Cray Research, Inc.

Supercomputer Systems Limited Partnership

Silicon Graphics, Incorporated

Keith J Thompson

Diane M Wengelski

George A Spix

Gregory G Gaertner

Jon A Masamitsu

Robert E Strout, Ii

David M Cox

Richard E Hessel

Don A Van Dyke

Steve S Chen

David A Seberger

James C Rasbold

Kelly T O'Hair

Timothy J Cramer

Ashok Chandramouli

Linda J O'Gara

Jeremiah D Burke

Giacomo G Brussino

Mark D Johnson

Stuart W Hawkinson

Steven G Oslon

David M Barkai

Gregory G Gaetner

An integrated software architecture for a highly parallel multiprocessor system having multiple tightly-coupled processors that share a common memory efficiently controls the interface with and execution of programs on such a multiprocessor system. The software architecture combines a symmetrically integrated multithreaded operating system and an integrated parallel user environment. The operating system distributively implements an anarchy-based scheduling model for the scheduling of processes and resources by allowing each processor to access a single image of the operating system stored in the common memory that operates on a common set of operating system shared resources. The user environment provides a common visual representation for a plurality of program development tools that provide compilation, execution and debugging capabilities for multithreaded user programs and assumes parallelism as the standard mode of operation.

Method and apparatus for user side scheduling in a multiprocessor operating system program that implements distributive scheduling of processes

Method for enabling each of several processors in a multi-processing operating system to schedule processes it will execute without a supervisory scheduler. The processes are executed on the basis of priorities assigned to the processes. More than one processor can schedule processes simultaneously so long as each processor schedules processes having different priority levels from those being processed by another processor.

System having integrated dispatcher for self scheduling processors to

A method of providing fast and efficient kernel functions including those usually performed by kernel daemons and other kernel processes such as those which service interrupts. The method consists of using minimal-context processes that carry only the system-related information needed to do the work they are created to do. Compared to the full-context processes presently used to do kernel functions, minimal-context processes are created quickly and switch economically. If associated with a work queue, the minimal-context process performs a series of tasks within a single active session. If no queue is used, a minimal-context process can wake up and accomplish a single task rapidly. The method generally relates to kernel-based operating systems.

Responding to service requests using minimal system-side context in a

On a tightly coupled multiprocessor computer system, the multiple parallel regions of a multithreaded applications program can execute simultaneously as multiple threads on a plurality of processors. Furthermore, a plurality of multithreaded programs may run simultaneously. The current invention uses an efficient system to schedule and reschedule processors to run these multiple threads. Scheduling is integrated at two levels: at the first level, processors are assigned processes. At the next level, processes are assigned threads. Increased efficiency is achieved by this integration and also by the formation of processes with destructible context. It makes use of shared storage to indicate the process request level and the control state for each parallel region.

Dual level scheduling of processes to multiple parallel regions of a

Communication among processors having differing operating speeds by providing wake queues in which slower processors can queue entries, access to which by multiple concurrent producers and multiple concurrent consumers is synchronized or controlled using global registers. When a faster processor executes a kernel process for handling a wake queue, an entry is fetched from the wake queue and information stored in the entry is used to process the entry.

System for communicating among processors having different speeds

System and method for controlling a highly parallel multiprocessor using

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Eau Claire, WI, United States of America

Keith J Thompson