Patents by Inventor Matthias A. Blumrich

Matthias A. Blumrich has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Managing coherence via put/get windows
    Patent number: 8122197
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for managing coherence between two processors of a two processor node of a multi-processor computer system. Generally the present invention relates to a software algorithm that simplifies and significantly speeds the management of cache coherence in a message passing parallel computer, and to hardware apparatus that assists this cache coherence algorithm. The software algorithm uses the opening and closing of put/get windows to coordinate the activated required to achieve cache coherence. The hardware apparatus may be an extension to the hardware address decode, that creates, in the physical memory address space of the node, an area of virtual memory that (a) does not actually exist, and (b) is therefore able to respond instantly to read and write requests from the processing elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Matthias A. Blumrich, Dong Chen, Paul W. Coteus, Alan G. Gara, Mark E. Giampapa, Philip Heidelberger, Dirk Hoenicke, Martin Ohmacht
  • Snoop filtering system in a multiprocessor system
    Patent number: 8103836
    Abstract: A system and method for supporting cache coherency in a computing environment having multiple processing units, each unit having an associated cache memory system operatively coupled therewith. The system includes a plurality of interconnected snoop filter units, each snoop filter unit corresponding to and in communication with a respective processing unit, with each snoop filter unit comprising a plurality of devices for receiving asynchronous snoop requests from respective memory writing sources in the computing environment; and a point-to-point interconnect comprising communication links for directly connecting memory writing sources to corresponding receiving devices; and, a plurality of parallel operating filter devices coupled in one-to-one correspondence with each receiving device for processing snoop requests received thereat and one of forwarding requests or preventing forwarding of requests to its associated processing unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Matthias A. Blumrich, Dong Chen, Alan G. Gara, Mark E. Giampapa, Philip Heidelberger, Dirk I. Hoenicke, Martin Ohmacht, Valentina Salapura, Pavlos M. Vranas
  • Local rollback for fault-tolerance in parallel computing systems
    Patent number: 8103910
    Abstract: A control logic device performs a local rollback in a parallel super computing system. The super computing system includes at least one cache memory device. The control logic device determines a local rollback interval. The control logic device runs at least one instruction in the local rollback interval. The control logic device evaluates whether an unrecoverable condition occurs while running the at least one instruction during the local rollback interval. The control logic device checks whether an error occurs during the local rollback. The control logic device restarts the local rollback interval if the error occurs and the unrecoverable condition does not occur during the local rollback interval.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Matthias A. Blumrich, Dong Chen, Alan Gara, Mark E. Giampapa, Philip Heidelberger, Martin Ohmacht, Burkhard Steinmacher-Burow, Krishnan Sugavanam
  • COLLECTIVE NETWORK FOR COMPUTER STRUCTURES
    Publication number: 20110219280
    Abstract: A system and method for enabling high-speed, low-latency global collective communications among interconnected processing nodes. The global collective network optimally enables collective reduction operations to be performed during parallel algorithm operations executing in a computer structure having a plurality of the interconnected processing nodes. Router devices are included that interconnect the nodes of the network via links to facilitate performance of low-latency global processing operations at nodes of the virtual network and class structures. The global collective network may be configured to provide global barrier and interrupt functionality in asynchronous or synchronized manner. When implemented in a massively-parallel supercomputing structure, the global collective network is physically and logically partitionable according to needs of a processing algorithm.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 5, 2011
    Publication date: September 8, 2011
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Matthias A. Blumrich, Paul W. Coteus, Dong Chen, Alan Gara, Mark E. Giampapa, Philip Heidelberger, Dirk Hoenicke, Todd E. Takken, Burkhard D. Steinmacher-Burow, Pavlos M. Vranas
  • CACHE AS POINT OF COHERENCE IN MULTIPROCESSOR SYSTEM
    Publication number: 20110219188
    Abstract: In a multiprocessor system, a conflict checking mechanism is implemented in the L2 cache memory. Different versions of speculative writes are maintained in different ways of the cache. A record of speculative writes is maintained in the cache directory. Conflict checking occurs as part of directory lookup. Speculative versions that do not conflict are aggregated into an aggregated version in a different way of the cache. Speculative memory access requests do not go to main memory.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 18, 2011
    Publication date: September 8, 2011
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Matthias A. Blumrich, Luis H. Ceze, Dong Chen, Alan Gara, Philip Heidelberger, Martin Ohmarcht, Burkhard Steinmacher-Burow, Zhuang Xiaotong
  • MULTI-PETASCALE HIGHLY EFFICIENT PARALLEL SUPERCOMPUTER
    Publication number: 20110219208
    Abstract: A Multi-Petascale Highly Efficient Parallel Supercomputer of 100 petaOPS-scale computing, at decreased cost, power and footprint, and that allows for a maximum packaging density of processing nodes from an interconnect point of view. The Supercomputer exploits technological advances in VLSI that enables a computing model where many processors can be integrated into a single Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC).
