text:
A masterless approach binds multiprocessor building blocks to partitions of a computer system using identifiers and indicators. A number of building blocks communicate among each other to determine a partition to which each building block is to be partitioned. For each unique partition to which one or more of the building blocks is to be partitioned, the building blocks communicate among each other to determine building block uniqueness, and then each of the building blocks joins the partition. The building blocks share with one another their logical port identifiers, which uniquely identify the building block within a partition. A commit indicator of each building block indicates that the building block has committed itself to the partition and that its identifiers cannot be changed. A partition protect indicator is set by one building block of a partition, preventing changes to the commit indicators of other building blocks wishing to join the partition except by that one building block, effectively protecting the partition. Building block protect indicators protect the building blocks themselves.
1. A method for masterless building block partitioning comprising:
communicating among a plurality of building blocks to determine a partition to which each of the plurality of building blocks is to be partitioned;
for each unique partition to which one or more of the plurality of building blocks is to be partitioned,
communicating among the one or more of the plurality of building blocks to determine building block uniqueness of the unique partition; and,
joining the unique partition by each of the one or more of the plurality of building blocks,
wherein communicating among the plurality of building blocks comprises at least one of;
sending from each building block of the plurality to all other building blocks of the plurality a partition identifier identifying the partition to which the building block is to be partitioned; and,
sending from each building block of the plurality to all other building blocks of the plurality a logical port identifier identifying the building block in the unique partition.
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16. A system comprising:
a commit indicator for each of the plurality of building blocks to be partitioned, the commit indicator of a building block signifying that the building block has joined a partition; and,
a partition protect indicator for each of the plurality of building blocks, the partition protect indicator of a building block signifying that a partition that the building block has joined is protected and that only other of the plurality of building blocks that have joined the partitioned building block may change the commit indicator of the building block.
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26. An article comprising:
a computer-readable medium; and,
means in the medium for joining a partition in a masterless manner by a building block of a plurality of building blocks, by communicating with other building blocks of the plurality of building blocks and by examining a plurality of indicators of each of the other building blocks, including a partition protect indicator, a building block protect indicator, and a building-block-to-partition commit indicator, the partition protect indicator signifying that only other of the plurality of building blocks that have joined the partition of the building block may change the building-block-to-partition commit indicator of the building block.
27. The article of
The following patent applications, all assigned to the assignee of this application, describe related aspects of the arrangement and operation of multiprocessor computer systems according to this invention or its preferred embodiment.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/045,795 by T. B. Berg et al. (BEA919990003US1) entitled �Method And Apparatus For Increasing Requestor Throughput By Using Data Available Withholding� was filed on Jan. 9, 2002.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/045,927 by T. B. Berg et al. (BEA920000017US1) entitled �Method And Apparatus For Using Global Snooping To Provide Cache Coherence To Distributed Computer Nodes In A Single Coherent System� was filed on Jan. 9, 2002.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/045,821 by T. B. Berg et al. (BEA920000018US1) entitled �Multi-level Classification Method For Transaction Address Conflicts For Ensuring Efficient Ordering In A Two-level Snoopy Cache Architecture� was filed on Jan. 9, 2002.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/045,564 by S. G. Lloyd et al. (BEA920000019US1) entitled �Transaction Redirection Mechanism For Handling Late Specification Changes And Design Errors� was filed on Jan. 9, 2002.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/045,797 T. B. Berg et al. (BEA920000020US1) entitled �Method And Apparatus For Multi-path Data Storage And Retrieval� was filed on Jan. 9, 2002.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/045,923, by W. A. Downer et al. (BEA920000021US1) entitled �Hardware Support For Partitioning A Multiprocessor System To Allow Distinct Operating Systems� was filed on Jan. 9, 2002.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/045,925, by T. B. Berg et al. (BEA920000022US1) entitled �Distributed Allocation Of System Hardware Resources For Multiprocessor Systems� was filed on Jan. 9, 2002.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/045,926, by W. A. Downer et al. (BEA920010030US1) entitled �Masterless Building Block Binding To Partitions� was filed on Jan. 9, 2002.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/045,774, by W. A. Downer et al. (BEA920010031US1) entitled �Building Block Removal From Partitions� was filed on Jan. 9, 2002.
1. Technical Field
This invention relates generally to multi-processor computer systems, and more particularly to such systems in which there are a number of building blocks divided into a number of partitions.
