System and method for allocating communications to processors in a multiprocessor system

a multi-processor computer and processor technology, applied in the field of computer software, can solve the problems of reducing the throughput of the system, reducing the processing efficiency of the system, and reducing the processing efficiency of the communication, so as to speed up the processing of the communication

US20080301406A1Inactive Publication Date: 2008-12-04JACOBSON VAN +3
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Patent Information

Authority / Receiving Office
US · United States
Patent Type
Applications(United States)
Current Assignee / Owner
Publication Date
2008-12-04
Estimated Expiration
Not applicable · inactive patent

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Abstract

In a multiprocessor-system, a system and method assigns communications to processors, processes, or subsets of types of communications to be processed by a specific 5 processor without using a locking mechanism specific to the resources required for assignment.
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Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention is related to computer software and more specifically to computer software for processing communications received by a multiprocessor computer system.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] Computer systems can process communications from sources and provide responses. In a multiprocessor system, one or more network interface cards (NICs) receive communications, and drive an interrupt signal to one or more of the processors to indicate that a communication has been received. The interrupt resolution system in the computer system allows a driver in one of the processors to respond to the interrupt, so that the communication can be processed and a response may be generated. Because the processors may share the processing of interrupts, the processor containing the driver that responds to the interrupt for a communication received from one source may not be the processor that had responded to the interrupt for a prior communication received fr...

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Embodiment Construction

[0012]The present invention may be implemented as computer 5 software on a conventional computer system. Referring now to FIG. 1, a conventional computer system 150 for practicing the present invention is shown. Processor 160 retrieves and executes software instructions stored in storage 162 such as memory, which may be Random Access Memory (RAM) and may control other components to perform the present invention. Storage 162 may be used to store program instructions or data or both. Storage 164, such as a computer disk drive or other nonvolatile storage, may provide storage of data or program instructions.

[0013]In one embodiment, storage 164 provides longer term storage of instructions and data, with storage 162 providing storage for data or instructions that may only be required for a shorter time than that of storage 164. Input device 166 such as a computer keyboard or mouse or both allows user input to the system 150. Output 168, such as a display or printer, allows the system to ...