Information processing apparatus and control method therefor

1. An information processing apparatus comprising:

a programmable processing unit configured to change a circuit configuration by a configuration;

a first processor connected to the programmable processing unit;

a second processor connected to the programmable processing unit; and

a memory coupled to the first processor and the second processor, storing instructions that, when executed, cause:

the first processor to provide a first instruction to cause the programmable processing unit to perform a first configuration for a first job to be processed by the first processor, and to process the first job by means of the programmable processing unit which has changed the circuit configuration according to the first instruction;

the first processor to provide a second instruction to cause the programmable processing unit to perform a second configuration for a second job to be processed by the second processor; and

the second processor to process the second job by means of the programmable processing unit which has changed the circuit configuration according to the second instruction.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 ,

wherein the first processor is configured to transfer a notification to the second processor according to a completion of the changing of the circuit configuration for the second job to be processed by the second processor, and

wherein the second processor is configured to receive the notification transferred by the first processor, and to start, according to the reception of the notification, to process the second job by means of the programmable processing unit which has changed the circuit configuration according to the second instruction.

3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 ,

wherein the second processor is further configured to transfer a notification to the first processor according to a completion of the processing of the second job, and

wherein the first processor is further configured to receive the notification transferred by the second processor, and to instruct, according to the reception of the notification, the programmable processing unit to perform a configuration which causes the circuit configuration utilized by the second processor to change.

4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the first processor is further configured:

to provide the first instruction to cause the programmable processing unit to perform the first configuration for the first job to be processed by the first processor;

to transfer a notification via interprocess communication to the first processor according to a completion of the changing of the circuit configuration for the first job;

to receive, via the interprocess communication, the notification transferred by the first processor; and

to start, according to the reception of the notification, to process the first job by means of the programmable processing unit which has changed the circuit configuration according to the instruction.

5. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the first processor to determine, in accordance with a function requested in a job, that second processor is to process the job.

6. The information processing apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the memory stores further instructions that, when executed, cause the first processor to determine, in accordance with the function requested in the job, whether to utilize the programmable processing unit when processing the job.

7. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the memory stores further instructions that, when executed, cause the first processor to provide the first instruction to cause the programmable processing unit to perform the first configuration with first configuration data, and to perform the second configuration with second configuration data different from the first configuration data.

8. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the programmable processing unit is an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array).

9. An information processing apparatus comprising:

a programmable processing unit configured to rewrite processing contents by a configuration;

at least two processors which are connected to the programmable processing unit; and

a memory coupled to the at least two processors, storing instructions that, when executed, cause:

the at least two processors to share the programmable processing unit;

one processor out of the at least two processors to control a configuration of the programmable processing unit in accordance with an accepted job;

each of the at least two processors to set, for the programmable processing unit, the at least two processors, respectively, to be configured to process a respective job by using the programmable processing unit; and

the programmable processing unit to notify, after the configuration, each of the set at least two processors, respectively, of information indicating that the configuration has ended.

10. The information processing apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the memory stores further instructions that, when executed, cause:

a first one of the at least two processors to set a second one of the least two processors to be configured to use the programmable processing unit after completing the configuration, and

the second one of the at least two processors to set the first one of the at least two processors to be configured to use the programmable processing unit after detecting the notification from the notification unit.

11. The information processing apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the memory stores further instructions that, when executed, cause at least one of the first one or second one of the at least two processors to be configured to use the programmable processing unit by using a register of the programmable processing unit.

12. A control method of an information processing apparatus including a programmable processing unit configured to change a circuit configuration by a configuration, a first processor connected to the programmable processing unit, and a second processor connected to the programmable processing unit, the method comprising:

providing, by the first processor, a first instruction to cause the programmable processing unit to perform a first configuration for a first job to be processed by the first processor;

processing, by the first processor, the first job by means of the programmable processing unit which has changed the circuit configuration according to the first instruction;

providing, by the first processor, a second instruction to cause the programmable processing unit to perform a second configuration for a second job to be processed by the second processor; and

processing, by the second processor, the second job by means of the programmable processing unit which has changed the circuit configuration according to the second instruction.

13. The control method according to claim 12 , further comprising:

transferring, by the first processor, a notification to the second processor according to a completion of the changing of the circuit configuration for the second job to be processed by the second processor;

receiving, by the second processor, the notification transferred by the first processor; and

starting, by the second processor, according to the reception of the notification, to process the second job by means of the programmable processing unit which has changed the circuit configuration according to the instruction.

14. The control method according to claim 12 , further comprising:

transferring, by the second processor, a notification to the first processor according to a completion of the processing of the second job;

receiving, by the first processor, the notification transferred by the second processor; and

instructing, by the first processor, according to the reception of the notification, the programmable processing unit to perform a configuration which causes the circuit configuration utilized by the second processor to change.