Configuring compute nodes in a parallel computer using remote direct memory access (‘RDMA’)

1. An apparatus for configuring compute nodes in a parallel computer using remote direct memory access (‘RDMA’), the parallel computer comprising an operational group comprising a plurality of compute nodes coupled for data communications via one or more data communications networks, the apparatus comprising a computer processor, a computer memory operatively coupled to the computer processor, the computer memory having disposed within it computer program instructions that, when executed by the computer processor, cause the apparatus to carry out the steps of:

initiating, by a source compute node of the parallel computer, an RDMA broadcast operation to broadcast binary configuration information to at least two target compute nodes of the operational group;

preparing, by each of the at least two target computes nodes, the target compute node for receipt of the binary configuration information from the source compute node by:

changing a data communications state of the target compute node, wherein the data communication state specifies a type of data communications mode, to indicate that the target compute node is ready to receive a broadcast of data, such that the target compute node is ready to receive binary configuration information that is being broadcast to the target compute node via an RDMA broadcast operation;

allocating memory to store the binary configuration information; and

setting a value of an expected data transfer size counter to the size of data to be transferred during the RDMA broadcast operation;

transmitting, by each of the at least two target compute nodes, a ready message to the source compute node, wherein the ready message indicates that the target compute node is ready to receive the binary configuration information from the source compute node; and

performing, by the source compute node, an RDMA broadcast operation to write the binary configuration information into memory of each target compute node.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein initiating a broadcast operation to broadcast binary configuration information to at least two target compute nodes further comprises sending, by the source compute node, an RDMA broadcast operation message to each of the target compute nodes, wherein the RDMA broadcast operation message includes setup parameters for the RDMA broadcast operation, including the size of data to be transferred during the RDMA broadcast operation.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein transmitting a ready message to the target compute node further comprises transmitting a collective packet as part of a collective operation.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the computer memory further includes computer program instructions that, when executed by the computer processor, cause the apparatus to carry out the steps of:

for each target compute node upon receipt of binary configuration information:

determining the size of the binary configuration information that was received;

decrementing a value of an expected data transfer size counter by an amount equal to the size of the binary configuration information that was received;

determining whether the value of an expected data transfer size counter is zero; and

responsive to determining that the value of the expected data transfer size counter is zero, transmitting a data received message to the source compute node.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein transmitting the data received message to the source compute node further comprises transmitting a collective packet as part of a collective operation.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the binary configuration data is a binary executable file.

7. A computer program product for configuring compute nodes in a parallel computer using remote direct memory access (‘RDMA’), the parallel computer comprising an operational group comprising a plurality of compute nodes coupled for data communications via one or more data communications networks, the computer program product disposed upon a non-transitory computer readable medium, the computer program product comprising computer program instructions that, when executed, cause a computer to carry out the steps of:

initiating, by a source compute node of the parallel computer, an RDMA broadcast operation to broadcast binary configuration information to at least two target compute nodes of the operational group;

preparing, by each of the at least two target computes nodes, the target compute node for receipt of the binary configuration information from the source compute node by:

changing a data communications state of the target compute node, wherein the data communication state specifies a type of data communications mode, to indicate that the target compute node is ready to receive a broadcast of data, such that the target compute node is ready to receive binary configuration information that is being broadcast to the target compute node via an RDMA broadcast operation;

allocating memory to store the binary configuration information; and

setting a value of an expected data transfer size counter to the size of data to be transferred during the RDMA broadcast operation;

transmitting, by each of the at least two target compute nodes, a ready message to the source compute node, wherein the ready message indicates that the target compute node is ready to receive the binary configuration information from the source compute node; and

performing, by the source compute node, an RDMA broadcast operation to write the binary configuration information into memory of each target compute node.

8. The computer program product of claim 7 wherein initiating a broadcast operation to broadcast binary configuration information to at least two target compute nodes further comprises sending, by the source compute node, an RDMA broadcast operation message to each of the target compute nodes, wherein the RDMA broadcast operation message includes setup parameters for the RDMA broadcast operation, including the size of data to be transferred during the RDMA broadcast operation.

9. The computer program product of claim 7 wherein transmitting a ready message to the target compute node further comprises transmitting a collective packet as part of a collective operation.

10. The computer program product of claim 7 wherein the computer program product further comprises computer program instructions that, when executed, cause a computer to carry out the steps of:

for each target compute node upon receipt of binary configuration information:

determining the size of the binary configuration information that was received;

decrementing a value of an expected data transfer size counter by an amount equal to the size of the binary configuration information that was received;

determining whether the value of an expected data transfer size counter is zero; and

responsive to determining that the value of the expected data transfer size counter is zero, transmitting a data received message to the source compute node.

11. The computer program product of claim 10 wherein transmitting the data received message to the source compute node further comprises transmitting a collective packet as part of a collective operation.

12. The computer program product of claim 7 wherein the binary configuration data is a binary executable file.