摘要:
A method and apparatus for providing for serially transmitting partitioning information between system partitions, and between system partitions and the corresponding data processing resources. Serial transmission may allow the partitioning information to be transmitted using a single I/O ASIC pin, and a single PC board trace. In addition to reducing the required number of I/O ASIC pins and PC board traces, the present invention may increase the overall reliability of the partitioning mechanism.
摘要翻译:一种用于在系统分区之间以及在系统分区与相应的数据处理资源之间串行发送分区信息的方法和装置。 串行传输可以允许使用单个I / O ASIC引脚和单个PC板跟踪传输分区信息。 除了减少所需数量的I / O ASIC引脚和PC板迹线之外,本发明可以增加分区机构的整体可靠性。
摘要:
A system and method is disclosed for performing error recovery in a data processing system that supports multiple processing partitions. One or more processors and I/O modules, as well as a portion of the address space of a main memory, is allocated to each partition. In this type of configuration, requests generated by units of multiple partitions are processed by the same queue and state logic of the main memory. When a failure occurs within one processing partition, one or more units are identified as being directly affected by the fault. All requests and responses from, and to, the affected units, as well as any logical residue of these requests and responses are removed from the shared memory queue and state logic in a manner that allows the other partition to continue issuing requests and responses to the memory in a normal manner that does not involve recovery operations.
摘要:
A system and method for testing and/or initializing a Directory Store in a directory-based coherent memory. In one illustrative embodiment, the directory-based coherent memory includes a Main Store for storing a number of data entries, a Directory Store for storing the directory state for at least some of the data entries in the Main Store, and a next state block for determining a next directory state for a requested data entry in response to a memory request. To provide access to the Directory Store, and in one illustrative embodiment, a selector is provided for selecting either the next directory state value provided by the next state block or another predetermined value. The other predetermined value may be, for example, a fixed data pattern, a variable data pattern, a specified value, or any other value suitable for initializing and/or testing the Directory Store. The output of the selector may be written to the Directory Store.
摘要:
Poisoning of specific memory locations as a process when a part of a multiprocessor computer system becomes faulty leads to ability to isolate specific data owned by individual failing units even in a shared memory area. Also continuous processing by non-failing units is allowable. A support processor handles non-immediate problems and allows resetting of memory locations formerly owned by failed units.
摘要:
A directory-based cache coherency system is disclosed for use in a data processing system having multiple Instruction Processors (IP) and multiple Input/Output (I/O) units coupled through a shared main memory. The system includes one or more IP cache memories, each coupled to one or more IPs and to the shared main memory for caching units of data referred to as cache lines. The system further includes one or more I/O memories within ones of the I/O units, each I/O memory being coupled to the shared main memory for storing cache lines retrieved from the shared main memory. Coherency is maintained through the use of a central directory which stores status for each of the cache lines in the system. The status indicates the identity of the IP caches and the I/O memories having valid copies of a given cache line, and further identifies a set of access privileges, that is, the cache line “state”, associated with the cache line. The cache line states are used to implement a state machine which tracks the cache lines and ensures only valid copies of are maintained within the memory system. According to another aspect of the system, the main memory performs continuous tracking and control functions for all cache lines residing in the IP caches. In contrast, the system maintains tracking and control functions for only predetermined cache lines provided to the I/O units so that system overhead may be reduced. The coherency system further supports multiple heterogeneous instruction processors which operate on cache lines of different sizes.
摘要:
A data by-pass system for a hierarchical, multi-level, memory is disclosed. The by-pass system provides by-pass interfaces between storage devices located at predetermined levels within the memory hierarchy. The hierarchical memory system of the preferred embodiment includes a main memory coupled to multiple first storage devices that each stores addressable portions of data signals retrieved from the main memory. To facilitate a more efficient transfer of data between the various storage devices in the memory system, at least one by-pass interface coupling associated ones of the first storage devices is provided. Data retrieved from a target one of the first storage devices in response to a main memory request can be routed to a different requesting one of the first storage devices via the by-pass system without requiring the use of the main memory data interfaces.
摘要:
A programmable address translation system for a modular main memory is provided. The system is implemented using one or more General Register Arrays (GRAs), wherein each GRA performs logical-to-physical address translation for a predetermined address range within the system. Predetermined bits of a logical address are used to address a GRA associated with the logical address range. Data bits read from the GRA are then substituted for the predetermined bits of the logical address to form the physical address. In this manner, non-contiguous addressable banks of physical memory may be mapped to a selectable contiguous address range. By including within the GRA Address a number N of logical address bits used to address contiguous logical addresses, an address translation mechanism is provided which may be programmed to perform between 2-way and 2N-way address interleaving. Each GRA may be re-programmed dynamically to accommodate changing memory conditions as may occur, for example, when a range of memory is logically removed from a system because of errors. Furthermore, GRA reprogramming may occur while memory operations continue within other non-associated address ranges. Additionally, address interleaving may be selected for certain ones of the address ranges, whereas a non-interleaving scheme may be selected for other address ranges.
摘要:
Method and apparatus for a computer system to efficiently operate with multiple instruction processors and input/output subsystem in a symmetrical multi-processing environment. The computer system uses a new storage controller having a high performance interconnect scheme that scales in system performance as additional common storage controller modules are added. The interconnect scheme has the cost advantage of a bus connected system while achieving the performance characteristics of a crossbar connected system.
摘要:
A computing system and method of executing a software program and translation of instructions for an emulated computing environment. The computing system includes a programmable circuit capable of executing native instructions of a first instruction set architecture and incapable of executing non-native instructions of a second instruction set architecture. The emulator operates within an interface layer and translates non-native applications hosted within an emulated operating system for execution. The computing system includes translated memory banks defined at least in part by the emulated operating system and capable of native execution on the programmable circuit, where the emulated operating system is incapable of execution on the programmable circuit. The computing system includes a linker configured to manage association of at least one of the one or more translated memory banks to the interface layer for native execution by the programmable circuit in place of a corresponding bank of non-native instructions.
摘要:
A system and method for managing memory data is provided. Data stored within a main memory may be requested by multiple requesters that may include one or more cache memories. When the data is provided by the main memory to a requester, it will be provided in a state that is based on the way the data was recently used by the requesters. For example, if a pattern of read-only usage has been established for the data, the data will be returned to a requester in a shared state. If data that was provided in a shared state must be updated such that the requester is required return to main memory to obtain read/write privileges, the main memory will thereafter provide the data in an exclusive state that allows write operations to be completed. This will continue until a pattern of read-only usage is again established.