2. Description Of The Prior Art
There are many different types of multi-processor computer systems. A symmetric multi-processor (SMP) system includes a number of processors that share a common memory. SMP systems provide scalability. As needs dictate, additional processors can be added. SMP systems usually range from two to 32 or more processors. One processor generally boots the system and loads the SMP operating system, which brings the other processors online. Without partitioning, there is only one instance of the operating system and one instance of the application in memory. The operating system uses the processors as a pool of processing resources, all executing simultaneously, where each processor either processes data or is in an idle loop waiting to perform a task. SMP systems increase in speed whenever processes can be overlapped.
A massively parallel processor (MPP) system can use thousands or more processors. MPP systems use a different programming paradigm than the more common SMP systems. In an MPP system, each processor contains its own memory and copy of the operating system and application. Each subsystem communicates with the others through a high-speed interconnect. To use an MPP system effectively, an information-processing problem should be breakable into pieces that can be solved simultaneously, For example, in scientific environments, certain simulations and mathematical problems can be split apart and each part processed at the same time.
A non-uniform memory access (NUMA) system is a multi-processing system in which memory is separated into distinct groups. NUMA systems are similar to SMP systems. In SMP systems, however, all processors access a common memory at the same speed. By comparison, in a NUMA system, memory on the same processor board, or in the same building block, as the processor is accessed faster than memory on other processor boards, or in other building blocks. That is, local memory is accessed faster than distant shared memory. NUMA systems generally scale better to higher numbers of processors than SMP systems.
A particular type of NUMA system is the cache coherent NUMA (CC-NUMA) system. In a CC-NUMA system, the system hardware handles cache coherency between the system building blocks, as well as within them. That is, hardware cache coherency means that there is no software requirement for keeping multiple copies of data up to date, or for transferring data between multiple instances of the operating system or an application. Thus, distributed memory is tied together to form a single memory, and there is no copying of pages or data between memory locations. There is also no software message passing, but rather a single memory map having pieces physically tied together with sophisticated hardware.
The term building block is used herein in a general manner, and encompasses a separable grouping of processor(s), other hardware, such as memory, and software that can communicate with other building blocks. Building blocks, sometimes referred to as nodes, can themselves be grouped together into partitions. A single partition runs a single instance of an operating system. A partition can include one or more building blocks. A system, or a platform, is the whole of all the partitions of all the building blocks. Thus, the building blocks of a platform may be partitioned into a number of partitions of the platform, and so on. Furthermore, two or more partitions can be grouped together as a cluster, where each partition runs its own operating system instance, but has access to shared storage with the other partitions. A cluster is therefore different than a partition, and a partition is different than a building block.
Another particular type of NUMA system is the NUMA-quad (NUMA-Q) system. A NUMA-Q system is a NUMA system in which the fundamental building block is the quad, or the quad building block (QBB). Each quad can contain up to four processors, a set of memory arrays, and an input/output (I/O) processor (IOP) that, through two host bus adapters (HBAs), accommodates two to eight I/O buses. An internal switch in each QBB allows all processors equal access to both local memory and the I/O buses connected to the local I/O processor. An application running on a processor in one QBB can thus access the local memory of its own QBB, as well as the shared memory of the other QBBs. More generally, a quad refers to a building block having at least a collection of up to four processors and an amount of memory.
A difficulty with nearly any type of multi-processor computer system is the manner by which building blocks are bound together into partitions at startup. One approach involves selecting a master building block, which oversees the booting up of the other building blocks, as well as the partitioning of the building blocks into the desired partitions. However, this approach is not particularly fault-tolerant, in that should the master building block fail, the entire platform can potentially also fail, since there is no master overseeing the partitioning process. Redundant master building blocks, independent agents, or other ways to add fault tolerance to the system have been suggested, but can be overly complex and difficult to implement.
Another approach to binding building blocks into desired partitions at startup can be referred to as the masterless approach, in that no single building block is a priori designated as the master to oversee the binding process. Traditionally, however, the masterless approach has been plagued by race conditions and other difficulties. For example, two building blocks may decide to become the temporary master at the same time. However, having a preordained ordering of which building blocks are to temporarily retain master status is also problematic, because two otherwise identical building blocks may complete their startup processes in different lengths of time and/or at different times. Ensuring the orderly binding of building blocks into partitions is thus difficult to guarantee.
For these described reasons, as well as other reasons, therefore, there is a need for the present invention.
