FR2760547A1 - COMPUTER EQUIPMENT FORMED OF A PLURALITY OF INTERCONNECTED MODULES AND METHOD FOR OPTIMIZING SUCH COMPUTER RESOURCES - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention concerns a computer equipment comprising a plurality of interconnected elements such as a central processing unit, one or several mass storage units, one or several read-write memory units, one or several units communicating with external networks such as a modem, a router or network adapter, as well as peripherals. The invention is characterised in that each of the computer elements is provided with a circuit interfaced with a nano-network capable of being connected to a local and/or external network to form an extended network. The invention also concerns a method for optimising the computer resources of a plurality of users each provided with such a computer equipment.

Description

The present invention relates to the field of computers and more

  precisely that of computers connected to a network to allow the exchange of information between different interconnected devices. The architecture of computers according to the state of the art is based on a motherboard receiving a plurality of daughter cards comprising additional resources such as random access memory, mass memory, specific processing cards such as graphics cards, etc. . Each computer forms a closed and autonomous assembly, allowing access to a local or external network to interact with other computers or equipment having a similar architecture. Until now, the interconnection of the resources and peripherals of a computer is traditionally carried out using internal computer buses comprising in particular an address bus, a data bus, and a control bus, as in buses. PCI, ISA, EISA, VMEBus, MultiBus, Q22-bus, SBus, GIO,

  TURBOchannel, Bus Micro Channel, or NuBus (registered trademarks).

  When computers are networked via a network card plugged into the internal bus, this architecture has the disadvantage for users and developers of making it complex to share all the resources and all the devices of all the

network computers.

  In particular, the resources required depend on the applications implemented. Some applications require a lot of RAM, while other applications require much less memory. Certain applications require at the time of their execution the presence of specific cards such as accelerating cards for certain treatments or graphic cards, but these resources are not systematically used by all the applications of interest.

  the user of a given piece of equipment.

  The only solution with state-of-the-art equipment is therefore to provide each user's computer with sufficient resources for the most demanding applications. However, these resources are only used sometimes very limited part of the time of use of the equipment. Furthermore, the obsolescence t of one of the elements of the equipment generally results in

  the obsolescence of the entire equipment.

  To overcome these drawbacks, some manufacturers suggest replacing microcomputers with active terminals called network computers or "Network Computers", constituting lightened microcomputers having deliberately minimal resources. These active terminals are connected to a network allowing access to centralized resources at the level of a shared server. This solution makes it possible to delete mass memories in each computer by centralizing the storage of applications and files on the mass memories of a large server. On the other hand, it finds its limits in its incapacity to answer at the same time the wish of the users to keep a direct physical control on their files and their ipplications, with the need to easily share resources> t peripherals of these computers when they are interconnected by local computer networks or ', tense, if necessary to distribute easily, dynamically, and bottom of the water, of the computer capacity and power distributed on a network of computers to the needs of the users of this network, need for flexibility in the overall management of the evolution of the power of a fleet of computers, and finally it maintains a division between the architecture of the internal buses of computers and that of computer networks which leads to a break in the modularity between the internal level of the station or server

and that of the network.

  None of the prior art architectures is therefore satisfactory, because they do not allow

  not optimize the use of available resources.

  The device according to the invention makes it possible to

remedy these drawbacks.

  To this end, the invention relates in its most general sense to computer equipment of the type comprising a plurality of interconnected computer elements such as one or more central processing units, one or more mass memories, one or more random access memory units, intelligent power supply, one or more communication units with external networks such as a switch, a modem, a router, a network bridge, a network adapter, as well as peripheral devices such as a keyboard, a monitor, and a mouse, with their controller, or a sound processing and synthesis module, characterized in that each of the elements

  computer is equipped with an interface circuit with a nano-

  r-ts; internal water capable of being connected to a local network

  2 (ut'ou to an outside network to form an extended network.

  Advantageously, each of the computer elements constitutes a modular resource unit capable of dialoguing with any other modular resource unit connected to the wide area network and using the same addressing and communication protocols (basic as this wide area network. Each unit modular of

  resources is said to be intelligent and includes all the

  -ystems giving it the classic capacities and functions necessary to understand and manage the network protocol (s) such as: random access memory, read only memory or flash memory, low power microprocessor, software driver, machine operating system (which can be a micro-kernel), and a

  network operating subsystem.

  According to an alternative embodiment, the transmission media of the internal nanogrid are metallic cables, optical fibers, radio waves, light waves, electromagnetic waves. According to another variant, the network adapters of the computer elements consist of an Ethernet adapter, FastEthernet, Gigabit Ethernet, FDDI, ATM, Token Ring, SDH, (registered trademarks of radio type, of holographic type, or

  another type of local or wide area network adapter.

  Advantageously, the network adapters of at least two modules are grouped in a multi-port adapter. Preferably, to optimize the wiring and traffic within the equipment and on the external network to which it is connected, the internal local nano-network of the equipment comprises a concentrator (hub) and a bridge

  network interconnection or a switch.

  The invention also relates to a method for optimizing IT resources of a plurality of users, each having equipment comprising at least one IT element such as one or more central processing units, one or more mass memories. , one or more random access memory units, a smart power supply, one or more communication units with external networks such as a modem, router, switch, hub, or network adapter, as well as peripherals such as a keyboard, a graphic adapter connected to a monitor, or a sound processing and synthesis module, characterized in that each of the computer elements is provided with a network adapter and in that an external network forming an extension of a Internal nano-local network allows communication between each of the IT elements. According to a preferred implementation mode, at least one of the equipment comprises means managing a compensation, exchange or purchase / sale of resources exchange.

shareable on the network.

