Arbiter, crossbar, request selection method and information processing device

• US 7,830,902 B2
• Filed: 04/26/2007
• Issued: 11/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/18/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Itozawa, Shintarou, Kinoshita, Takayuki, Ichimiya, Junji
• Primary Examiner(s): Vu; Thong H
• Application Number:
  US11/740,658
• Publication Number:
  US 20080043767A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,293 Days
• Field of Search: 370/357, 370/395, 370/461, 710/120, 710/244, 710/116, 710/107, 711/5, 711/136
• US Class Current: 370/412
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/1657 Access to multiple memories
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/364 using independent requests or grants, e.g. using separated request and grant lines
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/4022 using switching circuits, e.g. switching matrix, connection or expansion network G06F13/4009 takes precedence

Abstract

A plurality of units (processing units) connected to a crossbar are divided into a plurality of groups and one is selected from requests selected for each group according to priority among the groups that changes at prescribed time intervals. Thus, the number of times per unit time requests issued from units belonging to a group whose priority is improved at the prescribed time intervals can be maintained over a certain value regardless of a request state.

Claims

1. An arbiter mounted on a crossbar in which a plurality of units capable of issuing a request are connected, for selecting a request among requests issued by the units each of which belongs to one of a plurality of groups of units, the arbiter comprising:

a plurality of first request selection parts, each of the first request selection parts corresponds to one of a different groups of units, and that selects a request among requests issued by the units belong to the same group of units corresponds to the first request selection part, respectively;

second request selection part for selecting a request among the requests selected for each of the groups of units by the first request selection parts; and

selection control part for enabling the second request selection part to select a request among requests issued from the groups of units according to a predetermined priority of each group of units among the plurality of groups;

wherein

the priority of each group of units among the groups is changed at prescribed time intervals.

2. The arbiter according to claim 1, wherein

one or more system boards mounting one or more CPUs and one or more IO units for connection with peripheral devices are connected to the crossbar as the units, and a first group among the plurality of groups includes only the system boards belong and a second group among the plurality of groups includes only the IO units, and

the selection control part temporarily makes priority of the first group higher than that of the second group.

3. An arbiter in which a plurality of units are connected to, for selecting one of requests issued by the units, the arbiter comprising:

first request selection part that selects, for each of a plurality of groups in which the units belong to one of the groups, one of the request issued by the units belong to the same groups, respectively;

second request selection part that selects one of the the requests selected for each of the groups by the first request selection part; and

selection control part that enables the second request selection part to select one of the requests according to a predetermined priority of each group among the plurality of groups;

wherein

the priority of each group among the groups is dynamically changed.

4. The arbiter according to claim 3, wherein

the selection control part comprises a plurality of counting part that counts a number of the requests is issued by each of the groups, and

the priority of each group is dynamically changed based upon the number of counted issued requests for each group.

5. The arbiter according to claim 4, wherein

the selection control part gives top priority to a group in which the corresponding number of the counted issued requests is smallest among the groups.

6. The arbiter according to claim 3, wherein

one or more system boards mounting one or more CPUs and one or more IO units for connection with peripheral devices are connected to the crossbar as the units, and the plurality of groups are divided into two of a first group to which only the system boards belong and a second group to which only the IO units belong.

7. A crossbar to which a plurality of units are connected, the plurality of units are divided into a plurality of groups, the crossbar comprising:

first request selection part that selects one of requests issued by of the units belonging to the same group for each groups respectively;

second request selection part that selects one of the requests selected by the first request selection part; and

selection control part that enables the second request selection part to select requests according to priority of each group among the groups that change at predetermined time intervals, wherein

the request selected by the second request selection part to a unit which is a destination of the request.

8. The arbiter according to claim 7, wherein

when one or more system boards mounting one or more CPUs and one or more IO units for connection with peripheral devices are connected to the crossbar as the units, the plurality of groups are divided into two of a first group to which only the system boards belong and a second group to which only the IO units belong.

9. A request selection method for enabling a crossbar to which each of a plurality of units are connected to select one from requests issued by the plurality of units, comprising:

selecting one request from requests issued by the units belonging to the same group of units, for each of the groups of units contains a plurality of units, respectively; and

selecting one request from the requests selected for each of the groups according to priority among the groups which changes at predetermined time intervals.

10. The request selection method according to claim 9, wherein

when one or more system boards mounting one or more CPUs and one or more IO units for connection with peripheral devices are connected to the crossbar as the units, the plurality of groups are divided into two of a first group to which only the system boards belong and a second group to which only the IO units belong.

11. An information processing device, comprising:

a plurality of processing units which are divided into a plurality of groups, each of the processing units is capable of issuing requests;

first request selection part for arbitrating the requests issued from the plurality of processing units within a same group, and selecting one of requests issued from the processing units belonging to the same group, for each of the groups respectively;

second request selection part for selecting one of the requests selected for each of the groups by the first request selection part; and

selection control part for enabling the second request selection part to select requests according to predetermined priority of each group among the plurality of groups;

wherein

the priority among the groups is periodically changed.