Multinode computer system with distributed clock synchronization system
US6591370B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Dec 23, 1999 |
| Grant date | Jul 8, 2003 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Dec 23, 2019 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH03L7/00
- WIPO fieldBasic communication processes
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A multinode multiprocessor computer system with distributed local clocks wherein a local clock may be synchronized with other clocks in the system without affecting the operation of the other clocks. A local clock to be synchronized is reset and counts an elapsed time since the reset. Simultaneously with resetting the local clock, a clock value from a clock on a source node is stored. The clock value from the source node is copied to the node to be synchronized and added to the elapsed time. The resulting summation is then stored in the local clock to be synchronized. As a result, the local clock is synchronized to the clock on the source node. In one system embodiment, the local clock includes a dynamic register and a base register and an adder adds the two portions together to generate an output of the local clock. For a node being synchronized, the dynamic portion is reset and allowed to count the elapsed time while the base portion is loaded with a clock value copied from the source node. In another system embodiment, a clock register stores both dynamic and base portions. For a node being synchronized, the clock register is reset and allowed to count the elapsed time. The base…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.