Masterless building block binding to partitions using identifiers and indicators

• US 7,051,180 B2
• Filed: 01/09/2002
• Issued: 05/23/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/09/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Downer, Wayne A., Gilbert, Bruce M., Lovett, Thomas D.
• Primary Examiner(s): BATAILLE, PIERRE MICHE
• Application Number:
  US10/045,796
• Publication Number:
  US 20030131214A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,595 Days
• Field of Search: 709/214, 709/215, 709/201, 707/8, 711/173, 711/170, 711/154, 711/147, 711/156
• US Class Current: 711/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5061 Partitioning or combining of resources

Abstract

A masterless approach binds multiprocessor building blocks to partitions of a computer system using identifiers and indicators. A number of building blocks communicate among each other to determine a partition to which each building block is to be partitioned. For each unique partition to which one or more of the building blocks is to be partitioned, the building blocks communicate among each other to determine building block uniqueness, and then each of the building blocks joins the partition. The building blocks share with one another their logical port identifiers, which uniquely identify the building block within a partition. A commit indicator of each building block indicates that the building block has committed itself to the partition and that its identifiers cannot be changed. A partition protect indicator is set by one building block of a partition, preventing changes to the commit indicators of other building blocks wishing to join the partition except by that one building block, effectively protecting the partition. Building block protect indicators protect the building blocks themselves.

Claims

1. A method for masterless building block partitioning comprising:

communicating among a plurality of building blocks to determine a partition to which each of the plurality of building blocks is to be partitioned;

for each unique partition to which one or more of the plurality of building blocks is to be partitioned,

communicating among the one or more of the plurality of building blocks to determine building block uniqueness of the unique partition; and

,

joining the unique partition by each of the one or more of the plurality of building blocks,

wherein communicating among the plurality of building blocks comprises at least one of;

sending from each building block of the plurality to all other building blocks of the plurality a partition identifier identifying the partition to which the building block is to be partitioned; and

,

sending from each building block of the plurality to all other building blocks of the plurality a logical port identifier identifying the building block in the unique partition.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein communicating among the plurality of building blocks comprises receiving by each building block of the plurality from all other building blocks of the plurality partition identifiers identifying the partitions to which all the other building blocks are to be partitioned.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein communicating among the plurality of building blocks comprises sending from each building block of the plurality to all other building blocks of the plurality a physical port identifier identifying the building block.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein communicating among the plurality of building blocks further comprises receiving by each building block of the plurality from all other building blocks of the plurality physical port identifiers identifying all the other building blocks.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein communicating among the plurality of building blocks further comprises receiving by each building block of the one or more of the plurality from all other building blocks of the one or more of the plurality logical port identifiers identifying all the other building blocks in the unique partition.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein communicating among the one or more of the plurality of building blocks comprises determining by each building block of the one or more of the plurality whether the unique partition has been protected by any building block of the one or more of the plurality.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein determining whether the unique partition has been protected comprises examining partition protect indicators and commit indicators of the one or more of the plurality of building blocks.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein communicating among the one or more of the plurality of building blocks comprises committing by each building block of the one or more of the plurality to the unique partition.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein committing to the unique partition comprises setting a commit indicator.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein joining the unique partition by each of the one or more of the plurality of building blocks comprises protecting the unique partition.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein protecting the unique partition comprises setting a partition protect indicator and a commit indicator.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein joining the unique partition by each of the one or more of the plurality of building blocks further comprises each building block protecting itself.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein each building block protecting itself comprises setting a building block protect indicator.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising removing a building block from a partition.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein removing a building block from a partition comprises turning off a commit indicator of the building block.

27. The article of claim 14, wherein the medium is selected from the group consisting of:

a modulated carrier signal; and

a recordable data storage medium.

16. A system comprising:

a commit indicator for each of the plurality of building blocks to be partitioned, the commit indicator of a building block signifying that the building block has joined a partition; and

,

a partition protect indicator for each of the plurality of building blocks, the partition protect indicator of a building block signifying that a partition that the building block has joined is protected and that only other of the plurality of building blocks that have joined the partitioned building block may change the commit indicator of the building block.

17. The system of claim 16, further comprising a building block protect indicator for each of the plurality of building blocks, the building block protect indicator of a building block signifying that the partition identifier of the building block can only be changed by the building block itself.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the building block protect indicator further signifies that a logical identifier of the building block can only be changed by the building block itself.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the building block protect indicator further signifies that a physical identifier of the building block can only be changed by the building block itself.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the building block protect indicator comprises a hardware bit that can he set to zero or one.

21. The system of claim 16, wherein the commit indicator signifies that a logical identifier and a partition identifier of the building block cannot be changed.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the logical identifier is a logical port identifier.

23. The system of claim 21, wherein the commit indicator comprises a hardware bit that can be set to zero or one.

24. The system of claim 16, wherein the partition protect indicator of the building block being set in addition to the commit indicator of the building block being set signifies that a partition that the building block has joined is protected.

25. The system of claim 16, wherein the partition protect indicator comprises a hardware bit that can be set to zero or one.

26. An article comprising:

a computer-readable medium; and

,

means in the medium for joining a partition in a masterless manner by a building block of a plurality of building blocks, by communicating with other building blocks of the plurality of building blocks and by examining a plurality of indicators of each of the other building blocks, including a partition protect indicator, a building block protect indicator, and a building-block-to-partition commit indicator, the partition protect indicator signifying that only other of the plurality of building blocks that have joined the partition of the building block may change the building-block-to-partition commit indicator of the building block.