• and,
• responding to a second control signal for writing out said checkpoint data received at said associated register devices to a non-volatile memory storage device,
• wherein each said control unit generates selective control signals to perform said checkpointing of system related data in presence of messaging activity associated with a user application running at the node, and each control unit responding to a further control signal for restoring checkpoint data received at said non-volatile memory storage device back to said associated register devices.