Patent ID: 7444385

Claim:
A method for implementing global asynchronous operations in a computing structure comprising a plurality of nodes interconnected by at least one high-speed network, said method comprising: a) generating global interrupt and barrier signals for controlling global asynchronous operations performed by processing elements at selected processing nodes of a computing structure executing a parallel application, and, b) providing another high-speed network interconnecting said processing nodes to form a tree network comprising low-latency paths between said nodes for communicating said global interrupt and barrier signals to said elements via said low-latency paths, said signals respectively initiating interrupt and barrier operations at said processing nodes at times selected for optimizing performance of said parallel application, wherein said global interrupt and barrier signals flow upstream from children to parent nodes of said tree and downstream from parent nodes to child nodes of said tree, and, wherein each said node includes an associated routing device for routing signals to other nodes, said router including an upstream port for routing said global asynchronous signals in respective upstream direction toward a parent node of said tree network and down stream ports for broadcasting global asynchronous signals in a respective downstream direction toward child nodes of said tree network, and, said method further comprising: implementing logic at each node in response to signals received from processing elements included at said node and from other nodes connected therewith for initiating interrupt and barrier operations at parent and child nodes of said node in said tree, setting an asynchronous global barrier or interrupt signal in response to a control signal from said processing element, and, detecting, by a detecting device at each node, receipt of an asynchronous global signal, and, synchronizing said received asynchronous signal with a system clock signal for avoiding false detection of noise in said tree network, wherein the global signals are generated and communicated asynchronously, receiving signals from one or more connecting nodes, and performing a global logical AND operation upon said signals, said logical AND operation functioning to enable a global barrier operation at said selected nodes, wherein said selected nodes are prevented from processing operations until said global barrier operation has completed.