Intercomponent data communication

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9384157-B2
Application number	US-201414484984-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 12, 2014
Priority date	May 30, 2014
Publication date	Jul 5, 2016
Grant date	Jul 5, 2016

Abstract

A request to send a message from a first component, located on a first processor, to a second component, located on a second processor, is received. It is determined that the second processor can be communicated with via a first bidirectional communication path. It is determined that bandwidth is available on the first bidirectional communication path. It is determined that bandwidth is available on a second bidirectional communication path. In response to a determination that bandwidth is available on the second bidirectional communication path, a data path is created between the first component and the second bidirectional communication path and the request to send the message to the second component is granted. In response to a determination that bandwidth is not available on the first bidirectional communication path or on the second bidirectional communication path, the grant of the request to send the message to the second component is delayed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
receiving, at a first arbiter of a first processor, a request to send a message from a first component to a second component,
wherein the second component is located on a second processor,
wherein the first arbiter is associated with a first time zone,
wherein the first time zone represents a first area of the processor in which processor signals traverse within a specified amount of time,
wherein the first component is in the first time zone, wherein the first component is coupled with the first arbiter;

determining that the second component is located on the second processor;
in response to said determining that the second component is located on the second processor, determining that the second processor can be communicated with via a first bidirectional communication path, wherein the first bidirectional communication path couples the first processor with the second processor;
in response to said determining that the second processor can be communicated with via the first bidirectional communication path, determining that bandwidth is available on the first bidirectional communication path;
in response to said determining that bandwidth is available on the first bidirectional communication path, determining that bandwidth is available on a second bidirectional communication path,
wherein the first arbiter is coupled with the second bidirectional communication path,
wherein the second bidirectional communication path couples the first time zone and a second time zone,
wherein the second time zone represents a second area of the first processor in which processor signals traverse within the specified amount of time,
wherein a processor signal from a component in the first time zone to a component in the second time zone is not received within the specified amount of time,

in response to said determining that bandwidth is available on the second bidirectional communication path,
creating a data path between the first component and the second bidirectional communication path; and
granting the request to send the message to the second component; and

in response to said determining that bandwidth is not available on the second bidirectional communication path or said determining that bandwidth is not available on the first bidirectional communication path, delaying the grant of the request to send the message to the second component.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said determining that bandwidth is available on the first bidirectional communication path comprises:
determining that an inter-processor path from the first processor to the second processor is available, wherein the inter-processor path does not include any additional processors between the first processor and the second processor;
in response to said determining that the inter-processor path from the first processor to the second processor is available, determining whether the inter-processor path from the first processor to the second processor includes the first bidirectional communication path;
in response to said determining that the inter-processor path from the first processor to the second processor includes the first bidirectional communication path,
determining that a first token is available, wherein the first token is associated with the first bidirectional communication path, wherein the first token represents bandwidth available on the first bidirectional communication path; and
reserving the first token; and

in response to said determining that the inter-processor path from the first processor to the second processor does not include the first bidirectional communication path,
determine that a second token is available, wherein the second token is associated with a third bidirectional communication path, wherein the second token represents bandwidth available on the third bidirectional communication path; and
reserving the second token.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein said determining that bandwidth is available on the first bidirectional communication path comprises:
determining that the second processor is located on a same node as the first processor;
in response to said determining that the second processor is located on the same node as the first processor, determining that the first bidirectional communication path is an intra-node communication path; and
in response to said determining that the first bidirectional communication path is an intra-node communication path,
determining that a token is available, wherein the token is associated with the first bidirectional communication path, wherein the token represents bandwidth available on the first bidirectional communication path; and
in response to said determining that the token is available, reserving the token.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein said determining that bandwidth is available on the first bidirectional communication path comprises:
determining that the second processor is located on a different node than the first processor;
in response to said determining that the second processor is located on a different node than the first processor, determining whether a preferred-path token associated with a preferred communication path for inter-node communications is available;
in response to said determining that the preferred-path token is available, reserving the preferred-path token;
in response to said determining that the preferred-path token is not available, determining that a non-preferred-path token associated with a non-preferred communication path for inter-node communications is available; and
in response to said determining that the non-preferred-path token is available, reserving the non-preferred-path token.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
receiving, at a second arbiter via the second bidirectional communication path, metadata associated with the message, wherein the metadata indicates a destination of the message;
determining that bandwidth on the second bidirectional communication path has been reserved for sending the message; and
creating a data path between the second bidirectional communication path and the first bidirectional communication path.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein said determining that bandwidth on the first bidirectional communication path has been reserved for sending the message comprises:
determining that the message is associated with a token, wherein the token is associated with the first bidirectional communication path, wherein the token represents bandwidth available on the first bidirectional communication path.

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Dixon Robert C
• Lambrecht Lonny J
• Marino Charles F
• Stuecheli Jeffrey A

Classifications

• G06F13/362

  with centralised access control · CPC title

• H04L12/40117

  Interconnection of audio or video/imaging devices (home automation networks H04L12/2803; bitstream network arrangements specially adapted for distribution of digital video signals H04N7/24) · CPC title

• G06F13/372 Primary

  using a time-dependent priority, e.g. individually loaded time counters or time slot · CPC title

• G06F13/4031

  with arbitration · CPC title