Multiprocessor system for memory mapping of processing nodes

• US 7,979,645 B2
• Filed: 09/10/2008
• Issued: 07/12/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Motohashi, Hiroomi
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim; Hong
• Application Number:
  US12/232,098
• Publication Number:
  US 20090077326A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,035 Days
• Field of Search: 712/29, 709/213, 711/147, 711/202, 711/153, 711/170
• US Class Current: 711/147
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/0692 Multiconfiguration, e.g. local and global addressing

Abstract

A memory mapping unit requests allocation of a remote memory to memory mapping units of other processor nodes via a second communication unit, and requests creation of a mapping connection to a memory-mapping managing unit of a first processor node via the second communication unit. The memory-mapping managing unit creates the mapping connection between a processor node and other processor nodes according to a connection creation request from the memory mapping unit, and then transmits a memory mapping instruction for instructing execution of a memory mapping to the memory mapping unit via a first communication unit of the first processor node.

Claims

1. A multiprocessor system comprising a plurality of processor nodes each including a memory having an independent memory space, wherein the processor nodes are connected via a plurality of communication lines, each of the processor nodes includes

a memory mapping unit that performs a memory mapping for mapping a part or whole of memories of other processor nodes to the memory space in the memory of the processor node as remote memories according to a request from a process operated by an execution of a program,

a first communication unit that performs a communication via a first communication line,

a second communication unit that performs a communication via a second communication line,

a first processor node, which is one of the processor nodes, further includes a memory-mapping managing unit that creates a mapping connection between a processor node and other processor nodes upon the memory mapping unit performing the memory mapping,

the memory mapping unit transmits a memory allocation request for requesting allocation of the remote memories to the memory mapping units of the other processor nodes via the second communication unit, and transmits a connection creation request for requesting creation of the mapping connection to the memory-mapping managing unit of the first processor node via the second communication unit, and the memory-mapping managing unit creates the mapping connection between the processor node and the other processor nodes according to the connection creation request transmitted from the memory mapping unit, and then transmits a memory mapping instruction for instructing execution of the memory mapping to the memory mapping unit via the first communication unit of the first processor node.

2. The multiprocessor system according to claim 1, wherein when allocation of the remote memories is requested, the memory mapping units of the other processor nodes allocate a part or whole of memory areas of the memories of the other processor nodes as the remote memories and transmit a memory allocation result including addresses of the memory areas to the memory mapping unit via the second communication units of the other processor nodes.

3. The multiprocessor system according to claim 2, wherein

the memory mapping unit transmits the memory allocation request to the other memory mapping units via the second communication unit, and then transmits, when the memory allocation result including the addresses of the memory areas transmitted by the memory mapping units of the other processor nodes is received, the connection creation request including the addresses of the memory areas to the memory-mapping managing unit via the second communication unit, and

the memory-mapping creating unit creates, according to the connection creation request transmitted by the memory mapping unit, the mapping connection by mapping the addresses of the memory areas to an address of a memory window set for the processor node, and then transmits, via the first communication unit of the first processor node, a memory mapping instruction for instructing execution of the memory mapping to the memory mapping unit.

4. The multiprocessor system according to claim 3, wherein the memory mapping unit performs, when the memory mapping instruction transmitted by the memory-mapping managing unit is received via the first communication unit, the memory mapping by mapping the addresses of the memory areas to the address of the memory window in the memory space of the memory of the processor node.

5. The multiprocessor system according to claim 4, wherein the memory mapping unit performs, when the memory mapping instruction transmitted by the memory-mapping managing unit is received via the first communication unit, the memory mapping by mapping the addresses of the memory areas to the memory space of the memory of the processor node and a virtual memory space generated by the process.

6. The multiprocessor system according to claim 5, wherein

each of the processor nodes further includes a control unit that controls the processor node by reading and executing an operating system stored in a storing unit, and

the other memory mapping units secure, during start of the operating system, a memory area in which addresses are continuous in the memory, allocates, when the allocation of the remote memories is requested by the memory mapping unit, a part or whole of a secured memory area as the remote memories, and transmits a memory allocation result including an address of the memory area to the memory mapping unit via the second communication units of the other processor nodes.

7. The multiprocessor system according to claim 6, wherein

the memory mapping unit transmits, via the second communication unit, a memory allocation request for requesting allocation of the remote memories designating their memory sizes to the memory mapping units of the other processor nodes, and the memory mapping units of the other processor nodes allocate, when allocation of the remote memories with the memory sizes designated is requested, a memory area of the memory size as a remote memory and transmits a memory allocation result including an address of the memory area to the memory mapping unit via the second communication units of the other processor nodes.

8. The multiprocessor system according to claim 7, wherein the memory mapping unit includes a memory library that provides an application program interface equivalent to an application program interface used when a shared memory function included in a System V IPC is realized.

9. The multiprocessor system according to claim 8, wherein a part or whole of the memory window is a collectively writable memory area.

10. The multiprocessor system according to claim 9, wherein

the processor nodes are connected in peer-to-peer, and

the first processor node and the processor nodes other than the first processor node are connected in a relation of a server and clients.

11. The multiprocessor system according to claim 10, wherein the second communication line is a network communication line for performing a communication according to a predetermined communication standard.

12. The multiprocessor system according to claim 1, wherein

the processor node further includes

a central processing unit that transmits a write request for requesting writing of data to an input/output device,

a host bus to which the central processing unit is connected,

a general-purpose bus to which the input/output device is connected,

a host bus bridge to which the host bus and the general-purpose bus are connected, and

a write buffer provided between the central processing unit and the host bus bridge, and

the write buffer buffers the write request transmitted from the central processing unit and issues a burst transfer cycle to the general-purpose bus.