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 10, 2011
    Publication date: September 8, 2011
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Sameh Asaad, Ralph E. Bellofatto, Michael A. Blocksome, Matthias A. Blumrich, Peter Boyle, Jose R. Brunheroto, Dong Chen, Chen-Yong Cher, George L. Chiu, Norman Christ, Paul W. Coteus, Kristan D. Davis, Gabor J. Dozsa, Alexandre E. Eichenberger, Noel A. Eisley, Matthew R. Ellavsky, Kahn C. Evans, Bruce M. Fleischer, Thomas W. Fox, Alan Gara, Mark E. Giampapa, Thomas M. Gooding, Michael K. Gschwind, John A. Gunnels, Shawn A. Hall, Rudolf A. Haring, Philip Heidelberger, Todd A. Inglett, Brant L. Knudson, Gerard V. Kopcsay, Sameer Kumar, Amith R. Mamidala, James A. Marcella, Mark G. Megerian, Douglas R. Miller, Samuel J. Miller, Adam J. Muff, Michael B. Mundy, John K. O'Brien, Kathryn M. O'Brien, Martin Ohmacht, Jeffrey J. Parker, Ruth J. Poole, Joseph D. Ratterman, Valentina Salapura, David L. Satterfield, Robert M. Senger, Brian Smith, Burkhard Steinmacher-Burow, William M. Stockdell, Craig B. Stunkel, Krishnan Sugavanam, Yutaka Sugawara, Todd E. Takken, Barry M. Trager, James L. Van Oosten, Charles D. Wait, Robert E. Walkup, Alfred T. Watson, Robert W. Wisniewski, Peng Wu
  • ATOMICITY: A MULTI-PRONGED APPROACH
    Publication number: 20110219215
    Abstract: In a multiprocessor system with speculative execution, atomicity can be approached in several fashions. One approach is to have atomic instructions that achieve multiple functions and are guaranteed to complete. Another approach is to have blocks of code that are grouped to succeed or fail together. A system can incorporate more than one such approach. In implementing more than one approach, the system may prioritize one over another. When conflict detection is done through a directory lookup in cache memory, atomic instructions and atomicity related operations may be implemented in a cache data array access pipeline in that cache memory. This implementation may include feedback to the pipeline for implementing multiple functions within an atomic instruction and also for cascading atomic instructions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 18, 2011
    Publication date: September 8, 2011
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Matthias A. Blumrich, Dong Chen, Alan Gara, Philip Heidelberger, Martin Ohmarcht, Burkhard Steinmacher-Burow
  • Method and apparatus for filtering snoop requests using a scoreboard
    Patent number: 8015364
    Abstract: An apparatus for implementing snooping cache coherence that locally reduces the number of snoop requests presented to each cache in a multiprocessor system. A snoop filter device associated with a single processor includes one or more “scoreboard” data structures that make snoop determinations, i.e., for each snoop request from another processor, to determine if a request is to be forwarded to the processor or, discarded. At least one scoreboard is active, and at least one scoreboard is determined to be historic at any point in time. A snoop determination of the queue indicates that an entry may be in the cache, but does not indicate its actual residence status. In addition, the snoop filter block implementing scoreboard data structures is operatively coupled with a cache wrap detection logic means whereby, upon detection of a cache wrap condition, the content of the active scoreboard is copied into a historic scoreboard and the content of at least one active scoreboard is reset.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2011
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Matthias A. Blumrich, Alan G. Gara, Thomas R. Puzak, Valentina Salapura
  • Collective network for computer structures
    Patent number: 8001280
    Abstract: A system and method for enabling high-speed, low-latency global collective communications among interconnected processing nodes. The global collective network optimally enables collective reduction operations to be performed during parallel algorithm operations executing in a computer structure having a plurality of the interconnected processing nodes. Router devices ate included that interconnect the nodes of the network via links to facilitate performance of low-latency global processing operations at nodes of the virtual network and class structures. The global collective network may be configured to provide global barrier and interrupt functionality in asynchronous or synchronized manner. When implemented in a massively-parallel supercomputing structure, the global collective network is physically and logically partitionable according to needs of a processing algorithm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2011
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Matthias A. Blumrich, Paul W. Coteus, Dong Chen, Alan Gara, Mark E. Giampapa, Philip Heidelberger, Dirk Hoenicke, Todd E. Takken, Burkhard D. Steinmacher-Burow, Pavlos M. Vranas
  • NON-VOLATILE MEMORY FOR CHECKPOINT STORAGE
    Publication number: 20110173488
    Abstract: A system, method and computer program product for supporting system initiated checkpoints in high performance parallel computing systems and storing of checkpoint data to a non-volatile memory storage device. The system and method generates selective control signals to perform checkpointing of system related data in presence of messaging activity associated with a user application running at the node. The checkpointing is initiated by the system such that checkpoint data of a plurality of network nodes may be obtained even in the presence of user applications running on highly parallel computers that include ongoing user messaging activity. In one embodiment, the non-volatile memory is a pluggable flash memory card.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 10, 2011
    Publication date: July 14, 2011
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Matthias A. Blumrich, Dong Chen, Thomas M. Cipolla, Paul W. Coteus, Alan Gara, Philip Heidelberger, Mark J. Jeanson, Gerard V. Kopcsay, Martin Ohmacht, Todd E. Takken
