Abstract: An apparatus and method retrieves a database record from an in-memory database of a parallel computer system using a unique key. The parallel computer system performs a simultaneous search on each node of the computer system using the unique key and then utilizes a global combining network to combine the results from the searches of each node to efficiently and quickly search the entire database.

Abstract: An apparatus and method retrieves a database record from an in-memory database of a parallel computer system using a non-unique key. The parallel computer system performs a simultaneous search on each node of the computer system using the non-unique key and then utilizes a global combining network to combine the local results from the searches of each node to efficiently and quickly search the entire database.

Abstract: A parallel-prefix broadcast for a parallel-prefix operation on a parallel computer includes: configuring, on each node, a parallel-prefix contribution buffer for storing the node's parallel-prefix contribution; configuring, on each node, a parallel-prefix results buffer for storing results of a operation, the results buffer having a position for each node that corresponds to node's rank; and repeatedly for each position in the results buffer: processing in parallel by each node, including: determining, by the node, whether the current position in the results buffer is to include the node's contribution, if the current position is not to include the contribution, contributing the identity element, and if the current position is to include the contribution, contributing the contribution, performing, by each node, the operation using the contributed identity elements and the contributed contributions, yielding a result from the operation, and storing, by each node, the result in the position in the results buffe

Abstract: A method and apparatus for dynamically rerouting node processes on the compute nodes of a massively parallel computer system using hint bits to route around failed nodes or congested networks without restarting applications executing on the system. When a node has a failure or there are indications that it may fail, the application software on the system is suspended while the data on the failed node is moved to a backup node. The torus network traffic is routed around the failed node and traffic for the failed node is rerouted to the backup node. The application can then resume operation without restarting from the beginning.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for overcoming a torus network failure in a parallel computer system. A mesh routing mechanism in the service node of the computer system configures the nodes from a torus to a mesh network when a failure occurs in the torus network. The mesh routing mechanism takes advantage of cutoff registers in each node to route node to node data transfers around the faulty node or network connection.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for fault recovery of on a parallel computer system from a soft failure without ending an executing job on a partition of nodes. In preferred embodiments a failed hardware recovery mechanism on a service node uses a heartbeat monitor to determine when a node failure occurs. Where possible, the failed node is reset and re-loaded with software without ending the software job being executed by the partition containing the failed node.

Abstract: Methods, apparatus, and products are disclosed for providing policy-based operating system services in an operating system on a computing system. The computing system includes at least one compute node. The compute node includes an operating system that includes a kernel and a plurality of operating system services of a service type. Providing policy-based operating system services in an operating system on a computing system includes establishing, on the compute node, a kernel policy specifying one of the operating system services of the service type for use in the operating system, and accessing, by the kernel, the specified operating system service. The computing system may also be implemented as a distributed computing system that includes one or more operating system service nodes. One or more of the operating system services may be distributed among the operating system service nodes.

Abstract: Methods, apparatus, and products are disclosed for providing policy-based operating system services in a hypervisor on a computing system. The computing system includes at least one compute node. The compute node includes an operating system and a hypervisor. The operating system includes a kernel. The hypervisor comprising a kernel proxy and a plurality of operating system services of a service type. Providing policy-based operating system services in a hypervisor on a computing system includes establishing, on the compute node, a kernel policy specifying one of the operating system services of the service type for use by the kernel proxy, and accessing, by the kernel proxy, the specified operating system service. The computing system may also be implemented as a distributed computing system that includes one or more operating system service nodes. One or more of the operating system services may be distributed among the operating system service nodes.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for fast backup of a set of compute nodes to save the state of the software in a parallel computer system. A fast backup mechanism in the service node of the computer system configures a set of nodes to be used for a backup and when needed uses the network hardware to perform a fast backup from node to node from an original set of nodes to the backup set of nodes. In the preferred embodiments a the fast backup is done with respect to a midplane or rack of nodes copied to a backup rack of nodes.

Abstract: Methods, apparatus, products are disclosed for providing policy-based operating system services in an operating system on a computing system. The computing system includes at least one compute node. The compute node includes an operating system. The operating system includes a kernel and a plurality of operating system services of a service type. Providing policy-based operating system services in an operating system on a computing system includes establishing, on the compute node, a kernel policy specifying one of the operating system services of the service type for use by the kernel in the operating system, establishing a performance ruleset, the performance ruleset specifying rules for analyzing the performance of the computing system, measuring performance of the computing system, and adjusting the kernel policy in dependence upon the performance ruleset and the measured performance.

Abstract: Methods, apparatus, products are disclosed for providing policy-based application services to an application running on a computing system. The computing system includes at least one compute node. The compute node includes an application and a plurality of application services of a service type. Providing policy-based application services to an application running on a computing system includes establishing, on the compute node, a service policy specifying one of the application services of the service type for use by the application, establishing a performance ruleset, the performance ruleset specifying rules for analyzing the performance of the computing system, measuring performance of the computing system, and adjusting the service policy in dependence upon the performance ruleset and the measured performance. Providing policy-based application services to an application running on a computing system may also include accessing, by the application, the specified application service.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention provide a method, system and article of manufacture for parallel application load balancing and distributed work management. In one embodiment, a hierarchy of master nodes may be used to coordinate the actions of pools of worker nodes. Further, the activity of the master nodes may be controlled by a “coordinator” node. A coordinator node may be configured to distribute work unit descriptions to the collection of master nodes. If needed, embodiments of the invention may be scaled to deeper hierarchies.