Invention Grant
- Patent Title: Fault tolerant time synchronization mechanism in a scaleable multi-processor computer
- Patent Title (中): 可扩展多处理器计算机中的容错时间同步机制
-
Application No.: US12140028Application Date: 2008-06-16
-
Publication No.: US07865758B2Publication Date: 2011-01-04
- Inventor: Scott Barnett Swaney , Kenneth Lundy Ward , Tobias Webel , Ulrich Weiss , Matthias Woehrle
- Applicant: Scott Barnett Swaney , Kenneth Lundy Ward , Tobias Webel , Ulrich Weiss , Matthias Woehrle
- Applicant Address: US NY Armonk
- Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
- Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
- Current Assignee Address: US NY Armonk
- Agency: Yee & Associates, P.C.
- Agent Diana R. Gerhardt
- Main IPC: G06F1/12
- IPC: G06F1/12

Abstract:
Redundant time-of-day (TOD) oscillators are aligned, within a master oscillator path, to local logic oscillator and used to create independent step-sync signals. A step checker validates and provides selection signals to identify which of the TOD oscillators operates according to a criterion. Independent step-sync signals are transmitted to several sibling chips. Local step and sync signals are delayed to arrive at TOD register nearly synchronous with TOD registers in sibling chips. A slave oscillator path may be used to select time signals generated in a sibling chip, whereby the master oscillator path is deselected. A primary control register set may be used to configure which among several chips is a master chip using the master oscillator path. All remaining chips are slave chips. All segments of the topology are redundant. One of multiple possible alternate topologies is defined in a secondary control register set. Commands and TOD values are passed on the fabric at predefined time increment boundaries to establish, restore, or maintain synchronization across all chips.
Public/Granted literature
- US20080244300A1 Fault Tolerant Time Synchronization Mechanism in a Scaleable Multi-Processor Computer Public/Granted day:2008-10-02
Information query