Techniques for dynamically assigning jobs to processors in a cluster based on processor workload

• US 8,239,524 B2
• Filed: 12/16/2008
• Issued: 08/07/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Arimilli, Lakshminarayana Baba, Arimilli, Ravi Kumar, Basso, Claude, Calvignac, Jean L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Joo, Joshua
• Application Number:
  US12/336,256
• Publication Number:
  US 20100153541A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,330 Days
• Field of Search: 709201-206, 709223-226
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5088 involving task migration

Abstract

A technique for operating a high performance computing (HPC) cluster includes monitoring workloads of multiple processors included in the HPC cluster. The HPC cluster includes multiple nodes that each include two or more of the multiple processors. One or more threads assigned to one or more of the multiple processors are moved to a different one of the multiple processors based on the workloads of the multiple processors.

Claims

1. A method of operating a high performance computing cluster, comprising:

monitoring workloads of multiple processors, wherein the high performance computing cluster includes multiple nodes that each include two or more of the multiple processors;

moving one or more threads assigned to one or more of the multiple processors to a different one of the multiple processors based on the workloads of the multiple processors;

periodically broadcasting information, indicating a level of processor utilization and network utilization at each of the multiple nodes, from each of the multiple nodes to remaining ones of the multiple nodes;

updating respective local job tables maintained in each of the multiple nodes to maintain a view of the level of processor utilization and network utilization at each of the multiple nodes; and

moving, based on the broadcast information in the respective local job tables, at least one of the one or more threads to a different one of the multiple processors.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

moving one of the one or more threads to a different one of the multiple processors based on communication between the one or more threads.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the workloads of the multiple processors are based on utilization of one or more floating-point units included within each of the multiple processors.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

cracking at least one of the one or more threads that is executing on a first processor, included in the multiple processors, based on a first workload of the first processor into at least two secondary threads; and

moving one of the at least two secondary threads to a second processor, included in the multiple processors, based on a second workload of the second processor.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the moving further comprises:

moving identified threads, included in the one or more threads, that communicate above a threshold level to identified processors, included in the multiple processors, that are located physically closer to each other.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the multiple nodes are arranged in a three-dimensional Torus topology.

7. The method of claim 1, where the multiple processors are included within multiple chip-level multiprocessors.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein at least some of the multiple processors included within different ones of the multiple chip-level multiprocessors are coupled together via host channel adapters and switch fabrics including one or more switches.

9. A high performance computing cluster, comprising:

multiple nodes that each include multiple processors; and

monitoring hardware configured to monitor workloads of the multiple processors,

wherein the high performance computing cluster is configured to move one or more threads assigned to one or more of the multiple processors to a different one of the multiple processors based on the workloads of the multiple processors and periodically broadcast information, indicating a level of processor utilization and network utilization at each of the multiple nodes, from each of the multiple nodes to remaining ones of the multiple nodes and update respective local job tables maintained in each of the multiple nodes to maintain a view of the level of processor utilization and network utilization at each of the multiple nodes, and

wherein the high performance computing cluster is further configured to move, based on the broadcast information in the respective local job tables, at least one of the one or more threads to a different one of the multiple processors.

10. The high performance computing cluster of claim 9, wherein the high performance computing cluster is further configured to move one of the one or more threads to a different one of the multiple processors based on communication between the one or more threads.

11. The high performance computing cluster of claim 9, wherein the workloads of the multiple processors are based on utilization of one or more floating-point units included within each of the multiple processors.

12. The high performance computing cluster of claim 9, wherein the high performance computing cluster is further configured to crack at least one of the one or more threads that is executing on a first processor, included in the multiple processors, based on a first workload of the first processor into at least two secondary threads and move one of the at least two secondary threads to a second processor, included in the multiple processors, based on a second workload of the second processor.

13. The high performance computing cluster of claim 9, wherein the high performance computing cluster is further configured to move identified threads, included in the one or more threads, that communicate above a threshold level to identified processors, included in the multiple processors, that are located physically closer to each other.

14. The high performance computing cluster of claim 9, wherein the multiple nodes are arranged in a three-dimensional Torus topology.

15. The high performance computing cluster of claim 9, where the multiple processors are included within multiple chip-level multiprocessors.

16. The high performance computing cluster of claim 15, wherein at least some of the multiple processors included within different ones of the multiple chip-level multiprocessors are coupled together via host channel adapters and switch fabrics including one or more switches.

17. A method of operating a high performance computing cluster, comprising:

monitoring workloads of multiple processors, wherein the high performance computing cluster includes multiple nodes that each include two or more of the multiple processors;

moving one or more threads assigned to one or more of the multiple processors to a different one of the multiple processors based on the workloads of the multiple processors;

moving one of the one or more threads to a different one of the multiple processors based on communication between the one or more threads;

periodically broadcasting information, indicating a level of processor utilization and network utilization at each of the multiple nodes, from each of the multiple nodes to remaining ones of the multiple nodes;

updating respective local job tables maintained in each of the multiple nodes to maintain a view of the level of processor utilization and network utilization at each of the multiple nodes; and

moving, based on the broadcast information in the respective local job tables, at least one of the one or more threads to a different one of the multiple processors.