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Dynamically partitionable parallel processors

  • US 4,925,311 A
  • Filed: 02/10/1986
  • Issued: 05/15/1990
  • Est. Priority Date: 02/10/1986
  • Status: Expired due to Term
First Claim
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1. A system for dynamically partitioning a plurality of parallel processors into different subcombinations for the performance of specific transactions involving limited and variable groupings of processors, comprising:

  • a plurality of processors, at least some of the processors including means for establishing a sequence of steps for a given transaction, each of the processors including a network interface having a network accessible random access memory storing a fixed length status word at each of a plurality of dynamic grouping addresses;

    a network coupled to each of the processors at the network interface thereof and providing messages from any processor concurrently to the processor network interface of all processors, the messages including data for testing the status words at selected dynamic grouping addresses and for establishing membership of a selected processor in one or more groups of a selected dynamic grouping;

    the processors each including means for modifying the status words at selected dynamic grouping addresses in their network accessible memory in accordance with the transaction step being performed thereat;

    such that a transaction can be carried out at selected processors using processing time only at the selected processors, other processors being isolated from messages received from the network by determining at the network interface whether or not the processor is a participant in a dynamic grouping, and its status relative to the transaction.

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