US 9,519,608 B2 · PCI express to PCI express based low latency interconnect scheme for clustering systems

Abstract

PCI Express is a Bus or I/O interconnect standard for use inside the computer or embedded system enabling faster data transfers to and from peripheral devices. The standard is still evolving but has achieved a degree of stability such that other applications can be implemented using PCIE as basis. A PCIE based interconnect scheme to enable switching and inter-connection between multiple PCIE enabled systems each having its own PCIE root complex, such that the scalability of PCIE architecture can be applied to enable data transport between connected systems to form a cluster of systems, is proposed. These connected systems can be any computing, control, storage or embedded system. The scalability of the interconnect will allow the cluster to grow the bandwidth between the systems as they become necessary without changing to a different connection architecture.

Claims14

Dependent claims

An architecture for interconnecting multiple PCI Express (PCIE) based processing systems each having a PCI root complex and at least a PCIE peripheral unit as an end point enabled for system interconnection (PCIE_I) and transferring data, a network switch having multiple ports enabled for using PCIE links and using PCIE protocol for interconnection, wherein each of the plurality of the PCIE based processing systems are coupled through its at least one PCIE_I enabled for system interconnection to one of the multiple port of the network switch, providing a one to one connection between the at least a PCIE_I enabled for system interconnection and the network port, making an interconnected cluster of PCIE based processing systems, the network switch being configured to enable transfer of data between any of a first connected PCIE_I of the multiple PCIE based processing systems to any other of the connected PCIE_I of the multiple PCIE based processing systems without intermediate conversion of the transmitted data stream to other data transmission protocols or encapsulation of the transmitted data stream within other data transmission protocols.

A method comprising:

transferring of data and control information from a first PCI Express (PCIE) enabled processing system having a PCIE root complex and at least a PCIE peripheral module as an end point enabled for system interconnect (PCIE-I) through a PCIE switch coupled to the PCIE enabled processing system at the PCIE-I using at least a PCIE link, to a second plurality of PCIE enabled processing systems, that are coupled to the PCIE switch through a PCIE-I enabled for system interconnection of each of the second plurality of PCIE enabled processing systems using PCIE links and without intermediate conversion of the transmitted data stream to other data transmission protocols or encapsulation of the transmitted data stream within other data transmission protocols;
where in the first PCIE enabled processing system and the second plurality of PCIE enabled processing systems coupled through the PCIE switch form an interconnected cluster of PCIE enabled processing units interconnected by the PCIE switch;
configuring the PCIE-I enabled for system interconnection of the PCIE enabled processing systems of the cluster to enable transfer of data and control information;
and
configuring the PCIE switch to enable interconnection through the PCIE switch from the PCIE-I enabled for system interconnection of the first PCIE enabled processing system coupled to the PCIE switch, to the PCIE-I enabled for system interconnection of any of the second plurality of PCIE enabled processing units coupled to the PCIE switch using PCIE protocol.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

PCI express to PCI express based low latency interconnect scheme for clustering systems

Life of this patent

PCI express to PCI express based low latency interconnect scheme for clustering systems

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims14