Methods and apparatus for responding to a request cluster
First Claim
1. A computer system, comprising:
- a home cluster including a first plurality of processors and a home cache coherence controller, the first plurality of processors and the home cache coherence controller interconnected in a point-to-point architecture;
wherein the home cache coherence controller is configured to send a probe to a remote cluster upon receiving a cache access request from a request cluster, wherein the probe includes information for the request cache coherence controller to determine the number of probe responses corresponding to the cache access request to be transmitted to the request cluster.
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Abstract
According to the present invention, methods and apparatus are provided for increasing the efficiency of data access in a multiple processor, multiple cluster system. A home cluster of processors receives a cache access request from a request cluster. The home cluster includes mechanisms for instructing probed remote clusters to respond to the request cluster instead of to the home cluster. The home cluster can also include mechanisms for reducing the number of probes sent to remote clusters. Techniques are also included for providing the requesting cluster with information to determine the number of responses to be transmitted to the requesting cluster as a result of the reduction in the number of probes sent at the home cluster.
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Citations
35 Claims
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1. A computer system, comprising:
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a home cluster including a first plurality of processors and a home cache coherence controller, the first plurality of processors and the home cache coherence controller interconnected in a point-to-point architecture;
wherein the home cache coherence controller is configured to send a probe to a remote cluster upon receiving a cache access request from a request cluster, wherein the probe includes information for the request cache coherence controller to determine the number of probe responses corresponding to the cache access request to be transmitted to the request cluster. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A method for managing data access, comprising:
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transmitting a request to a home cluster comprising a plurality of processors coupled to a home cache coherence controller;
receiving a probe from the home cluster, the probe corresponding to the request and including information for determining the number of expected probe responses; and
receiving a plurality of probe responses from a plurality of clusters. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. An apparatus for managing data access, comprising:
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means for transmitting a request to a home cluster comprising a plurality of processors coupled to a home cache coherence controller;
means for receiving a probe from the home cluster, the probe corresponding to the request and including information for determining the number of expected probe responses; and
means for receiving a plurality of probe responses from a plurality of clusters. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
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Specification