Importance

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Abstract

A multiprogrammed multiprocessor system comprises a plurality of processors and some communications resources such as networks through which the processors communicate with each other. A plurality of tasks may be executed on the system, and the allocation of the communications resources among the tasks is globally controlled. The allocation of resources among the tasks running on the system can be dependent on the signature of the tasks, where one component of a task signature is a measure of the communication resources needed by the task. The scheduling of a task running on the system may also be dependent on the signature of the task. The allocation of communications resources can be globally controlled using a variety of techniques including: packet injection into the communications resources using periodic strobing or using global flow control; using global implicit acknowledgments; by destination scheduling; by pacing; or by prioritized communication scheduling. Error recovery overheads can be amortized over a plurality of jobs running at one node. A user interface allows a plurality of service level options to be specified by a user, where the system can guarantee that the service levels can be achieved. Application users as well as system administrators can choose options as are appropriate. The user interface can allow the system administrator to run a scheduling mechanism that distributes communications resources among the tasks according to a market mechanism. The user interface can also allow a task to be guaranteed a fixed fraction of the resources independent of the other tasks then running or to be run as an interactive continuous job at one of a plurality of service levels. Finally, the user interface allows a system administrator to subdivide system resources into reserved and unreserved components, where the unreserved component is made available according to a market mechansim.

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First Claim