Application-based control of hardware resource allocation

• US 20040194098A1
• Filed: 03/31/2003
• Published: 09/30/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Francois, Christopher, Kirkman, Richard Karl, May, Henry Joseph, Chung, Lynn Keat, McCarthy, Patrick Joseph, Vossen, Kenneth Charles, Reed, Don Darrell
• Granted Patent: US 7,334,230 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 718/100
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5016 the resource being the memory
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5027 the resource being a machine, e.g. CPUs, Servers, Terminals
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5033 considering data affinity
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/505 considering the load
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5061 Partitioning or combining of resources

Abstract

An apparatus, program product and method in which application program-specified resource allocation and allocation strength preferences are used to allocate hardware resources from a computer for that application program. The resource allocation preference is used to allocate hardware resources for the application program, while the allocation strength preference is used to determine whether to allocate alternate hardware resources when the resource allocation preference specified by the application program cannot be met.

Claims

1. A method of allocating hardware resources for an application program configured to execute in a computer of the type having a resource allocation manager configured to manage hardware resources organized into a plurality of nodes, wherein each node includes processor and memory hardware resources, the method comprising:

in the application program, specifying a home node preference and a node strength preference for the application program;

in response to a request to create a thread for the application program, setting a home node for the thread from among the plurality of nodes using the home node preference, and setting a node strength for the thread based upon the node strength preference; and

in response to a request to dispatch the thread;

dispatching the thread to a processor resource in the home node for the thread if the home node has an available processor resource;

waiting to dispatch the thread to a processor resource in the home node for the thread if the home node does not have an available processor resource and the node strength for the thread is strong; and

dispatching the thread to a processor resource in a node other than the home node for the thread if the home node does not have an available processor resource and the node strength for the thread is weak.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising, in response to a request to allocate memory for the thread:

allocating memory for the thread from a memory resource in the home node for the thread if the home node has an available memory resource;

waiting to allocate memory for the thread from a memory resource in the home node for the thread if the home node does not have an available memory resource and the node strength for the thread is strong; and

allocating memory for the thread from a memory resource in a node other than the home node for the thread if the home node does not have an available memory resource and the node strength for the thread is weak.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein setting the home node for the thread includes:

if the home node preference for the application program specifies a selected node among the plurality of nodes, setting the home node for the thread to the selected node; and

if the home node preference for the application program indicates that a created thread should have the same home node as another thread, setting the home node for the thread to that of a second thread for the application program.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein setting the node strength for the thread includes:

if the node strength preference for the application program specifies a specific node strength, setting the node strength for the thread to the specified node strength; and

if the node strength preference for the application program indicates that a created thread should have the same node strength as another thread, setting the node strength for the thread to that of a second thread for the application program.

5. A method of allocating hardware resources for an application program, the method comprising:

in the application program, specifying a resource allocation preference for use in allocating hardware resources for the application program, and specifying an allocation strength preference for use in determining whether to allocate alternate hardware resources when the resource allocation preference specified by the application program cannot be met; and

using the resource allocation preference and allocation strength preference specified by the application program to allocate a selected hardware resource for the application program.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein using the resource allocation preference and allocation strength preference specified by the application program to allocate the selected hardware resource for the application program is performed by a resource allocation manager.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the resource allocation manager is resident in at least one of a kernel and an operating system for the computer.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the computer includes a plurality of hardware resources distributed among a plurality of nodes, wherein the resource allocation preference includes a home node preference for the application program, and wherein the allocation strength preference includes a node strength preference for use in determining whether to allocate hardware resources from another node when a hardware resource disposed in a home node selected using the home node preference is not available.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein allocating the selected hardware resource for the application program includes dispatching a thread for the application program to a processor hardware resource disposed in a selected node among the plurality of nodes.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein allocating the selected hardware resource for the application program includes allocating memory for the application program from a memory hardware resource disposed in a selected node among the plurality of nodes.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the plurality of hardware resources includes processor and memory resources, and wherein each node includes at least one processor resource and at least one memory resource.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the home node preference identifies a selected node among the plurality of nodes.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the home node preference identifies that a created thread should inherit the home node of another thread.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein the node strength preference is selected from first and second values, the first value permitting the allocation of a hardware resource from another node when a hardware resource disposed in the home node selected using the home node preference is not available, and the second value prohibiting the allocation of a hardware resource from another node when a hardware resource disposed in the home node selected using the home node preference is not available.

15. The method of claim 8, wherein the node strength preference is selected from among more than two relative node strength values.

