Management of process-to-process intra-cluster communication requests
View Patent ↗A mechanism is provided for managing a process-to-process intra-cluster communication request. A call from a first application is received in a first operating system in a first data processing system. The first operating system passes the call from the first operating system to a first host fabric interface controller in the first data processing system without processing the call. The first host fabric interface controller processes the call without intervention by the first operating system to determine a second data processing system in the plurality of data processing systems with which the call is associated. The first host fabric interface controller initiates an intra-cluster connection to a second host fabric interface controller in the second data processing system. The first host fabric interface controller then transfers the call to the second host fabric interface controller in the second data processing system via the intra-cluster connection.
1. A method, in a plurality of data processing systems, for managing a process-to-process intra-cluster communication request, the method comprising:
receiving, from a first application, a call in a first operating system in a first data processing system of the plurality of data processing systems;
passing, by the first operating system, the call from the first operating system to a first host fabric interface controller in the first data processing system without processing the call;
processing, by the first host fabric interface controller, the call to determine a second data processing system in the plurality of data processing systems with which the call is associated, wherein the call is processed by the first host fabric interface controller without intervention by the first operating system, wherein the determining includes using state information stored by the first host fabric interface controller to identify whether the second data processing system is connected to the first host fabric interface controller through a direct attached intra-cluster or a network attached inter-cluster;
initiating, by the first host fabric interface controller, the identified intra-cluster connection or inter-cluster connection to a second host fabric interface controller in the second data processing system via a set of host fabric interfaces, a set of integrated switch/routers, and a plurality of intra-cluster buses;
transferring, by the first host fabric interface controller, the call to the second host fabric interface controller in the second data processing system via the intra-cluster connection wherein the call is a request to communicate with a second application coupled to the second data processing system and wherein a second operating system in the second data processing system allocates a shared buffer in the second data processing system in response to the request without any involvement by the second application to allocate the shared buffer and wherein the first application and the second application are same types of messaging applications; and
transferring, by the first host fabric interface controller, data associated with the call from a network communications buffer in the first data processing system to the shared buffer in the second data processing system.
2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
transferring, by the first host fabric interface controller, data associated with the call from an network communications buffer in the first data processing system to a input/output buffer in a second operating system in the second data processing system.
3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:
processing, by the second operating system, the call such that the data in the input/output buffer is sent to an input/output device coupled to the second operating system.
4. An apparatus, comprising:
a processor; and
a memory coupled to the processor, wherein the memory comprises instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:
receive, from a first application, a call in a first operating system in a first data processing system of a plurality of data processing systems;
pass, by the first operating system, the call from the first operating system to a first host fabric interface controller in the first data processing system without processing the call;
process, by the first host fabric interface controller, the call to determine a second data processing system in the plurality of data processing systems with which the call is associated, wherein the call is processed by the first host fabric interface controller without intervention by the first operating system, wherein the determining includes using state information stored by the first host fabric interface controller to identify whether the second data processing system is connected to the first host fabric interface controller through a direct attached intra-cluster or a network attached inter-cluster;
initiate, by the first host fabric interface controller, the identified intra-cluster connection or inter-cluster connection to a second host fabric interface controller in the second data processing system via a set of host fabric interfaces, a set of integrated switch/routers, and a plurality of intra-cluster buses; and
transfer, by the first host fabric interface controller, the call to the second host fabric interface controller in the second data processing system via the intra-cluster connection, wherein the call is a request to communicate with a second application coupled to the second data processing system and wherein a second operating system in the second data processing system allocates a shared buffer in the second data processing system in response to the request without any involvement by the second application to allocate the shared buffer and wherein the first application and the second application are same types of messaging applications; and
transfer, by the first host fabric interface controller, data associated with the call from a network communications buffer in the first data processing system to the shared buffer in the second data processing system.
5. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the instructions further cause the processor to:
transfer, by the first host fabric interface controller, data associated with the call from an network communications buffer in the first data processing system to a input/output buffer in a second operating system in the second data processing system.
6. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the instructions further cause the processor to:
process, by the second operating system, the call such that the data in the input/output buffer is sent to an input/output device coupled to the second operating system.
7. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium having a computer readable program recorded thereon, wherein the computer readable program, when executed on a computing device, causes the computing device to:
receive, from a first application, a call in a first operating system in a first data processing system of a plurality of data processing systems;
pass, by the first operating system, the call from the first operating system to a first host fabric interface controller in the first data processing system without processing the call;
process, by the first host fabric interface controller, the call to determine a second data processing system in the plurality of data processing systems with which the call is associated, wherein the call is processed by the first host fabric interface controller without intervention by the first operating system, wherein the determining includes using state information stored by the first host fabric interface controller to identify whether the second data processing system is connected to the first host fabric interface controller through a direct attached intra-cluster or a network attached inter-cluster;
initiate, by the first host fabric interface controller, the identified intra-cluster connection or inter-cluster connection to a second host fabric interface controller in the second data processing system via a set of host fabric interfaces, a set of integrated switch/routers, and a plurality of intra-cluster buses; and
transfer, by the first host fabric interface controller, the call to the second host fabric interface controller in the second data processing system via the intra-cluster connection, wherein the call is a request to communicate with a second application coupled to the second data processing system and wherein a second operating system in the second data processing system allocates a shared buffer in the second data processing system in response to the request without any involvement by the second application to allocate the shared buffer and wherein the first application and the second application are same types of messaging applications; and
transfer, by the first host fabric interface controller, data associated with the call from a network communications buffer in the first data processing system to the shared buffer in the second data processing system.
8. The computer program product of claim 7 , wherein the computer readable program further causes the computing device to:
transfer, by the first host fabric interface controller, data associated with the call from an network communications buffer in the first data processing system to a input/output buffer in a second operating system in the second data processing system.
9. The computer program product of claim 8 , wherein the computer readable program further causes the computing device to:
process, by the second operating system, the call such that the data in the input/output buffer is sent to an input/output device coupled to the second operating system.