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Managing a plurality of processors as devices

  • US 7,921,151 B2
  • Filed: 07/19/2008
  • Issued: 04/05/2011
  • Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2003
  • Status: Expired due to Fees
First Claim
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1. An information handling system comprising:

  • a plurality of heterogeneous processors, wherein the plurality of heterogeneous processors includes one or more first processors and one or more secondary processors, wherein the first processors are of a first processor type and the secondary processors are of a second processor type; and

    a common memory accessible by the plurality of heterogeneous processors, wherein;

    the one or more first processors are adapted to;

    execute an operating system by a selected first processor;

    load a device module corresponding to a selected secondary processor;

    load an application using the operating system, the application including device-oriented instructions adapted to control the selected secondary processor;

    set up a device-like access path for the selected secondary processor, the device-like access path being used by the application to access the selected secondary processor;

    execute the application on the selected first processor;

    detect a device call from the application, wherein the device call is a request from the application to load device-oriented instructions to the selected secondary processor;

    in response to the detecting, load the device-oriented instructions to the common memory;

    perform the device-oriented instructions at the selected secondary processor;

    in response to the performing, store processed data in an output buffer in the common memory;

    notify the operating system that the device-oriented instructions have been performed; and

    read, by the application, the processed data from the output buffer.

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