Patent ID: 6275900
Filing Date: 2001-08-14
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
A hybrid non-uniform memory architecture/simple cache-only-memory-architecture (NUMA/S-COMA) memory system useful in association with a computer system having a plurality of nodes coupled to each other, and wherein data is stored in said hybrid NUMA/S-COMA memory system as a plurality of pages, each said page including at least one data line, said hybrid NUMA/S-COMA memory system comprising:a plurality of NUMA memories configured to store said at least one data line, each NUMA memory of said plurality of NUMA memories residing at a different node of said plurality of nodes of said computer system, and wherein said plurality of NUMA memories includes a NUMA coherence subsystem for coordinating transfer of data therebetween;at least one S-COMA cache configured to store at least one of said plurality of pages, each S-COMA cache of said at least one S-COMA cache residing at a different node of said plurality of nodes or said computer system, and wherein said at least one S-COMA cache employs said NUMA coherence subsystem in sending data communication to or receiving data communication from another node of said plurality of nodes of the computer system;wherein said at least one S-COMA cache comprises a plurality of S-COMA caches, and wherein said NUMA coherence subsystem includes a NUMA coherence protocol on a client node of said plurality of nodes caching data in one of said S-COMA caches from a home node of said plurality of nodes of said computer system, said NUMA coherence protocol being employed to send S-COMA coherence messages between said client node and said home node; andwherein said NUMA coherence subsystem with said coherence protocol at said client node comprises a boundary function translation table at said client node for transitioning between a home node real address and a client node real address when sending a message between said one S-COMA cache of said client node and said home node, wherein said home node real address comprises a network address employed by said NUMA coherence subsystem in transferring data between said home node and said S-COMA cache of said client node, and wherein said home node real address comprises a local physical address of the home node without need of translating between global addresses and real addresses on the home node.