Simple Deadlock-Free Dynamic Network Reconfiguration

Abstract

Dynamic reconfiguration of interconnection networks is defined as the process of changing from one routing function to another while the network remains up and running. The main challenge is in avoiding deadlock anomalies while keeping restrictions on packet injection and forwarding minimal. Current approaches fall in one of two categories. Either they require the existence of extra network resources like e.g. virtual channels, or their complexity is so high that their practical applicability is limited. In this paper we describe a simple and powerful method for dynamic networks reconfiguration. It guarantees a fast and deadlock-free transition from the old to the new routing function, it works for any topology and between any pair of old and new routing functions, and it guarantees in-order packet delivery when used between deterministic routing functions.