Networked computer system and method using dual bi-directional communication rings

• US 20040047360A1
• Filed: 06/02/2003
• Published: 03/11/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Mark Myers
• Original Assignee: Mark Myers
• Inventors: Myers, Mark
• Application Number:
  US10/452,480
• Publication Number:
  US 20040047360A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/406
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4637 Interconnected ring systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/06 Deflection routing, e.g. hot-potato routing

Abstract

A system and method using a routing component configured to accommodate and be interconnected within both a large and small networked system while using the same routing algorithm/software control for performing routing in both the large and small systems and for providing redundancy for increased system reliability and robustness.

Claims

1. A method of interconnecting multiple processing nodes, which comprises:

providing a communication link between the processing nodes to form networked processing systems of varying sizes by;

providing a plurality of routing components adapted for a given software control, at least one routing component corresponding to each of the processing nodes;

coupling at least one input and output port of each routing component to a corresponding processing node, each routing component having at least four bi-directional links;

each having an ingoing terminal and an outgoing terminal; and

being paired into at least first and second pairs, each pair having a link representing an incoming link and a link representing an outgoing link;

coupling the first pairs of links to produce a first bi-directional ring of communication between a first set of the processing nodes;

coupling the second pair of links to produce a second bi-directional ring of communication between the first set of processing nodes, each of the first and second bi-directional rings communicating with each of the first set of processing nodes through a separate processing node input and output port;

forming, utilizing the routing components, a first type of networked system including the first bi-directional ring and the second bi-directional ring; and

forming, utilizing the routing components, a second multi-dimensional type of networked system by;

coupling first pairs of links to form a first dimension of the multi-dimensional networked system;

coupling second pairs of links to form a second dimension of the multi-dimensional networked system; and

coupling third pairs of links to form a third dimension of the multi-dimensional networked system, the first, second, and third dimensions being relatively orthogonal to each other.

2. The method according to claim 1, which further comprises providing the second multi-dimensional type of networked system as a three-dimensional Torus and the first type of networked system as a one-dimensional Torus.

3. The method according to claim 1, which further comprises serially transmitting data along the first and second bi-directional rings.

4. The method according to claim 1, which further comprises transmitting parallel data along the first and second bi-directional rings.

5. The method according to claim 1, which further comprises implementing at least one pair of the at least four bi-directional links as parallel ports, the at least one pair of the at least four bi-directional links being in a relatively close proximity to other links of consecutive processing nodes.

6. The method according to claim 1, which further comprises implementing at least one pair of the at least four bi-directional links as parallel ports, the at least one pair of the at least four bi-directional links being in a proximity of other links of consecutive processing nodes.

7. A system for coupling multiple processing nodes into a networked system comprising:

routing components being adapted for a given software control that can control routing of networked systems in a variety of configurations, each having;

at least two input and output ports for coupling to one of the processing nodes; and

at least four bi-directional links;

each comprising an ingoing signal line and an outgoing signal line; and

being paired into at least first and second pairs, each of said at least first and second pairs having;

a link representing an incoming link; and

a link representing an outgoing link;

in a first case;

a plurality of said routing components being coupled into a first configuration to form first and second bi-directional communication rings for communicating with the processing nodes;

said first pairs of links being coupled within said first bi-directional communication ring;

said second pairs of links being coupled within said second bi-directional communication ring; and

each of said first and second bi-directional communication rings independently communicating with each of the processing nodes; and

in a second case;

a plurality of said routing components being coupled into a second configuration to form a multi-dimensional networked Torus;

said first pairs of links being coupled to form a first dimension of said multi-dimensional networked Torus;

said second pairs of links being coupled to form a second dimension of said multi-dimensional networked Torus;

a third pair of links being coupled to form a third dimension of said multi-dimensional networked Torus; and

said first, second, and third dimensions being relatively orthogonal to each other.

8. The system according to claim 7, wherein:

at least one of said routing components has at least six bi-directional links; and

when implementing said first configuration, at least one pair of said six bi-directional links are unused in each of said routing components.

9. The system according to claim 7, wherein said first and second bi-directional pairs of links are serial ports.

10. The system according to claim 7, wherein at least one of said first and second bi-directional pairs of links is a parallel port.

11. In a networked system having processing nodes, at least one routing component adapted for a given software control that can control routing of the networked system in a variety of system configurations and for coupling processing nodes into the networked system comprising:

at least two input and output ports coupling to one of the processing nodes;

at least four bi-directional links, each link comprising an ingoing signal line and an outgoing signal line, said at least four bi-directional links being paired into at least first and second pairs each including a link representing an incoming link and a link representing an outgoing link;

in a first case;

a plurality of said at least one routing component being coupled into a first configuration to form first and second bi-directional communication rings for communicating with the processing nodes;

said first pairs of links being coupled within said first bi-directional communication ring;

said second pairs of links being coupled within said second bi-directional communication ring; and

each of said first and second bi-directional communication rings independently communicating with each of the processing nodes; and

in a second case;

a plurality of said routing components being coupled into a second configuration to form a multi-dimensional networked Torus;

said first pairs of links being coupled to form a first dimension of said multi-dimensional networked Torus;

said second pairs of links being coupled to form a second dimension of said multi-dimensional networked Torus;

a third pair of links being coupled to form a third dimension of said multi-dimensional networked Torus; and

said first, second, and third dimensions being relatively orthogonal to each other.