The invention relates to a masterless approach for binding building blocks into partitions using identifiers and indicators. In a method of the invention, a number of building blocks communicate among each other to determine a partition to which each building block is to be partitioned. For each unique partition to which one or more of the building blocks is to be partitioned, such building blocks communicate among each other to determine building block uniqueness, and then each of the building blocks joins the partition.
A system of the invention includes a commit indicator and a partition indicator for each of a number of building blocks to be partitioned into a number of partitions in a masterless manner. The commit indicator of a building block being set signifies that a logical identifier and a partition identifier of the building block cannot be changed. The partition protect indicator of the building block being set, in addition to the commit indicator of the building block being set, signifies that only building blocks in the partition may change the commit indicator of the building block.
An article of manufacture of the invention includes a computer-readable medium and means in the medium. The means in the medium is for joining a partition in a masterless manner by a building block of a number of building blocks. This is accomplished by communicating with other of the building blocks and by examining a number of indicators of each building block, including a partition protect indicator, a building block protect indicator, and a building block-to-partition commit indicator.
Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the presently preferred embodiment of the invention, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
First, a number of building blocks communicate with one another to determine the desired partition each building block wishes to join (102). This may be accomplished by the building blocks sharing with one another their physical port identifiers and their partition identifiers. The physical port identifier of a building block uniquely identifies the building block within a platform, whereas the partition identifier of a building block identifies the partition that the building block wishes to join. Once the communication of 102 has occurred, each building block knows the identities of the other building blocks, as well as the partitions that they wish to join.
Next, for each unique partition, the building blocks that wish to join this partition communicate with one another to ensure building block uniqueness (104). That is, from 102 to 104, the building blocks are effectively divided into a number of groups by the partitions to which they wish to join. The building blocks within each such group communicate with one another to determine, or verify, building block uniqueness. For instance, this may be accomplished by the building blocks sharing with one another their logical port identifiers. The logical port identifier of a building block should uniquely identify the building block within a partition. Within a partition, each building block of the partition should have a unique logical port identifier. Once the communication of 104 has occurred, each building block in a given group knows the identifiers of the other building blocks in the group by their logical port identifiers.
Next, the building blocks join their partitions, where actions may be undertaken by the building blocks of a partition to ensure protection of the partition, as well as protection of the building blocks of the partition (106). A commit indicator of each building block may be set to indicate that the building block has committed itself to the partition. Once the building block has committed itself in this manner, its identifiers cannot be changed and the building block is a committed member of the partition specified by its partition identifier.
Next, a partition protect indicator is set. The first building block of a partition to protect the partition in this manner effectively protects the partition. Only this first building block of a partition can then change the commit indicators of other building blocks wishing to join the partition. More generally, only the building blocks that have committed to a protected partition can change the commit indicator of other building blocks wishing to join the partition. The building blocks themselves are protected by setting building block protect indicators.
As has been described, a number of indicators can be used within the method 100 by the building blocks. Each building block may have a partition protect indicator, a commit indicator, and a building block protect indicator. When the commit indicator of a building block is set, this signifies that the building block has joined a partition, and the logical port identifier and the partition identifier of the building block cannot be changed. When the partition protect indicator of a building block is set, in addition to the commit indicator of the building block being set, this signifies that the partition that the building block has joined is protected. Only the building blocks in this partition can change the commit indicator of the building block.
When the building block protect indicator of a building block is set, this signifies that the logical port identifier, the partition identifier, and the physical port identifier of the building block can only be changed by the building block itself. However, if the commit indicator is further set, then not even the building block itself can change its logical port identifier and its partition identifier. Each of the indicators may be a hardware bit that is set by being turned on to a value of one, and is reset by being turned off to a value of zero.
The indicators of the building blocks can thus themselves be considered a system by which the building blocks are partitioned into partitions in a masterless manner. That is, as is explained in more detail in subsequent sections of the detailed description, the indicators are used by the building blocks to partition themselves into partitions. The indicators are lockable�that is, they can be set�such that their status as being locked or unlocked is indicative of the completion status of the masterless partitioning process. When all the indicators are locked, or set, this means that the building blocks have completed the process of partitioning themselves into partitions in a masterless manner. Initially, the indicators are unlocked, or not set, and as the partitioning process is completed, more of the indicators are locked.
