Processing Data Access Requests Among A Plurality Of Compute Nodes

• US 20100023631A1
• Filed: 07/28/2008
• Published: 01/28/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Howe, Emily J., Smith, Brian E., Archer, Charles J.
• Granted Patent: US 7,895,260 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/230
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/52 Program synchronisation; Mutual exclusion, e.g. by means of semaphores

Abstract

Methods, apparatus, and products are disclosed for processing data access requests among a plurality of compute nodes. One compute node operates as a processing node, and one compute nodes operates as a requesting node. The processing node receives, from the requesting node, a data access request to access data currently being processed by the processing node. The processing node also receives, from the requesting node, a processing directive. The processing directive specifies data processing operations to be performed on the data specified by the data access request. The processing node performs, on behalf of the requesting node, the data processing operations specified by the processing directive on the data specified by the data access request. The processing node transmits, to the requesting node, results of the data processing operations performed on the data by the processing node on behalf of the requesting node.

Claims

1. A method of processing data access requests among a plurality of compute nodes, at least one of the compute nodes operating as a processing node, and at least one of the compute nodes operating as a requesting node, the method comprising:

receiving, by the processing node from the requesting node, a data access request to access data currently being processed by the processing node;

receiving, by the processing node from the requesting node, a processing directive, the processing directive specifying data processing operations to be performed on the data specified by the data access request;

performing, by the processing node on behalf of the requesting node, the data processing operations specified by the processing directive on the data specified by the data access request; and

transmitting, by the processing node to the requesting node, results of the data processing operations performed on the data by the processing node on behalf of the requesting node.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving, by the processing node from the requesting node, a processing directive further comprises receiving the processing directive as part of the data access request.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising requesting, by the processing node from the requesting node, the processing directive in response to receiving the data access request.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising notifying, by the processing node to the requesting node, that the data access request is denied.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the method further comprises determining, by the processing node, which of providing the requesting node with the data specified in the data access request or performing the data processing operations on the data on behalf of the requesting node consumes less computing resources of the processing node; and

performing, by the processing node on behalf of the requesting node, the data processing operations specified by the processing directive on the data specified by the data access request further comprises performing the data processing operations specified by the processing directive on the data specified by the data access request if performing the data processing operations on the data on behalf of the requesting node consumes less computing resources of the processing node than providing the requesting node with the data specified in the data access request.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein processing data access requests among a plurality of compute nodes further comprises processing data access requests among a plurality of compute nodes in a parallel computer, the plurality of compute nodes connected together using a plurality of data communications networks, at least one of the data communications networks optimized for point to point operations, and at least one of the data communications networks optimized for collective operations.

7. A parallel computer for processing data access requests among a plurality of compute nodes, at least one of the compute nodes operating as a processing node, and at least one of the compute nodes operating as a requesting node, the parallel computer comprising one or more computer processors and computer memory operatively coupled to the computer processors, the computer memory having disposed within it computer program instructions capable of:

receiving, by the processing node from the requesting node, a data access request to access data currently being processed by the processing node;

receiving, by the processing node from the requesting node, a processing directive, the processing directive specifying data processing operations to be performed on the data specified by the data access request;

performing, by the processing node on behalf of the requesting node, the data processing operations specified by the processing directive on the data specified by the data access request; and

transmitting, by the processing node to the requesting node, results of the data processing operations performed on the data by the processing node on behalf of the requesting node.

8. The parallel computer of claim 7 wherein receiving, by the processing node from the requesting node, a processing directive further comprises receiving the processing directive as part of the data access request.

9. The parallel computer of claim 7 wherein the computer memory has disposed within it computer program instructions capable of requesting, by the processing node from the requesting node, the processing directive in response to receiving the data access request.

10. The parallel computer of claim 7 wherein the computer memory has disposed within it computer program instructions capable of notifying, by the processing node to the requesting node, that the data access request is denied.

11. The parallel computer of claim 7 wherein:

the computer memory has disposed within it computer program instructions capable of determining, by the processing node, which of providing the requesting node with the data specified in the data access request or performing the data processing operations on the data on behalf of the requesting node consumes less computing resources of the processing node; and

performing, by the processing node on behalf of the requesting node, the data processing operations specified by the processing directive on the data specified by the data access request further comprises performing the data processing operations specified by the processing directive on the data specified by the data access request if performing the data processing operations on the data on behalf of the requesting node consumes less computing resources of the processing node than providing the requesting node with the data specified in the data access request.

12. The parallel computer of claim 7 wherein the plurality of compute nodes are connected together using a plurality of data communications networks, at least one of the data communications networks optimized for point to point operations, and at least one of the data communications networks optimized for collective operations.

13. A computer program product for processing data access requests among a plurality of compute nodes, at least one of the compute nodes operating as a processing node, and at least one of the compute nodes operating as a requesting node, the computer program product disposed upon a computer readable medium, the computer program product comprising computer program instructions capable of:

receiving, by the processing node from the requesting node, a data access request to access data currently being processed by the processing node;

receiving, by the processing node from the requesting node, a processing directive, the processing directive specifying data processing operations to be performed on the data specified by the data access request;

performing, by the processing node on behalf of the requesting node, the data processing operations specified by the processing directive on the data specified by the data access request; and

transmitting, by the processing node to the requesting node, results of the data processing operations performed on the data by the processing node on behalf of the requesting node.

14. The computer program product of claim 13 wherein receiving, by the processing node from the requesting node, a processing directive further comprises receiving the processing directive as part of the data access request.

15. The computer program product of claim 13 further comprising computer program instructions capable of requesting, by the processing node from the requesting node, the processing directive in response to receiving the data access request.

16. The computer program product of claim 13 further comprising computer program instructions capable of notifying, by the processing node to the requesting node, that the data access request is denied.

17. The computer program product of claim 13 wherein:

the computer program product further comprises computer program instructions capable of determining, by the processing node, which of providing the requesting node with the data specified in the data access request or performing the data processing operations on the data on behalf of the requesting node consumes less computing resources of the processing node; and

performing, by the processing node on behalf of the requesting node, the data processing operations specified by the processing directive on the data specified by the data access request further comprises performing the data processing operations specified by the processing directive on the data specified by the data access request if performing the data processing operations on the data on behalf of the requesting node consumes less computing resources of the processing node than providing the requesting node with the data specified in the data access request.

18. The computer program product of claim 13 wherein processing data access requests among a plurality of compute nodes further comprises processing data access requests among a plurality of compute nodes in a parallel computer, the plurality of compute nodes connected together using a plurality of data communications networks, at least one of the data communications networks optimized for point to point operations, and at least one of the data communications networks optimized for collective operations.

19. The computer program product of claim 13 wherein the computer readable medium comprises a recordable medium.

20. The computer program product of claim 13 wherein the computer readable medium comprises a transmission medium.