Sibling Board Computer System with Common Bus
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing computer systems face complexity and expense issues in managing resources in distributed computing environments, where traditional motherboard designs are inflexible and resource-intensive.
Innovation Solution
The Sibling board computer system features a peripheral hub board connected to multiple Sibling boards via a common bus, allowing for flexible configuration as processing units or disk controllers, and enabling modular, cost-effective expansion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional motherboard designs are used in distributed computing environments, then system performance can be maintained, but device complexity and expense increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the computing platform into separate functional modules: processor modules containing CPU and memory, storage modules containing disk drives, and I/O modules containing controllers. These modules connect through a backplane rather than requiring complex motherboard integrations, simplifying the overall system architecture while maintaining performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The backplane provides universal connectivity that allows different module types to interconnect and function together. The same backplane infrastructure supports various processor modules, storage modules, and I/O modules, eliminating the need for specialized motherboards for each configuration and reducing complexity.
2Adaptability or versatility
If conventional cluster designs with network devices are used, then distributed processing can be achieved, but network speed is limited by communication medium performance
Solution Approach 1:
The system merges storage modules and processor modules into a single integrated platform connected via high-speed backplane. This eliminates the need for separate network communication between distinct computer systems, allowing data to be accessed at processor speeds rather than network speeds while maintaining distributed processing capabilities.
3Ease of manufacture
If mechanical hard drives are grouped separately from CPUs and memory, then operational speed differences are accommodated, but disk access becomes a system bottleneck
Solution Approach 1:
The system changes the connection parameter between storage and processing by implementing direct-attached storage modules connected to processor modules via high-speed backplane interfaces. This eliminates the traditional bottleneck by providing disk access speeds comparable to memory speeds, while still allowing separate physical grouping of storage and processing components.
Data Source
AI summary
A computer system is provided. The computer system includes a hub board, a common bus, and a plurality of Sibling boards. The hub board has an I/O controller hub, which includes a main communication chipset. The plurality of Sibling boards is coupled to the hub board by the common bus. Each of the Sibling boards includes a memory and at least one CPU. The memory is operative to host a Sibling operating system. The CPU is coupled to the memory. The Southbridge type chipset which resides in the hub board is shared amongst the plurality of Sibling boards. At least one of the plurality of Sibling boards functions as a master processing unit of the system. Sibling boards offer processing flexibility through the means of how they are configured in the system.