Therefore, when a building block is to join a partition, its partition identifier must identify this partition, and its logical port identifier must be unique as to the other building blocks that have already joined the partition. The commit indicator of the building block is then set, as well as its partition protect indicator and its building block protect indicator. When a building block is to be removed from a partition, first any of its resources that are used within the partition must be removed from the partition, so that there are no dependencies on the building block. Thereafter, the commit indicator of the building block is reset, or turned off.
The platform 200 itself can be a non-uniform memory access (NUMA) system, such as a cache-coherent (CC-NUMA) system, a NUMA-quad (NUMA-Q) system, and so on. Where the platform 200 is a NUMA-Q system, each example building block is a quad, or quad building block (QBB), having up to four processors, local memory, and input/output (I/O) hardware. The interconnect 210 may be a link, such as an IQ-link or a CC-link. The invention can also be implemented in conjunction with other systems, such as symmetric multi-processor (SMP) systems, and so on. The term platform as used herein is synonymous with the term system.
The partition identifier 406 indicates the partition of the platform to which the building block is to be bound, and is typically set by the user. The protect indicator 408 indicates whether the building block has been write protected, whereas the commit indicator 410 indicates whether the building block has been bound, or committed, to its partition. The status indicator 412 indicates the status of the building block, such as whether it is booting up, whether it has been reset, and so on.
Software Implementation: Binding Building Blocks to Partitions
The building block initializes its minimum necessary hardware and software (506), and determines its physical port identifier. The building block is enabled and unprotected, and removed from any partition to which it may currently be bound (508). Thus, the building block's protect indicator now indicates that the block is unprotected, and the building block's commit indicator now indicates that the block is not committed to any partition. The building block sends its physical port identifier to the other building blocks in the partition (512), and initializes any remaining hardware and software of the building block (514). This may entail resetting or rebooting the building block, such that the method 500 a starts again at 502, and proceeds through 514. Once this has been accomplished, the building block determines its partition identifier (516), which is sent to the other building blocks of the platform (518).
Referring next to
One or more of the other building blocks may ultimately time out, meaning that they never send their physical port identifiers and/or their partition identifiers. If this occurs (522), then the method 500 b removes such building blocks from any partitions to which they are currently bound (524). Next, the building block sends the physical port identifiers for all the building blocks having its same partition identifier to such building blocks (526). That is, the building block determines the subset of the other building blocks that have the same partition identifier as it does, and sends the physical port identifiers for these blocks to these blocks. Likewise, the building block receives from other building blocks in the subset these physical port identifiers (527).
The building block next determines its logical port identifier (528). The logical port identifier may be configured by the user or automatically generated based on the physical port identifiers of the building blocks in the same partition. The user may set the logical port identifier in-band through a setup program, or out-of-band through a service processor, where the identifier may then be stored in persistent storage. If the logical port identifier is not set by the user, then the building block with the lowest physical port identifier is assigned the lowest logical port identifier. The hardware and software of the building block is then reinitialized with the memory map for the logical port identifier assigned to the building block (530), and the logical port identifier is sent to the other building blocks in the same partition (532). At this stage, therefore, there is a different memory map for each building block, and the building blocks cannot access each other's memory.
Referring next to
If the building block performing the method 500 c has the lowest logical port identifier, then it boots the partition (538). If the partition is protected (540), then the building block has the partition add it to the partition (542). That is, if the partition has already been protected by another building block, the building block performing the method 500 c is added to the partition by the partition. This may be accomplished by online removal/insertion (OLRI) software running on the partition. However, if the partition is not yet protected (540), then the building block adds itself to the partition (544). In either case, the building block's commit indicator now indicates that the building block has been committed to the partition.
The building block next waits for a relatively short period of time for the other building blocks having the same partition identifier to commit to the partition (546). This can be accomplished by the building block examining the commit indicators of the other building blocks in the same partition, and waiting until all these indicators indicate that their respective blocks have committed to the partition. The building block also sends the boot identifier to the other building blocks in the same partition (548). The boot identifier is the smallest in value logical port identifier of the logical port identifiers of the building blocks having the same partition identifier. The boot identifier thus identifies the building block that is responsible for booting the partition�i.e., the boot building block.
Referring finally to
The building block next write protects itself (552), as well as protects the partition (554). After write protecting itself, the building block has a protect indicator that indicates that the building block has been protected. The partition is protected from other building blocks, such that only the partition itself can subsequently add new building blocks to the partition. Such addition of new building blocks to the partition can be accomplished, for instance, by OLRI software running on the partition. The building block waits for the other building blocks in the same partition to protect themselves and the partition (556), by, for example, examining the protect indicators of these building blocks. This wait may be for a relatively short period of time.