16. The method of claim 8, wherein the node strength preference identifies that a created thread should inherit the node strength preference of another thread.

17. The method of claim 8, wherein using the resource allocation preference and allocation strength preference to allocate the selected hardware resource for the application program is performed in response to a request to create the thread.

18. The method of claim 5, wherein specifying the allocation strength preference for the application program includes setting a thread attribute for the thread, and wherein using the allocation strength preference includes accessing the thread attribute for the thread.

19. The method of claim 5, wherein specifying the allocation strength preference for the application program includes setting a system-wide attribute, and wherein using the allocation strength preference includes accessing the system-wide attribute.

20. An apparatus, comprising:

a computer including a plurality of hardware resources; and

program code resident in the computer and configured to use a resource allocation preference and an allocation strength preference for an application program to allocate a selected hardware resource for the application program, wherein the resource allocation preference and the allocation strength preference are specified by the application program, wherein the resource allocation preference is used to allocate hardware resources for the application program, and wherein the allocation strength preference is used to determine whether to allocate alternate hardware resources when the resource allocation preference specified by the application program cannot be met.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the program code includes a resource allocation manager resident in at least one of an operating system and a kernel for the computer.

22. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the plurality of hardware resources are distributed among a plurality of nodes, wherein the resource allocation preference includes a home node preference for the application program, and wherein the allocation strength preference includes a node strength preference for use in determining whether to allocate hardware resources from another node when a hardware resource disposed in a home node selected using the home node preference is not available.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the program code is configured to allocate the selected hardware resource for the application program by dispatching a thread for the application program to a processor hardware resource disposed in a selected node among the plurality of nodes.

24. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the program code is configured to allocate the selected hardware resource for the application program by allocating memory for the application program from a memory hardware resource disposed in a selected node among the plurality of nodes.

25. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the plurality of hardware resources includes processor and memory resources, and wherein each node includes at least one processor resource and at least one memory resource.

26. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the home node preference identifies a selected node among the plurality of nodes.

27. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the home node preference identifies that a created thread should inherit the home node of another thread.

28. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the node strength preference is selected from first and second values, the first value permitting the allocation of a hardware resource from another node when a hardware resource disposed in the home node selected using the home node preference is not available, and the second value prohibiting the allocation of a hardware resource from another node when a hardware resource disposed in the home node selected using the home node preference is not available.

29. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the node strength preference is selected from among more than two relative node strength values.

30. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the node strength preference identifies that a created thread should inherit the node strength of another thread.

31. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the program code is configured to use the resource allocation preference and allocation strength preference to allocate the selected hardware resource for the application program in response to a request to create the thread.

33. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the program code is configured to access a thread attribute for the thread to obtain the allocation strength preference.

34. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the program code is configured to access a system-wide attribute to obtain the allocation strength preference.

35. A program product, comprising:

program code configured to manage a plurality of hardware resources in a computer by using a resource allocation preference and an allocation strength preference for an application program to allocate a selected hardware resource for the application program, wherein the resource allocation preference and the allocation strength preference are specified by the application program, wherein the resource allocation preference is used to allocate hardware resources for the application program, and wherein the allocation strength preference is used to determine whether to allocate alternate hardware resources when the resource allocation preference specified by the application program cannot be met; and

a signal bearing medium bearing the program code.

36. The program product of claim 35, wherein the signal bearing medium includes at least one of a transmission medium and a recordable medium.

37. A method of allocating hardware resources in a computer, the method comprising:

during creation of a thread, inheriting at least one of a resource allocation preference and an allocation strength preference associated with an existing thread in the computer, wherein the resource allocation preference is used for allocating hardware resources in the computer, and wherein the allocation strength preference is used for determining whether to allocate alternate hardware resources when a resource allocation preference cannot be met; and

using the resource allocation preference and allocation strength preference associated with the created thread to allocate a selected hardware resource for the created thread.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein inheriting at least one of the resource allocation preference and allocation strength preference includes inheriting at least one of the resource allocation preference and allocation strength preference from a creator thread.

39. The method of claim 37, wherein inheriting at least one of the resource allocation preference and allocation strength preference includes inheriting at least one of the resource allocation preference and allocation strength preference from a specified thread other than a creator thread.

40. The method of claim 37, wherein the at least one of the resource allocation preference and allocation strength preference are specified by an application program with which the created thread is associated, and wherein using the resource allocation preference and allocation strength preference is performed by a resource allocation manager.