Patent ID: 7702963
Filing Date: 2010-04-20
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
1. A method for distributing at least one clock signal between shelves in a multi-shelf modular computing system, the method comprising: (a) generating a first clock signal that includes synchronous timing information via a first module supported by a first shelf in a multi-shelf modular computing system; (b) providing the first clock signal from the first shelf to a shelf manager module of a second shelf in the multi-shelf modular computing system using a daisy-chain distribution scheme; (c) regenerating the first clock signal at the shelf manager module of the second shelf and distributing the regenerated first clock signal to at least one module within the second shelf; (d) providing the first clock signal from the second shelf to at least one other shelf in the multi-shelf modular computing system using the daisy-chain distribution scheme; and (e) providing a second clock signal that is a copy of the first clock signal from the first shelf to the second shelf and from the second shelf to the at least one additional shelf using a path between the first shelf, the second shelf, and the at least one other shelf that is separate from a path used to distribute the first clock signal from the first shelf, to the second shelf, and to the at least one other shelf, and thereby forming a double daisy-chain distribution scheme for the first and second clock signals.