Apparatus and method for a data processing system having a peer relationship among a plurality of central processing units
First Claim
1. A data processing system in which each central processing unit/operating system combination of said data processing system has access in an peer relationship to all resources of said data processing system, said data processing system comprising:
- a plurality of resources, said plurality of resources including a main memory unit;
a plurality of central processing unit/operating system combinations, at least one central processing unit/operating system combination being incompatible with other central processing unit/operating system combinations of said data processing system, each of said central processing unit/operating system combinations operating independently, each of said central processing unit/operating system combinations having a storage means associated therewith for storing a list of resources available to said associated central processing unit/operating system combination, each coupled central processing unit/operating system combination coupled to said data processing system having address security mechanisms insuring access only a resources in said list stored in said associated storage means, wherein a central processing unit/operating system combination not having said address security mechanisms has external address security mechanisms coupled thereto prior to being coupled to said data processing system;
transfer means for coupling said plurality of resources and said plurality of central processing unit/operating system combinations in said data processing system, said plurality of central processing unit/operating system combinations being tightly coupled to said main memory unit, each coupled central processing unit/operating system combination coupled to said data processing system having coupling means permitting exchange of data/instruction signal groups with said transfer means, wherein a central processing unit/operating system combination not having said coupling means has an external coupling means coupled between said central processing unit/operating system combination and said transfer means when coupled to said data processing system; and
communication means whereby each central processing unit/operating system combination can communicate with every other central processing unit/operations system combination, said communication means for transferring system resources from a list of resources associated with a first central processing unit to a list of resources associated with a second central processing unit.
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Abstract
A data processing system is disclosed in which a plurality of central processing units have access to all the system resources, i.e., have a peer relationship. During initialization of the data processing system, all the system resources are allocated to the individual central processing units according to a preselected distribution procedure, the identification of available resources thereafter being stored in the files of the individual central processing units. During the operation of the data processing system, the resources can be reallocated by a predetermined procedure. The central processing units entering such a relationship are required to include apparatus and/or software procedures that prevent access to system resources not assigned thereto. A mail box procedure, using locations in the main memory unit permit communication between the central processing units and are used in the dynamic allocation of resources.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A data processing system in which each central processing unit/operating system combination of said data processing system has access in an peer relationship to all resources of said data processing system, said data processing system comprising:
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a plurality of resources, said plurality of resources including a main memory unit; a plurality of central processing unit/operating system combinations, at least one central processing unit/operating system combination being incompatible with other central processing unit/operating system combinations of said data processing system, each of said central processing unit/operating system combinations operating independently, each of said central processing unit/operating system combinations having a storage means associated therewith for storing a list of resources available to said associated central processing unit/operating system combination, each coupled central processing unit/operating system combination coupled to said data processing system having address security mechanisms insuring access only a resources in said list stored in said associated storage means, wherein a central processing unit/operating system combination not having said address security mechanisms has external address security mechanisms coupled thereto prior to being coupled to said data processing system; transfer means for coupling said plurality of resources and said plurality of central processing unit/operating system combinations in said data processing system, said plurality of central processing unit/operating system combinations being tightly coupled to said main memory unit, each coupled central processing unit/operating system combination coupled to said data processing system having coupling means permitting exchange of data/instruction signal groups with said transfer means, wherein a central processing unit/operating system combination not having said coupling means has an external coupling means coupled between said central processing unit/operating system combination and said transfer means when coupled to said data processing system; and communication means whereby each central processing unit/operating system combination can communicate with every other central processing unit/operations system combination, said communication means for transferring system resources from a list of resources associated with a first central processing unit to a list of resources associated with a second central processing unit. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A method of providing a data processing system having a plurality of tightly coupled central processing unit/operating system combinations, at least one of said central processing unit/operating system combinations being incompatible with said data processing system, wherein each of said plurality of central processing unit/operating system combinations has a peer relationship with others of said plurality of central processing unit/operating system combinations, said peer relationship providing that each central processing unit/operating system combination of a data processing system has equal access to all data processing system resources including a main memory, said method comprising the steps of:
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coupling an interface unit between said incompatible central processing unit/operating system combination and a system bus, said interface unit reformatting data/instruction signal groups received from and applied to said system bus thereby permitting exchange of data/instruction signal groups between said incompatible central processing unit/operating system combination and said system bus; during initialization of said data processing system, generating files of addresses of data processing system resources identifying data processing system resources allocated to each central processing unit/operating system combination; storing a file of addresses identifying resources allocated to and accessible by said each central processing unit/operating system combination in a storage means associated with said each central processing unit/operating system combination; insuring that every address generated by said each central processing unit/operating system combination is included in said file of addresses associated with said each central processing unit/operating system combination by adding an address security mechanism to each central processing unit/operating system combination not having an address security mechanism; and providing a communication procedure between said central processing unit/operating system combinations, said communication procedure permitting each central processing unit/operating system combination requiring a selected data processing system resource to cause reallocation of said selected data processing system resource to said file of addresses associated with said central processing unit/operating system combination requiring said selected data processing system resource. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A data processing system wherein all central processing unit/operating system combinations have a peer relationship with equal access to all system resources, said data processing system including at least one incompatible central processing unit/operating system combination incompatible with a remainder of said data processing system, said data processing system comprising:
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a system bus; data processing system resources including at least a main memory unit coupled to said system bus; a plurality of central processing unit/operating system combinations, each coupled central processing unit/operating system combination coupled to said data processing system including an address security mechanism, an address security mechanism being added to a non-secure central processing unit/operating system combination not having an address security mechanism prior to coupling of said non-secure central processing unit/operating system to said data processing system, said plurality of central processing unit/operating system combinations including; a first central processing unit/operating system combination coupled to said system bus and capable of accessing said data processing system resources, said first central processing unit/operating system combination including a storage means storing a first list of addresses identifying data processing system resources assigned and accessible to said first central processing unit/operating system combination and a first address security mechanism, said first address security mechanism insuring an address generated by said first central processing unit/operating system combination is included in said first list; an interface unit coupled to said system bus; a second central processing unit/operating system combination incompatible with said data processing system, said second central processing unit/operating system combination being coupled to said interface unit, said interface unit converting data/instruction signal groups from said system bus to a format compatible with said second central processing unit/operating system combination and converting data/instruction groups from said second central processing unit/operating system to a format compatible with said data processing system, said second central processing unit/operating system combination including a second storage means storing a second list of addresses identifying data processing system resources assigned and accessible to said second central processing unit/operating system combination and a second address security mechanism, said second address security mechanism insuring that an address generated by said second central processing unit/operating system combination is included in said second list; and communication means for transferring an address from said first list to said second list in response to a request procedure from said second central processing unit/operating system combination. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification