Patent · US Active

Message passing with a limited number of DMA byte counters

US8032892B2 · kind B2 · utility

4Cited by
64References
24Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJun 26, 2007
Grant dateOct 4, 2011
Priority date
Expiry dateAug 3, 2030

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG06F9/546
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A method for passing messages in a parallel computer system constructed as a plurality of compute nodes interconnected as a network where each compute node includes a DMA engine but includes only a limited number of byte counters for tracking a number of bytes that are sent or received by the DMA engine, where the byte counters may be used in shared counter or exclusive counter modes of operation. The method includes using rendezvous protocol, a source compute node deterministically sending a request to send (RTS) message with a single RTS descriptor using an exclusive injection counter to track both the RTS message and message data to be sent in association with the RTS message, to a destination compute node such that the RTS descriptor indicates to the destination compute node that the message data will be adaptively routed to the destination node. Using one DMA FIFO at the source compute node, the RTS descriptors are maintained for rendezvous messages destined for the destination compute node to ensure proper message data ordering thereat. Using a reception counter at a DMA engine, the destination compute node tracks reception of the RTS and associated message data and sends a c…

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