If the logical port identifier of the building block is not the boot identifier (558), then the method 500 d is finished (564). Otherwise, the BSP of the building block becomes the BSP for the partition, reinitializes all the hardware and software of the building blocks of the partition (560), and boots the operating system instance for the partition (562), before finishing (564). If the building block currently performing the method 500 d is not the boot building block for the partition, then another building block in this partition performs 560 and 562 to initialize the partition and its operating system instance.
Software Implementation: Removing Building Blocks from Partitions
Next, I/O activity on the building block is also halted (604). The building block thus cannot receive input from or provide output to other building blocks having the same partition identifier. Processor tasks on the building block are also halted (606). Such processor tasks may include those assigned by the partition for performance by the building block. The resources of the building block are then withdrawn from the partition (608). These resources can include the processing capability of the building block, the memory of the block, the storage of the block, and so on. Finally, the commit indicator of the building block is turned off (610), to indicate that the building block is no longer bound to the partition.
Hardware Implementation: Introduction
Within a multiprocessor system, at certain points where data is requested by a component or subsystem within the system, the identities of the requesters of the data are compared to a list of partitioned identifiers and partitioned membership lists, where the membership or the identities of the requesters are stored, depending on the configuration of the partitions. Requests are processed only in the case where the requester of data accesses resources that belong to a given defined partition to which the requestor is stored on a membership list. Requests for data are denied to resources that are not in the membership list of the partition to which the requestor is a member. The ability to allocate system resources in a multi-node (i.e., multi-building block) system dynamically between the partitions created and provides the means for protecting or isolating the partitions for accessing resources which are not within their partition is provided.
Partition configuration register means are used for each defined port providing for defined bit entries exclusively reserved for defining a given partition's enablement and a given partition's write protection as well as a port write protection. The hardware implementation of the preferred embodiment includes partition protection means comprised of register entries (bits) which enhance isolation of each partition by defining allowable access or writes from only those defined quads or nodes assigned to a given partition. The term node is used herein synonymously with the term building block. A global configuration register means is used to configure system-wide parameters that include defined bit entries exclusively for use in defining write protection for each defined partition.
Effective isolation of defined partitions within a multi-node system is provided preventing the possibility of overwriting data generated from an operation in a different partition from overriding data in a given partition to which said data was not meant to be written. Apparatus in the tag and address crossbar system of the multiprocessor system disclosed includes a tag comparator module and a dispatch module each separately capable of comparing a given tag's partition vector or requesting port to the required partition vector of an intended output port to prevent output of the tag to a port not defined for the given partition. Entries in a system global configuration register as well as registers that store the partition configuration of the various nodes are more particularly described in terms of the hardware implementation of the preferred embodiment as described in the subsequent section of the detailed description.
At least some embodiments of the present invention is applicable to multiprocessor computer systems that utilize multiple microprocessor groups or nodes, each of which is provided with its own input and output interfacing and memory systems, including memory control. Such multiprocessor systems typically partition physical memory associated with one local group of microprocessors into locally available memory and remote memory or remote cache for use by processors in other processor groups within a system. Multiple node microprocessor systems utilize tag and address crossbars as well as data crossbars to interconnect the various nodes or groups of microprocessors, thereby providing communications between such nodes.
In the hardware implementation of the preferred embodiment used to describe the present invention, it will be seen that a total of sixteen microprocessors are configured into four separate quads, each quad also being referred to as a node of the system. The nodes in the hardware implementation of the preferred embodiment are therefore a total of four, referred to in the disclosure as nodes 0, 1, 2 and 3.
In carrying out the invention, the method defines two translations that are used to resolve the target physical node identification (ID) for a given request for data in relation to partitioned membership and logical node ID. The term identification is used herein synonymously with the term identifier, and hence the acronym ID is also short for the term identifier. The first translation defines all the physical nodes within a system that are members of a partition, which has a unique partition ID (PartID). The second translation steers requests from a given partition to the physical target node to which the requested address refers. In addition to the target physical node, the physical node IDs of other interested nodes may need to be calculated.
