What is SMP Clusters?

SMP Clusters is a method of partioning an SMP (symmetric

multiprocessing) machine's CPUs, memory, and I/O devices
so that multiple "OSlets" run on this machine. Each OSlet
owns and controls its partition. A given partition is
expected to contain from 4-8 CPUs, its share of memory,
and its share of I/O devices. A machine large enough to
have SMP Clusters profitably applied is expected to have
enough of the standard I/O adapters (e.g., ethernet,
SCSI, FC, etc.) so that each OSlet would have at least
one of each.

Each OSlet has the same data structures that an isolated

OS would have for the same amount of resources. Unless
interactions with the OSlets are required, an OSlet runs
very nearly the same code over very nearly the same data
as would a standalone OS.

Although each OSlet is in most ways its own machine, the

full set of OSlets appears as one OS to any user programs
running on any of the OSlets. In particular, processes on
on OSlet can share memory with processes on other OSlets,
can send signals to processes on other OSlets, communicate
via pipes and Unix-domain sockets with processes on other
OSlets, and so on. Performance of operations spanning
multiple OSlets may be somewhat slower than operations local
to a single OSlet, but the difference will not be noticeable
except to users who are engaged in careful performance
analysis.

The goals of the SMP Cluster approach are:

1. Allow the core kernel code to use simple locking designs.

2. Present applications with a single-system view.
3. Maintain good (linear!) scalability.
4. Not degrade the performance of a single CPU beyond that
of a standalone OS running on the same resources.
5. Minimize modification of core kernel code. Modified or
rewritten device drivers, filesystems, and
architecture-specific code is permitted, perhaps even
encouraged. ;-)