Apparatus, method and system for aggregrating computing resources

• US 7,380,039 B2
• Filed: 12/29/2004
• Issued: 05/27/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Computer Associates Think Inc. (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: 3tera Incorporated (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Marinov, Borislav S., Hester, Becky L., Nickolov, Peter, Miloushev, Vladimir
• Primary Examiner(s): Dang; Khanh
• Application Number:
  US11/024,641
• Publication Number:
  US 20060143350A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,245 Days
• Field of Search: 710 36- 38, 710316-317, 710/220, 710/244, 718/100, 718/104, 718/107, 718/108, 712/28, 711/118, 711/125, 711/130, 711/135
• US Class Current: 710/244
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/00 Interconnection of, or transfer of information or other signals between, memories, input/output devices or central processing units interface circuits for specific input/output devices G06F3/00 ; multiprogram control therefor G06F9/46; multiprocessor systems G06F15/16
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/173 using an interconnection network, e.g. matrix, shuffle, pyramid, star, snowflake
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/504 Resource capping
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/542 Intercept
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5016 the resource being the memory
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5027 the resource being a machine, e.g. CPUs, Servers, Terminals
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5072 Grid computing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5088 involving task migration
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1008 based on parameters of servers, e.g. available memory or workload monitoring of computer activity G06F11/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1097 for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

A system for executing applications designed to run on a single SMP computer on an easily scalable network of computers, while providing each application with computing resources, including processing power, memory and others that exceed the resources available on any single computer. A server agent program, a grid switch apparatus and a grid controller apparatus are included. Methods for creating processes and resources, and for accessing resources transparently across multiple servers are also provided.

Claims

1. A method for accessing resources in a distributed computing system, the system comprising a plurality of servers, each server having a plurality of resources, each server having a plurality of threads, each server of said plurality of servers connected through a network, and each server being operable to detect attempts by a thread to access a resource residing on a different server, the method comprising:

automatically intercepting a resource request by the thread; and

alternatively executing one of the following procedures in a selective manner responsive to the intercepted resource request for effect the access;

a. responsive to a first thread attempting to access a first resource, said first thread running on a first server, said first resource located on a second server, hopping said first thread to said second server in order to effect the access;

b. responsive to said first thread attempting to access said first resource, reassigning and moving said first resource to said first server in order to effect the access; and

c. responsive to said first thread attempting to access said first resource, caching said first resource on said first server in order to effect the access.

2. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising establishing in each of said servers having the threads including an agent operable to automatically intercept all resource requests of the threads therein.

3. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising establishing in each of said servers having the threads including an agent operable to automatically intercept selected resource requests of the threads therein in response to at least one first condition or event.

4. The method as recited in claim 3 wherein the at least one first condition or event relates to detection of an unsuccessful memory access request.

5. The method of claim 3 wherein the at least one first condition or event relates to detection of a resource-not-found error.

6. The method of claim 3 wherein the at least one first condition or event relates to detection of a resource access failure.

7. The method of claim 3 wherein the at least one first condition or event relates to detection of a resource-not-found-on-thread'"'"'s-server error.

8. The method of claim 3 wherein the first request relates to a memory access request;

and wherein automatic interception of the thread occurs in response to detection of an error relating to the memory access request.

9. A system for accessing resources in a distributed computing system, the system comprising:

a plurality of servers, each server having a plurality of resources, each server having a plurality of threads, each server of said plurality of servers connected through a network, and each server being operable to detect attempts by a thread to access a resource residing on a different server;

the system being operable to;

automatically intercept a resource request by the thread; and

alternatively execute one of the following procedures in a selective manner responsive to the intercepted resource request for effecting the access;

a. responsive to a first thread attempting to access a first resource, said first thread running on a first server, said first resource located on a second server, hopping said first thread to said second server in order to effect the access;

b. responsive to said first thread attempting to access said first resource, reassigning and moving the first resource to said first server in order to effect the access; and

c. responsive to said first thread attempting to access said first resource, caching said first resource on said first server in order to effect the access.

10. The system as recited in claim 9 wherein each of said servers having the threads includes an agent operable to automatically intercept selected resource requests of the threads therein in response to at least one first condition or event.

11. A system for accessing resources in a distributed computing system, the system comprising:

a plurality of servers, each server having a plurality of resources, each server having a plurality of threads, each server of said plurality of servers connected through a network, and each server being operable to detect attempts by a thread to access a resource residing on a different server;

means for automatically intercepting a resource request by the thread; and

means for alternatively executing one of the following procedures in a selective manner responsive to the intercepted resource request for effecting the access;

a. responsive to a first thread attempting to access a first resource, said first thread running on a first server, said first resource located on a second server, hopping said first thread to said second server in order to effect the access;

b. responsive to said first thread attempting to access said first resource, reassigning and moving the first resource to said first server in order to effect the access; and

c. responsive to said first thread attempting to access said first resource, caching said first resource on said first server in order to effect the access.

12. The system as recited in claim 11 wherein each of said servers having the threads includes an agent operable to automatically intercept selected resource requests of the threads therein in response to at least one first condition or event.