Concurrent hypercube system with improved message passing
First Claim
1. An asynchronous system of multiprocessor computers ("nodes") connected in a hypercube network configured as a cube, which cube includes nodes at each corner of the cube, bidirectional communication lines for passing data messages along the edge of the cube, and any node in said network being designable as a local node which has its nearest nodes in said network designated as immediate neighboring nodes, said system comprising:
- a dedicated I/O processor at every node assigned only for communication tasks throughout said cube-configured network, with each I/O processor operating independently of every other I/O processor in the network to control its own node'"'"'s data message passing to its own immediate neighboring nodes;
a local FIFO at each node connected to a bidirectional communication link which is connected between a local node and each immediate neighboring node;
A FIFO-loading control line leading from a local node to each immediate neighboring node in said cube-configured network; and
means associated with a local node'"'"'s I/O processor and under control of said local I/O processor for loading the neighboring node'"'"'s FIFO via signaling over said bidirectional communication lines and said control line.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A network of microprocessors, or nodes, are interconnected in an n-dimensional cube having bidirectional communication links along the edges of the n-dimensional cube. Each node'"'"'s processor network includes an I/O subprocessor dedicated to controlling communication of message packets along a bidirectional communication link with each end thereof terminating at an I/O controlled transceiver. Transmit data lines are directly connected from a local FIFO through each node'"'"'s communication link transceiver. Status and control signals from the neighboring nodes are delivered over supervisory lines to inform the local node that the neighbor node'"'"'s FIFO is empty and the bidirectional link between the two nodes is idle for data communication. A clocking line between neighbors, clocks a message into an empty FIFO at a neighbor'"'"'s node and vica versa. Either neighbor may acquire control over the bidirectional communication link at any time, and thus each node has circuitry for checking whether or not the communication link is busy or idle, and whether or not the receive FIFO is empty. Likewise, each node can empty its own FIFO and in turn deliver a status signal to a neighboring node indicating that the local FIFO is empty. The system includes features of automatic message rerouting, block message transfer and automatic parity checking and generation.
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Citations
22 Claims
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1. An asynchronous system of multiprocessor computers ("nodes") connected in a hypercube network configured as a cube, which cube includes nodes at each corner of the cube, bidirectional communication lines for passing data messages along the edge of the cube, and any node in said network being designable as a local node which has its nearest nodes in said network designated as immediate neighboring nodes, said system comprising:
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a dedicated I/O processor at every node assigned only for communication tasks throughout said cube-configured network, with each I/O processor operating independently of every other I/O processor in the network to control its own node'"'"'s data message passing to its own immediate neighboring nodes; a local FIFO at each node connected to a bidirectional communication link which is connected between a local node and each immediate neighboring node; A FIFO-loading control line leading from a local node to each immediate neighboring node in said cube-configured network; and means associated with a local node'"'"'s I/O processor and under control of said local I/O processor for loading the neighboring node'"'"'s FIFO via signaling over said bidirectional communication lines and said control line. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. An asynchronous system of multi-processor computers ("nodes") connected in a hypercube network configured as a cube, which cube includes nodes at each corner of the cubes, bidirectional communication lines for passing data messages along the edges of the cube, and any node in said network being designable as a local node which has its nearest nodes in said network designated as immediate neighboring nodes, said system comprising:
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a dedicated I/O processor at every node assigned only for communication tasks throughout said cube configured network, with each I/O processor operating independently of every other I/O processor in the network to control its own node'"'"'s data message passing to its own immediate neighboring nodes; a local storage means at each node connected to a bidirectional communication link which is connected between a local node and each immediate neighboring node; a control line leading from a local node to each immediate neighboring node in said cube-configured network; and means associated with a local node'"'"'s I/O processor and under control of said local I/O processor for loading the neighboring node'"'"'s storage means via said bidirectional communication link and said control line.
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12. An asynchronous system of multi-processor computers ("nodes") connected in a hypercube network configured as a cube, which cube includes nodes at each corner of the cube, bidirectional communication lines for passing data messages along the cube, and any node in said network being a local node which has its nearest nodes in said network designated as immediate neighboring nodes, said system comprising:
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a dedicated I/O processor at every node assigned only for communication tasks throughout said cube-configured network, with each I/O processor operating independently of every other I/O processor in the network to control its own node'"'"'s data message passing to its own immediate neighboring nodes; a control line leading from a local node to each immediate neighboring node in said cube-configured network; and means associated with a local node'"'"'s I/O processor and under control of said local I/O processor for controlling message passing to an immediate neighboring node independently of message passing activity in other `nodes`. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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Specification