Data Sharing Utilizing Virtual Memory

• US 20090307460A1
• Filed: 06/09/2008
• Published: 12/10/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Rosales, Jacob J., Rosas, Morgan J., Nevarez, David, Patwari, Veena
• Granted Patent: US 8,019,966 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 711/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2092 Techniques of failing over between control units

Abstract

A method for sharing memory locations in a virtual memory system is disclosed. The method can include processing instructions and accessing data utilizing a virtual memory system with a paging device that is accessible by multiple clients. The method can also include configuring a first client to access the paging device, configuring a second client to access the paging device and allowing the first and second client to access the paging device via a virtual input output server. Other embodiments are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

processing instructions as part of an application workload;

accessing data utilizing a virtual memory system, the virtual memory system having at least one paging device accessible to more than one client;

configuring a first client to access the paging device;

configuring a second client to access the paging device; and

accessing the paging device with at least the first client using a virtual input output server.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining if the second node can access the paging device and locating an intermediate paging device to facilitate access to the paging device if the second node cannot access the paging device.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising controlling access to the paging device.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising dividing the workload into at least a first task and a second task.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising executing the first task of the application at a first node and executing the second task at a second node.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising storing results from the executing of the first task in the paging device and retrieving the results by the second node.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising utilizing the results by the second node to produce a third result.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising storing the third result in the paging device.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising utilizing a virtual memory stack as a paging device.

10. A system comprising:

a pager to segment application instructions into pages;

a virtual input output server to load pages into virtual memory;

a first node configured to access and process paged application instructions;

a second node configured to access and process the paged application instructions; and

a hypervisor to send commands to access the paged application instructions based on signals from the first and second node.

11. The system of claim 10, further comprising a virtual input output server to accept the commands from the hypervisor and to facilitate paging transactions between the first node and the virtual memory.

12. The system of claim 10, further comprising a second virtual input output server to accept commands from the hypervisor and to facilitate paging transactions between the second node and the virtual memory.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the hypervisor to detect an inability of the second node to communicate with the paged application instructions and to create a communication channel between the second node and the paged application instructions.

14. The system of claim 10, Wherein the hypervisor to detect an error in communications and to change a communication configuration.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the node to process the application instructions and produce results.

16. The system of claim 10, further comprising a paging space partitioning manager to facilitate sharing, storing and retrieving of the paged application instructions.

17. A machine-accessible medium containing instructions to operate a processing system which, when the instructions are executed by a machine, cause said machine to perform operations, comprising:

processing instructions as part of an application workload;

accessing data utilizing a virtual memory system, the virtual memory system having at least one paging device accessible to more than one client;

configuring a first client to access the paging device;

configuring a second client to access the paging device; and

accessing the paging device with at least the first client using a virtual input output server.

18. The machine-accessible medium of claim 17, which when executed causes the computer to determine if the second node can access the paging device and locate an intermediate paging device to facilitate access to the paging device if the second node cannot access the paging device.

19. The machine-accessible medium of claim 17, which when executed causes the computer to control access to the paging device.

20. The machine-accessible medium of claim 17, which when executed causes the computer to store results from the execution of the first task in the paging device and retrieve the results by the second node.