A hardware mechanism for automatically detecting hot-spot reference and diverting same from memory traffic in a multiprocessor computer system

• Main Authors: NORTON, VERN ALAN, PFISTER, GREGORY FRANCIS, RATHI, BHARAT DEEP, MCAULIFFE, KEVIN PATRICK
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; French; German
• Published: 02.11.1989
• Subjects: CALCULATING; COMPUTING; COUNTING; ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE; ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING; ELECTRICITY; PHYSICS; TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHICCOMMUNICATION

An interconnection network management architecture for use with a large shared memory multiprocessor computing system including a plurality of processors and a plurality of separately addressable main memory modules. Two parallel, interconnection networks are provided each capable of interconnecting any processor to any memory module, and each having different latency characteristics. A Hot-Spot detection means is associated with each main memory module for detecting when a particular address in that module has become a Hot Spot and includes a first memory for storing all detected Hot Spots. A diverter element is associated with each processor for selectively routing memory requests over either said first or second memory network con tingent on its status as a Hot Spot. A second memory is included in each diverter element for storing all Hot Spots detected by the detector elements. A control mechanism determines if any current main memory address is a listed Hot Spot within said second memory and, if so, causes the main memory reference to be transmitted to the memory system over a selected interconnection network. Another component of this mechanism determines if a particular address has been accessed a sufficient number of times within a given timeframe to be deemed a Hot Spot and removes Hot Spots from both the first and second memories when necessary.