Address space management while switching optically-connected memory

摘要

Memory is dynamically switched through the optical-switching fabric using at least one communication pattern to transfer memory space in the memory blades from one processor to an alternative processor in the processor blades without physically copying data in the memory to the processors. Various communication patterns for the dynamically switching are supported.

主权项

1. In an optically-connected memory (OCM) system having a plurality of processors arranged in processor blades and memory in memory blades, with each of the processor blades and the memory blades organized in racks communicatively coupled through an optical-switching fabric, the processor blades and the memory blades remotely separated, a method, comprising:
dynamically switching the memory through the optical-switching fabric using a selected one of a plurality of available communication patterns to transfer a memory space in the memory blades from one of the plurality of processors to an alternative one of the plurality of processors in the processor blades without physically copying data in the memory to the plurality of processors, wherein the dynamically switching further includes:
allocating memory from one of the memory blades upon receiving a memory request from the one of the plurality of processors, wherein a circuit is established with the memory for the one of the plurality of processors, the address space of the memory sent to the one of the plurality of processors,mapping an address space of the memory to a system memory address (SMA) space upon the one of the plurality of processors receiving the address space of the memory, wherein entries of the page table corresponding to the address space are created,retaining a remote memory superpage of the memory in the memory blade when reading the remote memory super page of the memory into the one of the plurality of processors, andtransferring a physical memory address space from the one of the processors to the alternative one of the plurality of processors.