Patent ID: 7797588
Filing Date: 2010-09-14
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
1. A method for ensuring reliability of transmission of packets from an initiating task at a first node to a target task at a second node connected to the first node via a network fabric, where both the first node and second node have a host fabric interface (HFI) that provides at least one HFI window assigned to respective tasks for handling transmission of global shared memory (GSM) packets, the method comprising: generating a GSM packet from a command issued by the initiating task to be transmitted to the target task; wherein a measurement of time within the system is divided into multiple epochs and every local task maintains an epoch for each remote task with which the local task interacts via a local task HFI window; automatically inserting a current epoch of the initiating task into the GSM packet, wherein a copy of the current epoch of the initiating task is maintained by the target task, and wherein only GSM packets with an epoch that is the current epoch of the initiating task is accepted by the target task; and issuing the GSM packet with the current epoch inserted therein to the network fabric.