Patent ID: 7428629
Filing Date: 2008-09-23
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
1. A computer-executed method for regulating memory in a first node of a computer system having a plurality of nodes, each said node having a respective plurality of processors and a respective common physical nodal memory accessible only to processes executing on one or more of the respective processors within the node, the method comprising the steps of: configuring said first node as a plurality of virtual nodes for executing respective processes, each process executing in a respective said virtual node, each virtual node having a respective disjoint subset of the respective plurality of processors of said first node, each said disjoint subset containing at least one of said plurality of processors for executing processes in the respective virtual node, and a respective discrete non-overlapping subdivision of said common physical nodal memory for use by processes executing within the respective virtual node, wherein each process is unable to access nodal memory outside the respective subdivision of said common physical nodal memory of the virtual node in which the process is executing; sending a request on behalf of a user process executing within a first virtual node of said plurality of virtual nodes to dynamically enlarge the size of the subdivision of said common physical nodal memory of said first virtual node for use by the user process, said request being sent by a first memory regulating process executing in said first virtual node to a second memory regulating process executing in a second virtual node of said plurality of virtual nodes; responsive to sending said request, granting said request, said request being granted by said second memory regulating process; and responsive to granting said request, dynamically enlarging the size of said subdivision of said common physical nodal memory of said first virtual node during execution of said user process for use by the user process, said dynamically enlarging step being performed by said first memory regulating process.