Communication link control among inter-coupled multiple processing units in a node to respective units in another node for request broadcasting and combined response

• US 7,380,102 B2
• Filed: 09/27/2005
• Issued: 05/27/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Starke, William J., Goodman, Benjiman L., Reddy, Praveen S., Chung, Vicente E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim; Kenneth S.
• Application Number:
  US11/236,458
• Publication Number:
  US 20070073998A1
• Time in Patent Office: 973 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 712/28
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/17337 Direct connection machines, e.g. completely connected computers, point to point communication networks coupling between buses G06F13/4004

Abstract

A data processing system includes a first processing node and a second processing node. The first processing node includes a plurality of first processing units coupled to each other for communication, and the second processing node includes a plurality of second processing units coupled to each other for communication. Each of the plurality of first processing units is coupled to a respective one of the plurality of second processing units in the second processing node by a respective one of a plurality of point-to-point links.

Claims

1. A method of data processing in a data processing system including a first processing node containing a plurality of first processing units and a second processing node containing a plurality of second processing units, said method comprising:

coupling said plurality of first processing units to each other;

coupling said plurality of second processing units to each other;

coupling said first processing node and said second processing node such that each of said plurality of first processing units is coupled to a respective one of said plurality of second processing units in said second processing node by a respective one of a plurality of point-to-point links, wherein said coupling of said first processing node and said second processing node includes;

coupling a first processing unit in said first processing node to a fourth processing unit in said second processing node by a first point-to-point link;

coupling a second processing unit in said first processing node to a fifth processing unit in said second processing node by a second point-to-point link; and

coupling a third processing unit in said first processing node to a sixth processing unit in said second processing node by a third point-to-point link;

wherein;

said plurality of first processing units includes a node master processing unit and at least one node leaf processing unit;

said plurality of second processing units includes a remote hub processing unit and at least one remote leaf processing unit; and

said method further comprises;

said node master processing unit broadcasting a request to each node leaf processing unit and to said remote hub processing unit;

said remote hub processing unit broadcasting said request to each remote leaf processing unit; and

said node master processing unit broadcasting a combined response for said request to each node leaf processing unit, remote hub processing unit and remote leaf processing unit based upon partial responses for said request received by said node master processing unit.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

said plurality of point-to-point links comprises a plurality of point-to-point second tier links; and

coupling said plurality of first processing units comprises coupling each of said plurality of first processing units to each other of said plurality of first processing units by a respective one of a plurality of point-to point first tier links.

3. The method of claim 2, and further comprising:

interconnect logic within one of said plurality of first processing units broadcasting an operation to all of said plurality of first processing units and all of said plurality of second processing units via all of said plurality of first tier links and one of said plurality of second tier links.

4. A method of data processing in a data processing system including a first processing node containing a plurality of first processing units and a second processing node containing a plurality of second processing units, said method comprising:

coupling said plurality of first processing units to each other;

coupling said plurality of second processing units to each other;

coupling said first processing node and said second processing node such that each of said plurality of first processing units is coupled to a respective one of said plurality of second processing units in said second processing node by a respective one of a plurality of point-to-point links, wherein said coupling of said first processing node and said second processing node includes;

coupling a first processing unit in said first processing node to a fourth processing unit in said second processing node by a first point-to-point link;

coupling a second processing unit in said first processing node to a fifth processing unit in said second processing node by a second point-to-point link; and

coupling a third processing unit in said first processing node to a sixth processing unit in said second processing node by a third point-to-point link;

in response to a first sefting of a configuration register, communicating operations in a first mode in which each of said plurality of first processing units communicates with a respective one of said plurality of second processing units in said second processing node by a respective one of a plurality of point-to-point links; and

in response to a second setting of a configuration register, communication operations in an alternative second mode in which fewer than all of said plurality of first processing units communicate to processing units among said plurality of second processing units by said plurality of point-to-point links.

5. A method of data processing in a data processing system including a first processing node containing a plurality of first processing units and a second processing node containing a plurality of second processing units, said method comprising:

coupling said plurality of first processing units to each other;

coupling said plurality of second processing units to each other;

coupling said first processing node and said second processing node such that each of said plurality of first processing units is coupled to a respective one of said plurality of second processing units in said second processing node by a respective one of a plurality of point-to-point links, wherein said coupling of said first processing node and said second processing node includes;

coupling a first processing unit in said first processing node to a fourth processing unit in said second processing node by a first point-to-point link;

coupling a second processing unit in said first processing node to a fifth processing unit in said second processing node by a second point-to-point link; and

coupling a third processing unit in said first processing node to a sixth processing unit in said second processing node by a third point-to-point link;

wherein;

operations of said plurality of first and second processing units include, in order, at least a request phase in which a request is broadcast, a partial response phase in which individual processing units determine their respective responses to said request, and a combined response phase in which a system-wide combined response to said request is distributed; and

said method further comprises said plurality of first and second processing units routing said combined response via each link traversed by said request in a same direction as said request and routing at least one partial response via each link traversed by said request in an opposite direction to said request.