Tandem Computers Incorporated

Robert R Teisberg

Gary R Morrison

David T Heron

James R Alexander

James E Holeman

Rory Foster

Jeffrey A Boyd

A method is presented that enhances the survivability of system software components, even in the event of catastrophic failure of the computing element on which they reside. In particular, the combination of a distributed operating system (Non Stop Clusters) and a fault-tolerant interconnect (ServerNet) provides an environment conducive to posthumous recovery strategies that have been unavailable in previous distributed computing environments. The specific strategy outlined here is called resource harvesting, and involves a novel approach that retrieve critical data structures of memory from a failed computing element for reconstruction on a non-failed computing element, allowing such critical data structures to continue with their original function.

Resource harvesting in scalable, fault tolerant, single system image clusters

A data communication system embodying an apparatus and a method provides simultaneous paths between a plurality of transmit ports and a plurality of receive ports for transmitting therebetween data identifying their destination receive ports. Such data are signals which are constructed in accordance with a standard serial protocol for frame element communication, such as HDLC (High-level Data Link Control). The system is assembled in a chassis containing a backplane and multiple cards having transmit and receive ports through which the cards couple the backplane. The system includes: a receiver of data transmitted by a source transmit port, a recognizer of the destination receive port identified by the received data, a determiner of the availability of the recognized destination receive port, a connector of a path between the source transmit port and the destination receive port in response to a determination that the recognized destination receive port is available, and a transmitter of the received data to the destination receive port through the connected path.

Apparatus and method for frame switching

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Leander, TX, United States of America

Robert R Teisberg