Computer system and method of communication between modules within computer system

• US 20020107980A1
• Filed: 02/04/2002
• Published: 08/08/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 02/05/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Kawaguchi, Shinichi
• Granted Patent: US 7,844,730 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/238
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0751 Error or fault detection not based on redundancy power supply failures G06F1/30; network fault management H04L41/06
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2007 using redundant communication media
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/385 for adaptation of a particular data processing system to different peripheral devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/06 using space diversity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/24 Multipath

Abstract

A computer system comprising a plurality of modules that transfer data in packets mutually, whose major feature is that each of the modules comprises an output controlling part for sending out a packet to transmit to the destination via each of a plurality of communication paths, and an input controlling part for receiving packets transmitted from a plurality of communication paths, identifying the identical packets transmitted from different communication paths, and capturing transmit data properly, wherein the input controlling part stores information for use for identifying the captured packets, identifies whether the packet received has already been captured or not, and newly captures a packet if the packet received is yet to be captured, and discards a packet if the packet received has already been captured.

Claims

1. A computer system that transfers data in packets mutually between a plurality of modules, comprising:

connecting between said plurality of modules via a plurality of multiplexed paths, wherein

said module duplicates a packet into as many packets as said paths and outputs such packet duplicates to said paths, and selects the first-come packet among a plurality of said duplicate packets that have been input from a plurality of said paths.

2. The computer system as set forth in claim 1, wherein

said each of the modules comprising

an output controlling part for duplicating a packet to transmit into as many packets as said paths and outputting such packet duplicates to the destination, and

an input controlling part for identifying said duplicate packets that have been received from a plurality of said paths and selecting the packet that has arrived first only.

3. The computer system as set forth in claim 1, wherein

said module including

a CPU module and an I/O module that transfer data in packets mutually.

4. The computer system as set forth in claim 2, wherein

said output controlling part comprising

a means for assigning to a packet to transmit identification information for identifying such packet uniquely, and a means for duplicating said packet with identification information into as many duplicate packets as said paths and outputting such duplicate packets, and

said input controlling part comprising

a selecting means for identifying said identification information of the packet received, receiving the first-come packet among said packets to which the same identification information has been assigned, and discarding the other packet.

5. The computer system as set forth in claim 1, wherein

said each of the modules comprising

a means for detecting errors in the packets received from a plurality of said paths, and a means for detecting lost packets among said packets.

6. The computer system as set forth in claim 1, wherein

a switching module is provided between said modules for performing the switching of paths.

7. The computer system as set forth in claim 1, wherein

said modules are connected with one another via a communication network.

8. The computer system as set forth in claim 1, wherein

a plurality of said modules are connected directly via a plurality of said paths on a one-to-one basis.

9. A computer system that transfers data in packets between a plurality of modules, comprising:

connecting between said plurality of modules via a plurality of multiplexed paths, wherein

said module to transmit said packet duplicates said packet into as many duplicate packets as said paths and outputs these duplicate packets to said paths, and

said module to receive said packet selects the first-come packet among a plurality of said duplicate packets that have been input from a plurality of said paths,

10. The computer system as set forth in claim 9, wherein

said each of the modules on the outputting side comprising

an output controlling part for duplicating a packet to transmit into as many packets as said paths and outputting such packet duplicates to the destination, and

said each of the modules on the inputting side comprising

an input controlling part for identifying said duplicate packets that have been received from a plurality of said paths and selecting the packet that has arrived first only.

11. The computer system as set forth in claim 10, wherein

said output controlling part comprising

a means for assigning to a packet to transmit identification information for identifying such packet uniquely, and a means for duplicating said packet with identification information into as many duplicate packets as said paths and outputting such duplicate packets, and

said input controlling part comprising

a selecting means for identifying said identification information of the packet received, receiving the first-come packet among said packets to which the same identification information has been assigned, and discarding the other packet.

12. The computer system as set forth in claim 9, wherein

a plurality of said modules are connected directly via a plurality of said paths on a one-to-one basis.

14. The inter-module communication method as set forth in claim 13, wherein

in said each of the modules

identifying said duplicate packets that have been received from a plurality of said paths and selecting the packet that has arrived first only.

15. The inter-module communication method as set forth in claim 13, wherein

in said module

assigning to a packet to transmit identification information for identifying such packet uniquely,

duplicating said packet with said identification information into as many duplicate packets as a plurality of paths and outputting such duplicate packets, and

identifying said identification information of the packet received, receiving the first-come packet among said packets to which the same identification information has been assigned, and discarding the other packet.

