Patent · US Expired

System and method of initializing and determining a bootstrap processor [BSP] in a fabric of a distributed multiprocessor computing system

US6760838B2 · kind B2 · utility

31Cited by
15References
24Claims
0Family size

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Key dates

Filing dateJan 31, 2001
Grant dateJul 6, 2004
Priority date
Expiry dateSep 26, 2022

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG06F15/177
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A method for initializing a computing system comprising a plurality of devices which communicate on a communication link comprising a plurality of independent point-to-point links is provided, each of the point-to-point links interconnecting a respective pair of the plurality of devices. The method includes a link initialization procedure comprising initially configuring each respective pair of devices to communicate on the respective interconnecting link using common communication parameters, including a common frequency and a common link width. The link initialization procedure also may include an optimization procedure for determining maximum communication parameters for each interconnected pair of devices. If the maximum compatible parameters differ from the common parameters for any pair of devices, then the pair of devices may be reconfigured to communicate on the interconnecting link using the maximum compatible parameters. Once a communication capability has been established, the establishment of one or more communication fabrics for the computer system may be performed. This scheme includes designating a bootstrap processor, locating the boot ROM, establishing the manner i…

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.