Switch/network adapter port incorporating shared memory resources selectively accessible by a direct execution logic element and one or more dense logic devices in a fully buffered dual in-line memory module format (FB-DIMM)
View Patent ↗An enhanced switch/network adapter port incorporating shared memory resources (“SNAPM™”) selectively accessible by a direct execution logic element and one or more dense logic devices in a fully buffered dual in-line memory module (“FB-DIMM”) format for clustered computing systems employing direct execution logic such as multi-adaptive processor elements (“MAP®”, all trademarks of SRC Computers, Inc.). Functionally, the SNAPM modules incorporate and properly allocate memory resources so that the memory appears to the associated dense logic device(s) (e.g. a microprocessor) to be functionally like any other system memory such that no time penalties are incurred when accessing it. Through the use of a programmable access coordination mechanism, the control of this memory can be handed off to the SNAPM memory controller and, once in control, the controller can move data between the shared memory resources and the computer network such that the transfer is performed at the maximum rate that the memory devices themselves can sustain. This provides the highest performance link to the other network devices such as MAP® elements, common memory boards and the like.
1. A computer system including an adapter port and an additional adapter port, each for electrical coupling between a serial memory bus of said computer system and a network interface, said adapter port comprising a memory resource associated with said adapter port and said additional adapter port associated with an additional memory resource, said computer system comprising at least one dense logic device coupled to said memory bus through a memory module connector,
and
a control block for selectively enabling access by said at least one dense logic device to said memory resource and to said additional memory resource.
2. The computer system of claim 1 wherein said control block is further operational to selectively preclude access by said at least one dense logic device to said memory resource.
3. The computer system of claim 1 further comprising:
at least one direct execution logic element coupled to said network interface.
4. The computer system of claim 3 wherein said control block is further operational to alternatively enable access to said memory resource by said at least one dense logic device and said at least one direct execution logic element.
5. The computer system of claim 1 wherein said memory bus further comprises at least one memory module slot and said adapter port is configured for physical retention within said at least one memory module slot through said memory module connector.
6. The computer system of claim 5 wherein said at least one memory module slot comprises an FB-DIMM slot.
7. The computer system of claim 1 wherein said control block is further operational to selectively preclude access by said at least one dense logic device to said memory resource and said additional memory resource.
8. The computer system of claim 7 further comprising at least one direct execution logic element coupled to said network interface.
9. The computer system of claim 8 wherein said control block is further operational to alternatively enable access to said memory resource and said additional memory resource by said at least one dense logic device and said at least one direct execution logic element.
10. The computer system of claim 1 wherein said memory bus further comprises first and second memory module slots for physical retention of said at least one adapter port and said additional adapter port respectively.
11. The computer system of claim 10 wherein said first and second memory module slots comprise FB-DIMM slots.
12. The computer system of claim 1 wherein said control block is located on a module comprising said adapter port.
13. The computer system of claim 1 wherein said computer system further comprises:
a memory and I/O controller interposed between said at least one dense logic device and said memory bus.
14. The computer system of claim 13 wherein said memory and I/O controller comprises an interleaved memory controller.
15. The computer system of claim 1 wherein said memory bus comprises address/control and data portions thereof.
16. The computer system of claim 1 wherein said memory bus provides address/control and data inputs to said control block to at least partially control its functionality.
17. The computer system of claim 1 wherein said control block further comprises a DMA controller for providing direct memory access operations to said memory resource.
18. The computer system of claim 17 wherein said DMA controller is fully parameterized.
19. The computer system of claim 17 wherein said DMA controller enables scatter/gather functions to be implemented.
20. The computer system of claim 17 wherein said DMA controller enables irregular data access pattern functions to be implemented.
21. The computer system of claim 17 wherein said DMA controller enables data packing functions to be implemented.
22. The computer system of claim 1 wherein said memory resource may be isolated from said memory bus in response to said control block to enable access thereto by a device coupled to said network interface.
23. The computer system of claim 1 wherein said memory resource comprises random access memory.
24. The computer system of claim 23 wherein said random access memory comprises DRAM.