At&t Bell Laboratories

American Telephone and Telegraph, Co.

At&t Information Systems Inc.

At&t Laboratories, Limited

James S Peterson

Thomas P Bishop

Robert W Fish

Mark H Davis

Grover T Surratt

Walter E Tuvell, Jr

A method for allowing a system administrator, application programmer, and/or program user to adjust the processor assignment function in a multiprocessor system. The system administrator controls the assignment function by defining certain system variables and flags. The application programmer can adjust the assignment function by causing allocation parameters to be passed in a system call before execution of the assignment function. To adjust the assignment function, the program user executes a system command that inserts similar allocation parameters into the program object code file stored in a file system on the multiprocessor system. The program executing the assignment function is responsive to the system variables and flags as well as the allocation parameters and performs the assignment function as it has been adjusted on a system, program or user level basis.

Controlled dynamic load balancing for a multiprocessor system

In a multiprocessor system (FIG. 1) wherein each adjunct processor has its own, non-shared, memory (22) the non-shared memory of each adjunct processor (11-12) comprises global memory (42) and local memory (41). All global memory of all adjunct processors is managed by a single process manager (30) of a system-wide host processor (10). Each processor's local memory is managed by its operating system kernel (31). Local memory comprises uncommitted memory (45) not allocated to any process and committed memory (46) allocated to processes. The process manager assigns processes to processors and satisfies their initial memory requirements through global memory allocations. Each kernel satisfies processes' dynamic memory allocation requests from uncommitted memory, and deallocates to uncommitted memory both memory that is dynamically requested to be deallocated and memory of terminating processes. Each processor's kernel and the process manager cooperate to transfer memory between global memory and uncommitted memory to keep the amount of uncommitted memory within a predetermined range.

Multiprocessor memory management system with the flexible features of a

There is a disclosed a multi-processing arrangement in which processes running on one processor may utilize processes, called stub processes, running on other processors. One problem that occurs with respect to such a system is that signals, which indicate the occurrence of external asynchronous events, must be processed in a specified order if the system is to work properly. Disclosed is a system for insuring the proper processing of such signals by requiring all such signals to be routed from a receiving process on a adjunct processor to the main user process on the originating processor. Also disclosed is an arrangement for insuring that signals are not lost and that duplicate signals are not processed.

Handling of notification of asynchronous events by user and stub

A multiprocessor system automatically responding to a request for executing a new program to establish an extended process that spans a plurality of processors each having resources required for the execution of the new program. Initially, the extended process comprises an user process that is requesting the execution of the new program. Stub processes are created as required to gain access to the object code file of the new program, to allocate a processor to execute the new program, and to initialize the allocated processor for execution for the new program.

Virtual execution of programs on a multiprocessor system

In a multiprocessor system (FIG. 1), memory (22) of each adjunct processor (11-12) comprises global memory (42) and local memory (41). All global memory is managed by a process manager (30) of host processor (10). Each processor's local memory is managed by its operating system kernel (31). Local memory comprises uncommitted memory (45) not allocated to any process and committed memory (46) allocated to processes. The process manager assigns processes to processors and satisfies their initial memory requirements through global memory allocations. Each kernel satisfies processes' dynamic memory allocation requests from uncommitted memory, and deallocated to uncommitted memory both memory that is dynamically requested to be deallocated and memory of terminating processes. Each processor's kernel and the process manager cooperate to transfer memory between global memory and uncommitted memory to keep the amount of uncommitted memory within a predetermined range.

Growing community of inventors

Aurora, IL, United States of America

James S Peterson