Computer cluster

• US 7,889,725 B2
• Filed: 03/27/2007
• Issued: 02/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Ajima, Yuichiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Hsu; Alpus H
• Assistant Examiner(s): HASSAN, SAAD K
• Application Number:
  US11/728,645
• Publication Number:
  US 20080089329A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,421 Days
• Field of Search: 370/389, 370/254, 370400-409, 370/386, 709/220, 709249-253, 709/238, 706/26, 706/27, 706/29, 712 10- 12
• US Class Current: 370/386
• 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 computer cluster arranged at a lattice point in a lattice-like interconnection network contains four nodes and an internal communication network. Two nodes can transmit packets to adjacent computer clusters located along the X direction, and the two other nodes can transmit packets to adjacent computer clusters located along the Y direction. Each node directly transmits a packet to an adjacent computer cluster in the direction in which the node can transmit packets, when the destination of the packet is located in the direction. When the destination of a packet to be transmitted from a node is not located in the direction in which the receiving node can transmit packets, the node transfers the packet to one of the other nodes through the internal communication network for transmitting the packet to the destination of the packet through the one of the other nodes.

Claims

1. A computer cluster for use as one of a plurality of components which are arranged at a plurality of lattice points in an interconnection network having a lattice-like structure, the interconnection network transmitting packets between the plurality of the lattice points, the computer cluster comprising:

first and third nodes each of which is connected to first and third components among the plurality of components, the first and third components including a plurality of nodes, the first and third components being located adjacent to the computer cluster along a direction parallel to a first axis;

second and fourth nodes each of which is connected to second and fourth components among the plurality of components, the second and fourth components including a plurality of nodes, the second and fourth components being located adjacent to the computer cluster along a direction parallel to a second axis; and

an internal communication network to interconnect the first, second, third and fourth nodes;

wherein each of the first and third nodes is connected to the first and third components via routes bypassing the internal communication network, and each of the second and fourth nodes is connected to the second and fourth components via routes bypassing the internal communication network,

each of the first and third nodes is connected to neither the second component nor the fourth component, and each of the second and fourth nodes is connected to neither the first component nor the third component,

the first and third nodes, when receiving a packet to be transmitted to one of the second and fourth components, transfer the received packet to the second node or the fourth node through the internal communication network, and

the second and fourth nodes, when receiving a packet to be transmitted to one of the first and third components, transfer the received packet to the first node or the third node through the internal communication network.

2. The computer cluster according to claim 1, wherein the internal communication network is an all-to-all-connection network to interconnect the first, second, third, and fourth nodes with each other through a bidirectional link.

3. The computer cluster according to claim 1, the internal communication network comprising:

a switch to receive packets and deliver the received packets to the first, second, third, and fourth nodes, and

bidirectional links to connect the switch with the first, second, third, and fourth nodes respectively.

4. The computer cluster according to claim 1, wherein:

the first node is connected to the first component through a unidirectional link from the first component to the first node, and is connected to the third component through a unidirectional link from the first node to the third component,

the third node is connected to the first component through a unidirectional link from the third node to the first component, and is connected to the third component through a unidirectional link from the third component to the third node,

the second node is connected to the second component through a unidirectional link from the second component to the second node, and is connected to the fourth component through a unidirectional link from the second node to the fourth component, and

the fourth node is connected to the second component through a unidirectional link from the fourth node to the second component, and is connected to the fourth component through a unidirectional link from the fourth component to the fourth node.

5. The computer cluster according to claim 1, wherein:

each of the first and third nodes is connected to the first component through a first bidirectional link, and is connected to the third component through a second bidirectional link, and

each of the second and fourth nodes is connected to the second component through a third bidirectional link, and is connected to the fourth component through a fourth bidirectional link.

6. The computer cluster according to claim 1, each of the first, second third and fourth nodes comprising:

a plurality of virtual-channel buffers to temporarily store packets,

a receiver to receive packets, and deliver the received packets to the plurality of virtual-channel buffers according to destination addresses contained in the received packets, and

a switch to acquire the received packets stored in the plurality of virtual-channel buffers and performs switching of the acquired packets.

7. The computer cluster according to claim 1, wherein:

the computer cluster further includes fifth and sixth nodes each of which is connected to fifth and sixth components among the plurality of components, the fifth and sixth components being located adjacent to the computer cluster along a direction parallel to a third axis,

the internal communication network interconnects the first, second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth nodes,

each of the fifth and sixth nodes is not connected to any one of the first, second, third and fourth components,

the fifth and sixth nodes, when receiving a packet to be transmitted to one of the first and third components, transfer the received packet to the first node or the third node through the internal communication network, and

the fifth and sixth nodes, when receiving a packet to be transmitted to one of the second and fourth components, transfer the received packet to the second node or the fourth node through the internal communication network.