16. The inter-module communication method as set forth in claim 13, wherein

in said each of the modules

detecting errors in the packets received from a plurality of said paths and lost packets among said packets.

18. The inter-module communication method as set forth in claim 17, wherein

in said each of the modules on the outputting side

duplicating a packet to transmit into as many packets as said paths and outputting such packet duplicates to the destination, and

in said each of the modules on the inputting side

identifying said duplicate packets that have been received from a plurality of said paths and selecting the packet that has arrived first only.

19. The inter-module communication method as set forth in claim 17, wherein

in said each of the modules on the outputting side

assigning to a packet to transmit identification information for identifying such packet uniquely, duplicating said packet with identification information into as many duplicate packets as a plurality of paths and outputting such duplicate packets, and

in said each of the modules on the inputting side

identifying said identification information of the packet received, receiving the first-come packet among said packets to which the same identification information has been assigned, and discarding the other packet.

13. A communication method that transfers data in packets mutually between a plurality of modules within a computer system, comprising the steps of:

in said each of the modules

duplicating a packet to transmit and sending out duplicate packets to the destination modules through a plurality of paths, and

selecting the first-come packet among a plurality of said duplicate packets that have been input from a plurality of said paths.

17. An inter-module communication method that transfers data in packets between a plurality of modules, comprising the steps of:

in said plurality of modules connected via a plurality of multiplexed paths,

said module to transmit said packet duplicating said packet into as many duplicate packets as said paths and outputting these duplicate packets to said paths, and

said module to receive said packet selecting the first-come packet among a plurality of said duplicate packets that have been input from a plurality of said paths.

20. A module of a computer that transfers data in packets mutually, comprising:

connecting between said plurality of modules via a plurality of multiplexed paths, and

duplicating a packet into as many packets as said paths and outputting such packet duplicates to said paths, and selecting the first-come packet among a plurality of said duplicate packets that have been input from a plurality of said paths.

21. The module as set forth in claim 20, further comprising

an output controlling part for duplicating a packet to transmit into as many packets as said paths and outputting such packet duplicates to the destination, and

an input controlling part for identifying said duplicate packets that have been received from a plurality of said paths and selecting the packet that has arrived first only.

22. The module as set forth in claim 20, including

a CPU module and an I/O module that transfer data in packets mutually.

23. The module as set forth in claim 21, wherein

said output controlling part comprising

a means for assigning to a packet to transmit identification information for identifying such packet uniquely, and a means for duplicating said packet with identification information into as many duplicate packets as said paths and outputting such duplicate packets, and

said input controlling part comprising

a selecting means for identifying said identification information of the packet received, receiving the first-come packet among said packets to which the same identification information has been assigned, and discarding the other packet.

24. The module as set forth in claim 20, including

a means for detecting errors in the packets received from a plurality of said paths, and a means for detecting lost packets among said packets.

25. The module as set forth in claim 20, wherein

said modules are connected via a switching module for performing the switching of paths.

27. The module as set forth in claim 26, wherein

said each of the modules on the outputting side comprising

an output controlling part for duplicating a packet to transmit into as many packets as said paths and outputting such packet duplicates to the destination, and

said each of the modules on the inputting side comprising

an input controlling part for identifying said duplicate packets that have been received from a plurality of said paths and selecting the packet that has arrived first only.

28. The module as set forth in claim 27, wherein

said output controlling part comprising

a means for assigning to a packet to transmit identification information for identifying such packet uniquely, and a means for duplicating said packet with identification information into as many duplicate packets as said paths and outputting such duplicate packets, and

said input controlling part comprising

a selecting means for identifying said identification information of the packet received, receiving the first-come packet among said packets to which the same identification information has been assigned, and discarding the other packet.

29. The module as set forth in claim 27, wherein

a plurality of said modules are connected directly via a plurality of said paths on a one-to-one basis.

26. A module of a computer system that transfers data in packets, comprising:

connecting between said plurality of modules via a plurality of multiplexed paths,

said module to transmit said packet duplicating said packet into as many duplicate packets as said paths and outputting these duplicate packets to said paths, and

said module to receive said packet selecting the first-come packet among a plurality of said duplicate packets that have been input from a plurality of said paths.