Complex remote update programming idiom accelerator

• US 8,145,723 B2
• Filed: 04/16/2009
• Issued: 03/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Arimilli, Ravi K., Sharma, Satya P., Swanberg, Randal C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Swearingen, Jeffrey R
• Application Number:
  US12/424,983
• Publication Number:
  US 20100268790A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,076 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 709/212
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/509 Offload
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/3009 Thread control instructions
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5044 considering hardware capabilities

Abstract

A remote update programming idiom accelerator is configured to detect a complex remote update programming idiom in an instruction sequence of a thread. The complex remote update programming idiom includes a read operation for reading data from a storage location at a remote node, a sequence of instructions for performing an update operation on the data to form result data, and a write operation for writing the result data to the storage location at the remote node. The remote update programming idiom accelerator is configured to determine whether the sequence of instructions is longer than an instruction size threshold and responsive to a determination that the sequence of instructions is not longer than the instruction size threshold, transmit the complex remote update programming idiom to the remote node to perform the update operation on the data at the remote node.

Claims

1. A method, in a data processing system, for performing a remote update, the method comprising:

detecting, by a remote update programming idiom accelerator of the data processing system, a complex remote update programming idiom in an instruction sequence of a thread running on a processing unit, wherein the complex remote update programming idiom includes a read operation for reading data from a storage location at a remote node, a sequence of instructions for performing an update operation on the data to form result data, and a write operation for writing the result data to the storage location at the remote node;

determining, by the remote update programming idiom accelerator, whether the sequence of instructions is longer than an instruction size threshold; and

responsive to a determination that the sequence of instructions is not longer than the instruction size threshold, transmitting the complex remote update programming idiom from the remote update programming idiom accelerator to the remote node to perform the update operation on the data at the remote node.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

responsive to a determination that the sequence of instructions is longer than the instruction size threshold, performing the complex remote update by the thread running on the processing unit by creating a communications session between the thread and the remote node.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the remote node receives the complex remote update programming idiom, reads the data from the storage location, executes the sequence of instructions on the data to form the result data, and writes the result data to the storage location locally to the remote node.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the remote node returns a completion notification to the remote update programming idiom accelerator informing the remote update programming idiom accelerator that processing of the complex remote update programming idiom has completed on the remote node.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving the instruction size threshold from the remote node within a heartbeat message from the remote node.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining an instruction size threshold value for the data processing system; and

sending the instruction size threshold value for the data processing system to each remote node connected to the data processing system within a heartbeat message.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the remote node is a first remote node, the method further comprising:

receiving, at the remote update programming idiom accelerator, a second complex remote update programming idiom from a second remote node, wherein the second complex remote update programming idiom includes a second read operation for reading second data from a storage location local to the data processing system, a second sequence of instructions for performing a second update operation on the second data to form second result data, and a second write operation for writing result data to the storage location local to the data processing system, wherein the sequence of instructions is not longer than the instruction size threshold value for the data processing system;

reading, by the remote update programming idiom accelerator, the second data from the storage location local to the data processing system;

executing the second sequence of instructions to perform the second update operation to form the second result data;

writing, by the remote update programming idiom accelerator, the second result data to the storage location local to the data processing system; and

returning a completion notification from the remote update programming idiom accelerator to the second remote node informing the remote node that processing of the second complex remote update programming idiom has completed on the data processing system.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the remote update programming idiom accelerator comprises a dedicated processor associated with a bus within the data processing system.

9. A method, in a data processing system, for performing a remote update, the method comprising:

determining an instruction size threshold value for the data processing system;

sending the instruction size threshold value for the data processing system to each remote node connected to the data processing system within a heartbeat message;

receiving, at a remote update programming idiom accelerator within the data processing system, a complex remote update programming idiom from a remote node, wherein the complex remote update programming idiom includes a read operation for reading data from a storage location local to the data processing system, at least one update operation for performing an operation on the data to form result data, and a write operation for writing the result data to the storage location local to the data processing system, wherein the sequence of instructions is not longer than the instruction size threshold value;

reading, by the remote update programming idiom accelerator, the data from the storage location local to the data processing system;

executing, by the remote update programming idiom accelerator, the sequence of instructions to perform the update operation on the data to form the result data;

writing, by the remote update programming idiom accelerator, the result data to the storage location local to the data processing system; and

returning a completion notification from the remote update programming idiom accelerator to the remote node informing the remote node that processing of the complex remote update programming idiom has been completed on the data processing system.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the remote update programming idiom accelerator comprises a dedicated processor associated with a bus within the data processing system.

11. A data processing system, comprising:

at least one processing unit, implemented in hardware, executing a thread; and

a remote update programming idiom accelerator, implemented in hardware, wherein the remote update programming idiom accelerator is configured to detect a complex remote update programming idiom in an instruction sequence of the thread, wherein the complex remote update programming idiom includes a read operation for reading data from a storage location at a remote node, a sequence of instructions for performing an update operation on the data to form result data, and a write operation for writing the result data to the storage location at the remote node;

wherein the remote update programming idiom accelerator is configured to determine whether the sequence of instructions is longer than an instruction size threshold and responsive to a determination that the sequence of instructions is not longer than the instruction size threshold, transmit the complex remote update programming idiom to the remote node to perform the update operation on the data at the remote node.

12. The data processing system of claim 11, wherein the remote update programming idiom accelerator is further configured to, responsive to a determination that the sequence of instructions is longer than the instruction size threshold, perform the complex remote update by the thread running on the processing unit by creating a communications session between the thread and the remote node.

13. The data processing system of claim 11, wherein the remote node receives the complex remote update programming idiom, reads the data from the storage location, executes the sequence of instructions on the data to form the result data, and writes the result data to the storage location locally to the remote node.

14. The data processing system of claim 13, wherein the remote node returns a completion notification to the remote update programming idiom accelerator informing the remote update programming idiom accelerator that processing of the complex remote update programming idiom has completed on the remote node.

15. The data processing system of claim 11, wherein the remote update programming idiom accelerator is further configured to receive the instruction size threshold from the remote node within a heartbeat message from the remote node.

16. The data processing system of claim 11, wherein the remote update programming idiom accelerator is further configured to determine an instruction size threshold value for the data processing system and send the instruction size threshold value for the data processing system to each remote node connected to the data processing system within a heartbeat message.

17. The data processing system of claim 16, wherein the remote node is a first remote node and wherein the remote update programming idiom accelerator is further configured to:

receive a complex remote update from a second remote node, wherein the second complex remote update programming idiom includes a second read operation for reading second data from a storage location local to the data processing system, a second sequence of instructions for performing a second update operation on the second data to form second result data, and a second write operation for writing result data to the storage location local to the data processing system, wherein the sequence of instructions is not longer than the instruction size threshold value for the data processing system;

read the second data from the storage location local to the data processing system;

execute the second sequence of instructions to perform the second update operation to form the second result data;

write the second result data to the storage location local to the data processing system; and

return a completion notification from the remote update programming idiom accelerator to the second remote node informing the remote node that processing of the second complex remote update programming idiom has completed on the data processing system.

18. The data processing system of claim 11, wherein the remote update programming idiom accelerator comprises a dedicated processor associated with a bus within the data processing system.