Patent
1995-06-21
1999-07-27
Banankhah, Majid A.
395711, 395705, G06F 945
Patent
active
059305118
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
This invention relates to a data processing system and to an operating system for operating the data Processing system. In particular, the invention relates to an operating system for a computer.
In order to function, a computer or computer system employs hardware, such as one or more processors, input/output means, memory and various peripheral devices, and software in the form of both operating programs to cause the hardware to perform in a certain manner and higher level programs which instruct the operating programs to perform operations. Many operating systems have been designed in attempts to obtain the best possible performance From the various processors available. Many of these operating systems are unique to one particular processor. Furthermore, they may only support one or a small number of processing languages.
The present invention arose in the design of an improved computer and computer operating system. According to the present invention there is provided a data processing system comprising a plurality of data processors interconnected as nodes in a network. The network performs processes in such a manner that; a first node, upon receiving an instruction to perform a process decides whether it, or a neighbouring node, is best adapted, at that time, to perform the process and to select on the basis of that decision whether it or a particular neighbouring processor should perform the process.
In one embodiment the first node may send a message to each adjacent node indicative of the processing space required to execute the process; the first node also determining itself whether it has sufficient remaining space, each adjacent node being arranged to reply to the first node with information indicative of whether the space is available, wherein the first node compares the replies with its own determination and passes the process to the node having the most space available, or takes the process itself.
Alternatively, the node with the higher `power rating` is selected, the power rating being the effective operations per second rating of the node divided by the number of processes running at the node multiplied by a function of the off chip communication speed available to the node. Other methods and schemes of making the decision may be used.
According to the present invention in a second aspect there is provided a data processing system including one or more data processors, a plurality of code segments, and means for binding a plurality of chosen code segments into an executable task to be Performed by one or more processors, wherein the individual code segments are bound into a complete executable task only at the time of loading or executing the task.
Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 shows schematically the program organisation of a computer system;
FIG. 2 shows the hierarchy of the organisation of FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 shows the inter-relationship between a number of associated microprocessors during setting up of the computer system;
FIG. 4 shows the same relationship at a later stage during processing;
FIG. 5 shows a schematic flow chart for process allocation.
The following description is of a computing network having a plurality of processors, which may be arranged either in the same vicinity, perhaps on the same wafer or chip, or spread out in a network linked by hard wiring, optical fibres, longer distance telecommunication lines, or by any other means. The system described is sufficiently flexible that any of these configurations and others besides, are appropriate. The system may alternatively include just one processor. The processor or processors are arranged to perform operations, programs and processes under the control of an operating system. The operating system enables programs to be written for an imaginary processor, known as a virtual processor, which has its own predefined language. This virtual processor enables any type of target processor to be used, or combinations of diff
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Banankhah Majid A.
Tao Group Limited
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