Computing system framework with unified storage, processing, and network switching fabrics incorporating network switches and method for making and using the same
A system and method for making and using a computing system framework with unified storage, processing, and network switching fabrics are provided. Processing nodes, either physical or virtual, are associated with intra-module ports, inter-module ports, and local storage spaces. A plurality of processing nodes are linked through intra-module ports to form processing modules. A plurality of the processing modules are connected through inter-module ports to form the computing system. Network switch can be incorporated into intra-module or inter-module connections. Several inter-module connection schemes, which can be adapted to use with existing network packet routing algorithms, are disclosed. Each processing node needs only to keep track of the states of its directly connected neighbors, obviating the need for a high-speed connection to the rest processing nodes within the system. Dedicated network switching equipment can be flexibly employed and network capacity grows naturally as processing nodes are added.
1. A computing system framework with a unified storage, processing, and network switching fabrics, comprising:
four or more processing nodes;
four or more intra-module ports, each intra-module port being uniquely associated with one of the processing nodes;
a plurality of inter-module ports, each inter-module port being associated with one of the processing nodes;
a plurality of processing modules, each processing module comprising two or more of the processing nodes uniquely selected from the four or more processing nodes, wherein each of the processing nodes is comprised in only one of the processing modules;
a plurality of intra-module networks, wherein the processing nodes within each processing module are fully inter-connected;
an inter-module network comprising at least one connection between one inter-module port on one processing module and another inter-module port on another processing module, the inter-module network further comprising a series of linearly connected processing modules with a beginning and an end of the series further connected to each other to form a ring, using two inter-module ports from each of the connected processing modules; and
a connection between processing modules on the ring comprising at least one of:
a connection between a processing module N on the ring to a processing module N+S on the ring, by connecting one unused inter-module port on the processing module N to another unused inter-module port on the processing module N+S, wherein M is the number of the processing modules on the ring, S is an integer divisor of M, N is [x, x+S, . . . , x+(M−S), increment by S], and x is [1, 2, . . . , S−1];
a connection between a processing module N on the ring to a processing module N+S−1 on the ring, by connecting one unused inter-module port on the processing module N to another unused inter-module port on the processing module N+S−1, wherein M is the number of the processing modules on the ring, S is an integer divisor of M, N is [x, x+S, . . . , x+(M−S), increment by S], x is [1, 2, . . . , S−1]; and
a connection between a processing module N on the ring to a processing module N+S−r on the ring, by connecting one unused inter-module port on the processing module N to another unused inter-module port on the processing module N+S−r, wherein M is the number of the processing modules on the ring, S is an integer divisor of M, N is [x, x+S, . . . , x+(M−S), increment by S], x is [1, 2, . . . , S−1], and r is [2, 3, . . . , S−1].
2. A system according to claim 1 , wherein the intra-module network topology comprises at least one of:
a bus, a ring, a star, a mesh, and a crossbar switch.
3. A system according to claim 1 , wherein each processing node is selected from the group comprising:
a processing element, a memory controller, a memory, a storage controller, a storage device, interfaces to intra-module and inter-module ports, and a virtual node.
4. A system according to claim 1 , further comprises at least one of:
a connection between two non-adjacent processing modules on the ring, via one inter-module port located on one of the two non-adjacent processing modules and not used for the linear connection, to another inter-module port located on the other of the two non-adjacent processing modules and not used for the linear connection.
5. A system according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a transmission module to transfer data packet from one of the processing nodes to another of the processing nodes through the inter-module network;
a monitoring module to measure the data packet traffic pattern; and
a modification module to amend a connection within the inter-module network based upon the data packet traffic pattern.
