System and method for synchronizing a plurality of processors in a multiprocessor computer platform employing a global clock counter

1. A system for synchronizing a plurality of processors in a multiprocessor computer platform, comprising:

a clock counter globally accessible to said plurality of processors, said clock counter having a global time value;

a first interval timer associated with a first processor of said plurality of processors, said first interval timer having a local time value; and

a processor resource structure associated with said first processor, said processor resource structure including first synchronization parametrics, wherein said first processor is operable to access said global time value and adjust said first synchronization parametrics based on said local time value and said global time value, said first synchronization parametrics comprising a ratio structure operable to maintain a ratio value between an elapsed global time value and an elapsed local time value.

2. The system as recited in claim 1 , further comprising:

a second interval timer associated with a second processor of said plurality of processors, said second interval timer having a local time value; and

a processor resource structure associated with said second processor, said processor resource structure including second synchronization parametrics, wherein said second processor is operable to access said global time value and adjust said second synchronization parametrics based on said local time value and said global time value.

3. The system as recited in claim 2 , wherein said first processor comprises one of a monarch processor and a slave processor.

4. The system as recited in claim 2 , wherein said second processor comprises one of a monarch processor and a slave processor.

5. The system as recited in claim 2 , wherein said clock counter is associated with said multiprocessor computer platform's hardware space.

6. The system as recited in claim 2 , wherein said first and second processors are arranged in a cellular partition associated with said multiprocessor computer platform's hardware space.

7. The system as recited in claim 2 , wherein said first and second interval timers are associated with said multiprocessor computer platform's hardware space.

8. The system as recited in claim 2 , further comprising a time resource structure having time stamp computation parametrics, wherein said first processor is operable to access said time stamp computation parametrics and issue a time stamp based on said first interval timer and said time stamp computation parametrics.

9. The system as recited in claim 8 , wherein said time resource structure is associated with said multiprocessor computer platform's kernel space.

10. The system as recited in claim 8 , wherein said time stamp is operable to be issued in response to a request from said multiprocessor computer platform's application space.

11. A method for synchronizing a plurality of processors in a multiprocessor computer platform, comprising:

accessing a global time value associated with a clock counter that is accessible by a processor of said plurality of processors;

referencing a local time value maintained by an interval timer associated with said processor; and

adjusting a set of synchronization parametrics maintained in a processor resource structure associated with said processor, whereby said local time value is updated in reference to said global time value, said synchronization parametrics comprising a ratio structure operable to maintain a ratio value between an elapsed global time value and an elapsed local time value.

12. The method as recited in claim 11 , further comprising updating time stamp computation parametrics maintained in a time resource structure.

13. The method as recited in claim 11 , wherein said processor comprises a monarch processor.

14. The method as recited in claim 11 , wherein said processor comprises a slave processor.

15. A system for synchronizing a plurality of processors in a multiprocessor computer platform, comprising:

means for accessing a global time value associated with a clock counter that is accessible by a processor of said plurality of processors; and

means for adjusting a set of synchronization parametrics maintained in a processor resource structure, said processor resource structure being associated with said processor, whereby a local time value maintained by said processor's interval timer is updated in reference to said global time value, said synchronization parametrics comprising a ratio structure operable to maintain a ratio value between an elapsed global time value and an elapsed local time value.

16. The system as recited in claim 15 , further comprising means for updating time stamp computation parametrics maintained by a time resource structure.

17. The system as recited in claim 16 , further comprising means for issuing a time stamp based on said local time value and said time stamp computation parametrics.

18. The system as recited in claim 17 , wherein said time stamp is issued in response to a request from said multiprocessor computer platform's application space.

19. A computer platform, comprising:

a clock counter globally accessible to a plurality of processors disposed in said computer platform's hardware space, said clock counter having a global time value;

an interval timer associated with each of said plurality of processors, said interval timer maintaining a local time value; and

a processor resource structure associated with each of said plurality of processors, said processor resource structure being disposed in said computer platform's kernel space, wherein each processor is operable to access said global time value independently and adjust a set of synchronization parametrics maintained by its processor resource structure, said synchronization parametrics comprising a ratio structure operable to maintain a ratio value between an elapsed global time value and an elapsed local time value.

20. The computer platform as recited in claim 19 , wherein said plurality of processors are organized into a multicellular system.

21. The computer platform as recited in claim 19 , further comprising a time resource structure having time stamp computation parametrics, wherein each of said plurality of processors is operable to access said time stamp computation parametrics and issue a time stamp based on said local time value and said time stamp computation parametrics.

22. The computer platform as recited in claim 21 , wherein said time stamp is operable to be issued in response to a request from said computer platform's application space.