  • LOCAL ROLLBACK FOR FAULT-TOLERANCE IN PARALLEL COMPUTING SYSTEMS
    Publication number: 20110119526
    Abstract: A control logic device performs a local rollback in a parallel super computing system. The super computing system includes at least one cache memory device. The control logic device determines a local rollback interval. The control logic device runs at least one instruction in the local rollback interval. The control logic device evaluates whether an unrecoverable condition occurs while running the at least one instruction during the local rollback interval. The control logic device checks whether an error occurs during the local rollback. The control logic device restarts the local rollback interval if the error occurs and the unrecoverable condition does not occur during the local rollback interval.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 29, 2010
    Publication date: May 19, 2011
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Matthias A. Blumrich, Dong Chen, Alan Gara, Mark E. Giampapa, Philip Heidelberger, Martin Ohmacht, Burkhard Steinmacher-Burow, Krishnan Sugavanam
  • CONDITIONAL LOAD AND STORE IN A SHARED CACHE
    Publication number: 20110119446
    Abstract: A method, system and computer program product are disclosed for implementing load-reserve and store-conditional instructions in a multi-processor computing system. The computing system includes a multitude of processor units and a shared memory cache, and each of the processor units has access to the memory cache. In one embodiment, the method comprises providing the memory cache with a series of reservation registers, and storing in these registers addresses reserved in the memory cache for the processor units as a result of issuing load-reserve requests. In this embodiment, when one of the processor units makes a request to store data in the memory cache using a store-conditional request, the reservation registers are checked to determine if an address in the memory cache is reserved for that one of the processor units. If an address in the memory cache is reserved for that one of the processors, the data are stored at this reserved address.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 1, 2010
    Publication date: May 19, 2011
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Matthias A. Blumrich, Martin Ohmacht
  • MANAGING COHERENCE VIA PUT/GET WINDOWS
    Publication number: 20110072219
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for managing coherence between two processors of a two processor node of a multi-processor computer system. Generally the present invention relates to a software algorithm that simplifies and significantly speeds the management of cache coherence in a message passing parallel computer, and to hardware apparatus that assists this cache coherence algorithm. The software algorithm uses the opening and closing of put/get windows to coordinate the activated required to achieve cache coherence. The hardware apparatus may be an extension to the hardware address decode, that creates, in the physical memory address space of the node, an area of virtual memory that (a) does not actually exist, and (b) is therefore able to respond instantly to read and write requests from the processing elements.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 24, 2010
    Publication date: March 24, 2011
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Matthias A. Blumrich, Dong Chen, Paul W. Coteus, Alan G. Gara, Mark E. Giampapa, Phillip Heidelberger, Dirk Hoenicke, Martin Ohmacht
  • Programmable partitioning for high-performance coherence domains in a multiprocessor system
    Patent number: 7877551
    Abstract: A multiprocessor computing system and a method of logically partitioning a multiprocessor computing system are disclosed. The multiprocessor computing system comprises a multitude of processing units, and a multitude of snoop units. Each of the processing units includes a local cache, and the snoop units are provided for supporting cache coherency in the multiprocessor system. Each of the snoop units is connected to a respective one of the processing units and to all of the other snoop units. The multiprocessor computing system further includes a partitioning system for using the snoop units to partition the multitude of processing units into a plurality of independent, memory-consistent, adjustable-size processing groups. Preferably, when the processor units are partitioned into these processing groups, the partitioning system also configures the snoop units to maintain cache coherency within each of said groups.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2011
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Matthias A. Blumrich, Valentina Salapura
  • Managing coherence via put/get windows
    Patent number: 7870343
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for managing coherence between two processors of a two processor node of a multi-processor computer system. Generally the present invention relates to a software algorithm that simplifies and significantly speeds the management of cache coherence in a message passing parallel computer, and to hardware apparatus that assists this cache coherence algorithm. The software algorithm uses the opening and closing of put/get windows to coordinate the activated required to achieve cache coherence. The hardware apparatus may be an extension to the hardware address decode, that creates, in the physical memory address space of the node, an area of virtual memory that (a) does not actually exist, and (b) is therefore able to respond instantly to read and write requests from the processing elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2011
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Matthias A. Blumrich, Dong Chen, Paul W. Coteus, Alan G. Gara, Mark E. Giampapa, Philip Heidelberger, Dirk Hoenicke, Martin Ohmacht