  The invention also relates to a computer module comprising at least one computer resource such as one or more central processing units, one ill several mass memories, one or more memory units (random access memory, intelligent power supply, one or more l communication with external networks and an adapter for data exchange with an external network The invention will be better understood on reading

  The description of a nonlimiting exemplary embodiment, is

  referring to the appended drawings o: l 5- Figure 1 represents a diagrammatic view of an equipment according to the invention, - Figure 2 represents an example Pi 'Lplémentation of the system, - Figure 3 represents another example read implementation of the system Figure 1 shows a schematic view of a -llkipement according to the invention. It consists of a box (,) carrying a set of network nodes of modules -.ssource type (2) interconnected by an internal local network (1) formed by network links and by a network interconnection module t (3), connectable to an external network ('), all supplied with energy by a power supply module (4) Equipment will have priority access to () local resources and will complete resource requirements by accessing resources available on one or more other equipment connected to the external network always using the same network protocols. Thus, when the user of an equipment uses software requiring the use of large RAM, for example software for processing photographic images, and he does not have enough memory locally, he can use the protocols (common to internal and external networks to access random access memory no-dules temporarily on one or more other devices. Access to the resources of a device -ilter can be achieved through one), u resource manager controlling the availability of! additional resources and managing, if necessary, untimely doconnections of some of the resources -: dull. FIG. 2 represents an exemplary implementation of the invention in which the equipment includes a processor card (4) with its network adapter, an intelligent random access memory card (5) with its network adapter, an intelligent controller for memory of ia -; se with its mass memories and its network adapter (6), a smart controller, screen, keyboard, mouse with its network adapter (7) said card presenting the interfaces of, -: t [Lon of usual peripherals such as keyboard, rmrineur, or mouse, and additional cards (8), t ,, es these cards being interconnected by a local network, mÈ of a network cabling materialized by a base card of llier integrating a concentrator or hub A network bridge () fi lters information circulating locally or on the network

  external, and only lets through those addressed by l in to the other.

  0 Each resource has a network adapter and a so-called intelligent controller, that is to say integrating a

  programmable logic circuit and memories to manage exchanges and store network protocols of the internal local network.

  FIG. 3 represents another example of implementation of the invention in which the equipment carries a processor card (4) with its network adapter, Am (e smart RAM expansion card (5) with its> network adapter, an intelligent mass memory controller with its mass memories and its network adapter (6), an intelligent screen, keyboard, mouse controller with its network adapter (7) said card presenting the interfaces of q (-stion of the usual peripherals such as the keyboard, the l, m: editor, or the mouse, and additional cards (8), all these cards being interconnected by a local network formed by an optical or electrical network cabling materialized

  !, has a backplane incorporating a switch.

  The invention is described in the foregoing by way of nonlimiting example. Those skilled in the art will of course be able to carry out numerous variants without

  pAlso depart from the scope of the invention.

Claims (5)

  1 - IT equipment of the type comprising a plurality of interconnected computer elements such as one or more central processing units, one or more mass memories, one or more random access memory units, an intelligent power supply, one or more communication units with external networks such as a switch, a modem, a router, a network bridge, a network adapter, as well as peripherals such as a keyboard, a monitor, a mouse, with their controller, or a module sound processing and synthesis, characterized in that each of the computer elements is provided with an interface circuit with an internal nano-network capable of being connected to a local network and / or to an external network to form an extended network. 2 IT equipment according to the -, main endication characterized in that each of the computer c5] -ments constitutes a modular unit of i l5Scources capable of interacting with any other -modular deressources connected to the wide area network, by i ising the same addressing and communication protocols dJ base that this extended network.   "25 3 - Computer equipment according to claim 1 or 2 characterized in that the transmission carriers of the internal nano-network are sl] ctrique currents, radio waves, light waves, or electromagnetic waves, circulating in cables   () metallic, optical fibers, atmosphere or vacuum.   4 - IT equipment according to claim 1 or 2 characterized in that the physical transmission media of the internal nano-network are   -, holographic interconnection devices.   - IT equipment according to one   any of the preceding claims characterized in   that the network adapters of the IT elements are -, instituted by an Ethernet adapter, FastEthernet,   igabitEthernet, FDDI, ATM, Token Ring, SDH, or radio type.   6 - IT equipment according to one   Any of the preceding claims characterized in   quez network adapters of at least two modules are   t. oupés in a multi-port adapter.   7 - IT equipment according to one   ! u Any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the internal local nanogrid comprises a network bridge, a   il'teur, a concentrator, or a switch to optimize   ) :( r internal wiring or interconnect to an external network.   I2, 8 - Method for the optimization of computer resources of a plurality of users each having i! ' in equipment comprising at least one computer element such as one or more central processing units, one or more mass memories, one or more random access memory units, one or more communication units with external networks such as a modem, a router, a switch, or a network adapter, as well as peripherals such as a keyboard, a monitor, a mouse, with their controller, or a sound processing and synthesis module, characterized in that each of the computer elements is provided with a network adapter and in that an external network forming an extension of a local nano-network internal to the equipment allows communication between each computer elements.   9 - A method for optimizing computer resources according to claim 8 characterized in that at least one of the equipment comprises means managing a stock exchange or purchase / sale / shareable resources on the network. - Computer module for the realization of a   equipment according to at least one of claims 1 to 7   characterized in that it comprises a computer resource such as a central processing unit, one or more mass memories, one or more random access memory units, one or more communication units with external networks and an adapter for the data exchange with a network.