Apparatus, method and system for aggregrating computing resources

• US 20090037585A1
• Filed: 04/24/2008
• Published: 02/05/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Computer Associates Think Inc. (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Computer Associates Think Inc. (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Marinov, Borislav S., Hester, Becky L., Nickolov, Peter, Miloushev, Vladimir
• Granted Patent: US 7,934,035 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/226
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/00 Interconnection of, or transfer of information or other signals between, memories, input/output devices or central processing units interface circuits for specific input/output devices G06F3/00 ; multiprogram control therefor G06F9/46; multiprocessor systems G06F15/16
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/173 using an interconnection network, e.g. matrix, shuffle, pyramid, star, snowflake
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/504 Resource capping
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/542 Intercept
• 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 9/5072 Grid computing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5088 involving task migration
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1008 based on parameters of servers, e.g. available memory or workload monitoring of computer activity G06F11/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1097 for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

A system for executing applications designed to run on a single SMP computer on an easily scalable network of computers, while providing each application with computing resources, including processing power, memory and others that exceed the resources available on any single computer. A server agent program, a grid switch apparatus and a grid controller apparatus are included. Methods for creating processes and resources, and for accessing resources transparently across multiple servers are also provided.

Claims

1. A method for accessing resources in a distributed computing system, the system comprising a plurality of servers, each server having a plurality of resources, each server having a plurality of threads, and each server detecting occasions on which a thread needs access to a resource residing on a different server, the method comprising the steps of:

a. on a first said occasion, hopping the thread execution to the server where a needed resource is located;

b. on a second said occasion, reassigning the resource to the server on which the thread resides;

c. on a third said occasion, caching the resource to the server on which the thread resides.

2. A grid switch apparatus for aggregating memory in a distributed computing system, the system having a plurality of servers, the grid switch communicating with the servers, the grid switch comprising:

a. an interface for receiving a first message from a first server in response to a first thread attempting to access a first memory;

b. a processing unit for determining a second server that contains the first memory;

c. an interface for forwarding the first message to the second server.

3. A distributed computing system comprising:

a. a plurality of servers, each server capable of sending messages in response to attempted resource access;

b. a grid switch apparatus for tracking resources and forwarding said messages;

c. an interconnect for transmitting messages between the servers and the grid switch.