  • Method and apparatus for single-stepping coherence events in a multiprocessor system under software control
    Patent number: 7827391
    Abstract: An apparatus and method are disclosed for single-stepping coherence events in a multiprocessor system under software control in order to monitor the behavior of a memory coherence mechanism. Single-stepping coherence events in a multiprocessor system is made possible by adding one or more step registers. By accessing these step registers, one or more coherence requests are processed by the multiprocessor system. The step registers determine if the snoop unit will operate by proceeding in a normal execution mode, or operate in a single-step mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2010
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Matthias A. Blumrich, Valentina Salapura
  • Low latency memory access and synchronization
    Patent number: 7818514
    Abstract: A low latency memory system access is provided in association with a weakly-ordered multiprocessor system. Bach processor in the multiprocessor shares resources, and each shared resource has an associated lock within a locking device that provides support for synchronization between the multiple processors in the multiprocessor and the orderly sharing of the resources. A processor only has permission to access a resource when it owns the lock associated with that resource, and an attempt by a processor to own a lock requires only a single load operation, rather than a traditional atomic load followed by store, such that the processor only performs a read operation and the hardware locking device performs a subsequent write operation rather than the processor. A simple prefetching for non-contiguous data structures is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2010
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Matthias A. Blumrich, Dong Chen, Paul W. Coteus, Alan G. Gara, Mark E. Giampapa, Philip Heidelberger, Dirk Hoenicke, Martin Ohmacht, Burkhard D. Steinmacher-Burow, Todd E. Takken, Pavlos M. Vranas
  • System and method for programmable bank selection for banked memory subsystems
    Patent number: 7793038
    Abstract: A programmable memory system and method for enabling one or more processor devices access to shared memory in a computing environment, the shared memory including one or more memory storage structures having addressable locations for storing data. The system comprises: one or more first logic devices associated with a respective one or more processor devices, each first logic device for receiving physical memory address signals and programmable for generating a respective memory storage structure select signal upon receipt of pre-determined address bit values at selected physical memory address bit locations; and, a second logic device responsive to each of the respective select signal for generating an address signal used for selecting a memory storage structure for processor access. The system thus enables each processor device of a computing environment memory storage access distributed across the one or more memory storage structures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2010
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Matthias A. Blumrich, Dong Chen, Alan G. Gara, Mark E. Giampapa, Dirk Hoenicke, Martin Ohmacht, Valentina Salapura, Krishnan Sugavanam
  • Multiple node remote messaging
    Patent number: 7788334
    Abstract: A method for passing remote messages in a parallel computer system formed as a network of interconnected compute nodes includes that a first compute node (A) sends a single remote message to a remote second compute node (B) in order to control the remote second compute node (B) to send at least one remote message. The method includes various steps including controlling a DMA engine at first compute node (A) to prepare the single remote message to include a first message descriptor and at least one remote message descriptor for controlling the remote second compute node (B) to send at least one remote message, including putting the first message descriptor into an injection FIFO at the first compute node (A) and sending the single remote message and the at least one remote message descriptor to the second compute node (B).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2010
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Matthias A. Blumrich, Dong Chen, Alan G. Gara, Mark E. Giampapa, Philip Heidelberger, Martin Ohmacht, Valentina Salapura, Burkhard Steinmacher-Burow, Pavlos Vranas
  • Ultrascalable petaflop parallel supercomputer
    Patent number: 7761687
    Abstract: A massively parallel supercomputer of petaOPS-scale includes node architectures based upon System-On-a-Chip technology, where each processing node comprises a single Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC) having up to four processing elements. The ASIC nodes are interconnected by multiple independent networks that optimally maximize the throughput of packet communications between nodes with minimal latency. The multiple networks may include three high-speed networks for parallel algorithm message passing including a Torus, collective network, and a Global Asynchronous network that provides global barrier and notification functions. These multiple independent networks may be collaboratively or independently utilized according to the needs or phases of an algorithm for optimizing algorithm processing performance. The use of a DMA engine is provided to facilitate message passing among the nodes without the expenditure of processing resources at the node.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2010
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Matthias A. Blumrich, Dong Chen, George Chiu, Thomas M. Cipolla, Paul W. Coteus, Alan G. Gara, Mark E. Giampapa, Shawn Hall, Rudolf A. Haring, Philip Heidelberger, Gerard V. Kopcsay, Martin Ohmacht, Valentina Salapura, Krishnan Sugavanam, Todd Takken