Method and apparatus for user side scheduling in a multiprocessor operating system program that implements distributive scheduling of processes

US6195676A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• Silicon Graphics, Inc. · US

Inventors

• George A. Spix · Eau Claire, US
• Diane M. Wengelski · Eau Claire, US
• Stuart Hawkinson · Eau Claire, US
• Mark D. Johnson · Eau Claire, US
• Jeremiah D. Burke · Eau Claire, US
• Keith J. Thompson · Eau Claire, US
• Gregory G. Gaertner · Eau Claire, US
• Giacomo G. Brussino · Eau Claire, US
• Richard E. Hessel · Pleasanton, US
• David M. Barkai · Eau Claire, US
• Steve S. Chen · San Jose, US
• Steven G. Oslon · Chippewa Falls, US
• Robert E. Strout, II · Livermore, US
• Jon A. Masamitsu · Livermore, US
• David M. Cox · Gloucester, GB
• Linda J. O'Gara · Livermore, US
• Kelly T. O'Hair · Livermore, US
• David A. Seberger · Livermore, US
• James C. Rasbold · Livermore, US
• Timothy J. Cramer · Pleasanton, US
• Don A. Van Dyke · Pleasanton, US
• Ashok Chandramouli · Fremont, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Jan 11, 1993
• Grant date: Feb 27, 2001
• Expiry date: Jan 11, 2013

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G06F15/8092
• WIPO field: Computer technology
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

An integrated software architecture for a highly parallel multiprocessor system having multiple tightly-coupled processors that share a common memory efficiently controls the interface with and execution of programs on such a multiprocessor system. The software architecture combines a symmetrically integrated multithreaded operating system and an integrated parallel user environment. The operating system distributively implements an anarchy-based scheduling model for the scheduling of processes and resources by allowing each processor to access a single image of the operating system stored in the common memory that operates on a common set of operating system shared resources. The user environment provides a common visual representation for a plurality of program development tools that provide compilation, execution and debugging capabilities for multithreaded user programs and assumes parallelism as the standard mode of operation.