System and Method for Packet Coalescing in Virtual Channels of a Data Processing System in a Multi-Tiered Full-Graph Interconnect Architecture

• US 20090063817A1
• Filed: 08/27/2007
• Published: 03/05/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Arimilli, Ravi K., Rajamony, Ramakrishnan, Arimilli, Lakshminarayana B.
• Granted Patent: US 8,108,545 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 712/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/40 for recovering from a failure of a protocol instance or entity, e.g. service redundancy protocols, protocol state redundancy or protocol service redirection management of faults, events, alarms or notifications in data switching networks H04L41/06

Abstract

A method, computer program product, and system are provided for packet coalescing in virtual channels of a data processing system. A first processor bundles original data to be transmitted to a destination processor, the original data provided by a first source processor. The first processor transmits the bundle of data to a second processor along a path to the destination processor. The second processor determines if the second processor has additional data destined for the same destination processor, the additional data being provided by a second source processor that is different from the first source processor. Responsive to the second processor having additional data, the second processor unbundles the original data, adds the additional data to the original data, and rebundles the data along with the additional data. Then the second processor transmits the rebundled data to at least one other processor along the path to the destination processor.

Claims

1. A method, in a data processing system, for packet coalescing in virtual channels of the data processing system, the method comprising:

bundling original data, in a first processor, to be transmitted along a path to a destination processor, the original data being provided by a first source processor;

transmitting the bundle of data to a second processor along the path to the destination processor;

determining if the second processor has additional data that is destined for the same destination processor, the additional data being provided by a second source processor that is different from the first source processor;

responsive to the second processor having additional data destined for the same destination processor, unbundling the original data, adding the additional data to the original data, and rebundling the data along with the additional data; and

transmitting the rebundled data to at least one other processor along the path to the destination processor.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

responsive to the absence the at least one other processor, transmitting the rebundled data to the destination processor.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

responsive to the second processor failing to have additional data destined for the same destination processor, transmitting the bundle of data to at least one other processor along the path to the destination processor; and

responsive to the absence of the at least one other processor, transmitting the rebundled data to the destination processor.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the additional data resides in at least one virtual channel that is different from a virtual channel in which the original data is stored in the second processor.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the virtual channels have different classes.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the additional data is sent without regard to the classes of the virtual channels.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein the virtual channels are hardcoded in a switch integrated in the second processor.

8. A computer program product, for packet coalescing in virtual channels of the data processing system, comprising a computer useable medium having a computer readable program, wherein the computer readable program, when executed in a first processor and second processor of a data processing system, causes the first processor and second processor to:

bundle original data, in the first processor, to be transmitted along a path to a destination processor, the original data being provided by a first source processor;

transmit the bundle of data from the first processor to the second processor along the path to the destination processor;

determine, in the second processor, if the second processor has additional data that is destined for the same destination processor, the additional data being provided by a second source processor that is different from the first source processor;

in the second processor, responsive to the second processor having additional data destined for the same destination processor, unbundle the original data, add the additional data to the original data, and rebundle the data along with the additional data; and

transmit the rebundled data from the second processor to at least one other processor along the path to the destination processor.

9. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the computer readable program further causes the second processor to:

responsive to the absence of the at least one other processor, transmit the rebundled data to the destination processor.

10. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the computer readable program further causes the second processor to:

responsive to the second processor failing to have additional data destined for the same destination processor, transmit the bundle of data to at least one other processor along the path to the destination processor; and

responsive to the absence of the at least one other processor, transmit the rebundled data to the destination processor.

11. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the additional data resides in at least one virtual channel that is different from a virtual channel in which the original data is stored in the second processor.

12. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the virtual channels have different classes.

13. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein the additional data is sent without regard to the classes of the virtual channels.

14. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the virtual channels are hardcoded a switch integrated in the second processor.

15. A data processing system for packet coalescing in virtual channels of the data processing system, comprising:

a first processor;

a second processor; and

a memory coupled to the first processor and a second processor, wherein the memory comprises instructions which, when executed by the first processor and second processor, cause the first processor and second processor to;

bundle original data, in a first processor, to be transmitted along a path to a destination processor, the original data being provided by a first source processor;

transmit the bundle of data to a second processor along the path to the destination processor;

determine if the second processor has additional data that is destined for the same destination processor, the additional data being provided by a second source processor that is different from the first source processor;

responsive to the second processor having additional data destined for the same destination processor, unbundle the original data, add the additional data to the original data, and rebundle the data along with the additional data; and

transmit the rebundled data to at least one other processor along the path to the destination processor.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the instructions further cause the second processor to:

responsive to the absence of the at least one other processor, transmit the rebundled data to the destination processor.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the instructions further cause the second processor to:

responsive to the second processor failing to have additional data destined for the same destination processor, transmit the bundle of data to at least one other processor along the path to the destination processor; and

responsive to the absence of the at least one other processor, transmit the rebundled data to the destination processor.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the additional data resides in at least one virtual channel that is different from a virtual channel in which the original data is stored in the second processor, and wherein the virtual channels are hardcoded a switch integrated in the second processor.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the virtual channels have different classes and wherein the virtual channels are hardcoded in a switched architecture.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the additional data is sent without regard to the classes of the virtual channels.