Apparatus for coupling a bus-based architecture to a switch...

Electrical computers and digital processing systems: multicomput – Bused computer networking

Reexamination Certificate

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Details

C709S250000, C710S120000, C710S120000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06263374

ABSTRACT:

The descriptions set forth in the previous applications and the concurrently filed applications are incorporated by reference.
FIELD OF THE INVENTIONS
The present invention relates to personal computer and workstation systems and the ability to cluster many systems to perform high speed, low-latency communications with each other in a parallel fashion over switching net-works.
The present invention also relates to digital computer systems and the ability to adapt personal computer and workstation systems that were designed to function as uniprocessors to function effectively as multi-processors; i.e., individual nodes of a message passing parallel system.
GLOSSARY OF TERMS
Card slots
Receptacle connectors internal to a PC or workstation for the purpose of receiving expansion cards for attachment and expansion of the internal I/O bus.
Expansion Card
A board of components that function together as a co-processing or I/O element. The card board has multiple wiring planes used to interconnect all components mounted on the board. The card board has a connector element used to connect the card to the planar (usually the card connector is inserted into the planar connector receptacle). The active components on the card usually include a co-processing and/or I/O element, remote memory, and an I/O interface in the form of a multi-drop bus that connects to the planar through the card connector for communication to other processor or I/O cards.
I/O
Abbreviation for input/output
MicroChannel
The IBM Trademark for the specific I/O, multi-drop bus used in most IBM PCs and workstations. In the description MicroChannel is used to describe a multi-drop bus.
MC
Abbreviation for MicroChannel
MicroChannel Converter
A functional converter that converts the standard MicroChannel bus interface and protocol to the switching network interface and protocol.
MCC
Abbreviation for MC Converter
MCC-M
Abbreviation for Master MC Converter
MCC-S
Abbreviation for Slave MC Converter
MicroChannel Island
The MicroChannel Bus that resides entirely within a given PC or workstation.
MI
Abbreviation for MicroChannel Island
MSG
Abbreviation for Message, which is data sent between two nodes of a parallel system.
Node
A functional element of the system comprised of one personal computer or workstation providing a standard bus interface, which is used to connect to various input/output devices including the switching network of the present invention.
Nodal element
Another term for node, which has the same meaning.
NO-OP
A command sent over the MicroChannel to the SA adapter or expansion card that indicates that the SA should respond passively and not perform any operation (NO OPeration).
Parallel System
A collection of two or more nodal elements which are interconnected via a switch network and function together simultaneously.
PC
Abbreviation for Personal Computer
PIO
A processor instruction called Programmed Input/Output (PIO) for the purpose of transfering data located in general purpose registers in the processor to I/O devices on the MicroChannel bus, or vice versa.
Planar
A interconnection board or motherboard having multiple wiring planes. The planar contains active components, such as a multi-stage switching network, and inactive components, such as connector slots capable of receiving processor or expansion cards. The planar provides the interconnection wiring amongst the said cards.
Port
A single bi-directional input or output point to a switching network.
POS
A standard MicroChannel control sequence to perform Power-on Option Selections (POS) usualy associated with system initialization.
Processor Card
A board of components that function together as a processing element. The card board has multiple wiring planes used to interconnect all components mounted on the board. The card board has a connector element used to connect the card to the planar (usually the card connector is inserted into the planar connector receptacle). The active components on the card usually include a computing element, memory (local and cache), and an I/O interface in the form of a multi-drop bus that connects to the planar through the card connector for communication to other processor or I/O cards.
Receiving Node
A functional element of the system comprised of one or more processor and/or expansion cards interconnected by a standard bus to a switching network, which is receiving data transmitted over the switching network.
SA
Abbreviation for Switch Adapter
SA-M
Abbreviation for Switch Adapter providing the Bus Master function
SA-S
Abbreviation for Switch Adapter providing the Slave function
Sending Node
A functional element of the system comprised of one or more processor and/or expansion cards interconnected by a standard bus to a switching network, which is transmitting data over the switching network.
Switch Adapter
An alternate name for the MicroChannel Converter apparataus
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONS
Multi-stage switching networks are gaining acceptance as a means for interconnecting multiple devices within modern digital computing systems. In particular, in parallel systems it is common to use a multi-staged switching network to interconnect n system elements, where n can be several or thousands of processors or combinations of processors and other system elements. However, most state-of-the-art processors are designed to function as uniprocessors and do not implement the functions normally required to function effectively as multi-processors. The problem becomes one of how to effectively adapt uniprocessor personal computer and workstation systems to function in a multi-processor envoironment.
As the field of parallel processing advances, it becomes important to leverage off of existing low cost, off-the-shelf uniprocessors. This will enable cost effective and timely parallel products to be available at the marketplace. What is required to accomplish this is an efficient way to convert existing uniprocessors to function as parallel processors with minimal complexity and cost. This will enable customers to use idle processors that they already own more efficently and to add to the parallel system in a modularly growable fashion. Standard processor busses, such as the Microchannel, usually permit only small numbers (usually up to 8) devices to communicate before the bus exceeds its technology limits. In contrast to this, it is desirable to interconnect thousands of processors together as a parallel system. Certainly the interconnection mechanism for parallel systems cannot be the standard processor busses.
The state-of-the-art interconnection approaches have centered around multi-drop busses, which have many short comings, the primary of which is limited performance and expansion. The problem exists in bus-based processors that there is an ever increasing need for better I/O bus performance and the attachment of more I/O options. This is in direct conflict with the nature of a multi-drop bus technology, which loses performance as more and I/O options are added as taps to the bus. In general, standard bus architectures such as the MicroChannel (IBM Trademark) have selected a performance goal and thus limited the number of I/O taps permissable at that performance level. In the case of the MicroChannel the result is that 8 taps is the maximum number of allowable bus taps to permit bus operations to occur at 200 ns cycle times. As a result, bus-based system users are beginning to find that the I/O capability is not sufficient to meet their needs. For years people having been looking for means of increasing the I/O capability of bus-based systems.
Bus-based system performance is limited because only one user can have access to the bus at any given time. The expandability is limited because of the electrical characteristics of the multi-drop bus including drive capability, noise and reflections. A bus must be used internally for a Personal Computer (PC) or workstation, and cannot be extended outside of the packaging enclosure for the purpose of expanding the PC's or workstation's ability to increase it's I/O capabilit

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