6. A method of making or using a computing system framework with a unified storage, processing, and network switching fabrics, comprising the steps of:
accessing four or more processing nodes;
identifying four or more intra-module ports, each intra-module port being uniquely associated with one of the processing nodes;
identifying a plurality of inter-module ports, each inter-module port being associated with one of the processing nodes;
accessing a plurality of processing modules, each processing module comprising two or more of the processing nodes uniquely selected from the plurality of the processing nodes, wherein each of the processing nodes is comprised in only one of the processing modules;
forming a plurality of intra-module networks, wherein the processing nodes within each processing module are fully inter-connected;
forming an inter-module network comprising at least one connection between one inter-module port on one processing module and another inter-module port on another processing module;
linearly connecting a series of the processing modules in the inter-module network;
connecting the beginning and the end of the series to form a ring, wherein connections are provided using two inter-module ports from each of the connected processing modules;
establishing a connection between processing modules on the ring, comprising at least one of:
forming a connection between a processing module N on the ring to a processing module N+S on the ring, by connecting one unused inter-module port on the processing module N to another unused inter-module port on the processing module N+S, wherein M is the number of the processing modules on the ring, S is an integer divisor of M, N is [x, x+S, . . . , x+(M−S), increment by S], and x is [1, 2, . . . , S−1];
forming a connection between a processing module N on the ring to a processing module N+S−1 on the ring, by connecting one unused inter-module port on the processing module N to another unused inter-module port on the processing module N+S−1, wherein M is the number of the processing modules on the ring, S is an integer divisor of M, N is [x, x+S, . . . , x+(M−S), increment by S], and x is [1, 2, . . . , S−1]; and
forming a connection between a processing module N on the ring to a processing module N+S−r on the ring, by connecting one unused inter-module port on the processing module N to another unused inter-module port on the processing module N+S−r, wherein M is the number of the processing modules on the ring, S is an integer divisor of M, N is [x, x+S, . . . , x+(M−S), increment by S], x is [1, 2, . . . , S−1], and r is [2, 3, . . . , S−1].
7. A method according to claim 6 , further comprising the step of:
designating at least one network switch operable to be connected in at least one of the inter-module networks and the intra-module networks.
8. A method according to claim 6 , wherein the intra-module network topology comprises at least one of a bus, a ring, a star, a mesh, and a crossbar switch.
9. A method according to claim 6 , wherein each processing node is selected from the group comprising a processing element, a memory controller, a memory, a storage controller, a storage device, interfaces to intra-module and inter-module ports, and a virtual node.
10. A method according to claim 6 , further comprising at least one of the steps of:
forming a connection between an unused inter-module port on one processing module on the ring and another unused inter-module port on another processing module on the ring.
11. A computing system framework with a unified storage, processing, and network switching fabrics incorporating network switches, comprising:
four or more processing nodes;
four or more intra-module ports, each intra-module port being uniquely associated with one of the processing nodes;
a plurality of inter-module ports, each inter-module port being associated with one of the processing nodes;
a plurality of processing modules, each processing module comprising two or more of the processing nodes uniquely selected from the four or more processing nodes, wherein each of the processing nodes is comprised in only one of the processing modules;
a plurality of intra-module networks, wherein the processing nodes within each processing module are fully inter-connected;
an inter-module network comprising at least one connection between one inter-module port on one processing module and another inter-module port on another processing module, the inter-module network comprising a series of linearly connected processing modules with the beginning and the end of the series further linked to each other to form a ring, using two inter-module ports from each of the connected processing modules;
a connection between processing modules on the ring comprising at least one of:
a connection between a processing module N on the ring to a processing module N+S on the ring, by connecting one unused inter-module port on the processing module N to another unused inter-module port on the processing module N+S, wherein M is the number of the processing modules on the ring, S is an integer divisor of M, N is [x, x+S, . . . , x+(M−S), increment by S], and x is [1, 2, . . . , S−1];
a connection between a processing module N on the ring to a processing module N+S−1 on the ring, by connecting one unused inter-module port on the processing module N to another unused inter-module port on the processing module N+S−1, wherein M is the number of the processing modules on the ring, S is an integer divisor of M, N is [x, x+S, . . . , x+(M−S), increment by S], x is [1, 2, . . . , S−1]; and
a connection between a processing module N on the ring to a processing module N+S−r on the ring, by connecting one unused inter-module port on the processing module N to another unused inter-module port on the processing module N+S−r, wherein M is the number of the processing modules on the ring, S is an integer divisor of M, N is [x, x+S, . . . , x+(M−S), increment by S], x is [1, 2, . . . , S−1], and r is [2, 3, . . . , S−1]; and
at least one network switch operable to be connected to at least one of the intra-module ports and inter-module ports, wherein the connection may be formed by at least one of cable links or the network switches.
12. A system according to claim 11 , wherein the intra-module network topology comprises at least one of:
a bus, a ring, a star, a mesh, and a crossbar switch.
13. A system according to claim 11 , wherein each processing node is selected from the group comprising:
a processing element, a memory controller, a memory, a storage controller, a storage device, interfaces to intra-module and inter-module ports, and a virtual node.
14. A system according to claim 11 , further comprising at least one of:
a connection between two non-adjacent processing modules on the ring, via one inter-module port located on one of the two non-adjacent processing modules and not used for the linear connection, to another inter-module port located on the other of the two non-adjacent processing modules and not used for the linear connection.