ID, or identification or identifier, refers to a value or number that identifies a system node or resource owned by or located within the same node. In the hardware implementation of the preferred embodiment, a node (or quad or building block) includes four processors, associated memory and an input/output subsystem all interconnected through a system control agent, or controller all of which operate as a modular unit within the entire computer system. The memory control that interconnects the components within one group of processors, being one node, is interconnected to all the other node control agents through a tag and address crossbar system, as well as a data crossbar system.
A physical node ID is fixed based on the physical placement of the node in the interconnect crossbar systems, and every node has a unique physical node ID value that is consistent with its physical interconnection to the overall system. The physical node ID does not change if the node changes its partition ID or logical ID. In the invention, a partition ID is a virtual identifier that all physical nodes in a partition will share. Nodes with any other value for their partition ID are by definition not members of the given partition. If any two physical nodes share the same partition ID, they are both members of the same partition within the system. A logical ID is the node offset for a given address relative to the partition where the address was requested. The logical ID is unique to nodes within its own partition, but not necessarily unique relative to nodes in other partitions. In the implementation of the method disclosed herein, an address of a data request defines the logical ID of the node to which that address refers.
The Memory control always issues requests using physical addresses relative to its partition. The physical address is itself relative to its partition number. Since more than one partition may be using the tag and address crossbar at a time, the partition number must be used to distinguish one partition's physical address from another's. Therefore, each tag and address crossbar physical port will have a two-bit partition number programmed to allow incoming requests to label themselves with their partition number. The said partition number is concatenated with address bits 36:35 (the logical node ID from the systems memory map) to form a lookup index that is used to look up the physical ID number that is used to identify the node where the address is defined as Home. The tag and address crossbar uses the physical node ID to route requests, replies, responses, and data associated with the request. The tag and address crossbar uses these physical IDs to identify source and target nodes (called snID and tnID) and to select tag quadrants for tag accesses.
Tag accesses must be aware of partitions when they look for matches, perform updates, and check for conflicts. The tag and address crossbar will have a hardwired assignment of port numbers to physical pins on the typical application specific integrated circuit device (ASIC) (used as a memory control agent interconnecting the resources of one node to the tag and address crossbar), therefore port number and physical node ID are equal. Each port of the tag and address crossbar has two configuration variables: Assigned Partition and Logical Node ID. All ports in the same partition have the same value for Assigned Partition.
Within a partition, the Memory control on a port is home to a portion of the memory space; the unique space assigned to that Memory control is programmed into the Logical Node ID. Finally, the Partition Vector is a four-bit vector that identifies all the quads present in the partition to which that port belongs. The Partition Vector is actually calculated from the first two configuration variables of the four ports. The example below in Table 1 shows that Partition 0 consists of port 2 only, and that Partition 1 consists of ports 1, 3, and 0 as logical nodes 0, 1, and 2. Therefore, port 1 is the logical node 0 in partition 1 (is home to the address range of 0 to 32 GByte), and port 3 is node 1 in partition 1 (is home to the address range 32�64 GByte).
The tag and address crossbar will not propagate requests to ports that are not included in the Partition Vector of the port where the request was made. It may propogate requests and make replies to any or all of the ports that are included in the Partition Vector, as circumstances require. In the above example, a request from port 1 can be propagated to ports 0 and 3 because they are in port 1's Assigned Partition. The request cannot be propagated to port 2, nor can the tag for port 2's Remote Cache be modified in any way due to port 1's request.
Hardware Implementation: Details
The hardware implementation of the preferred embodiment relates specifically to a system and a method for use in a multiple processor system that utilizes a tagging and address crossbar system in combination with a data crossbar system, together with associated memory and control means comprising a data processing system. The disclosed embodiment is a means and a method that allows partitioning of the entire system such that distinct operating systems may run simultaneously across the system. The method and means demonstrated below permits a system using multiple processors with a processor group interface control system, and an address tag and crossbar system, to partition one or more processor groups into partitions by dividing resources such as system memory across the entire system but function independently for purposes of running separate operating system software on each separately partitioned group of one or more processors. System memory is divided among partitions but shared by the partition to which it is allocated.
A single quad processor group 58, also referred to as a quad 58, is comprised of microprocessors 62, memory 68, and control agent 66. In multiprocessor systems to which the present invention relates, quad memory 68 is usually Random Access Memory (RAM) available to the local control agent 66 as local or home memory. A particular memory 68 is attached to a particular controller agent 66 in the entire system 60, but is considered remote memory when accessed by another quadrant or control agent 66 not directly connected to a particular memory 68 associated with a particular control agent 66. A microprocessor 62 existing in any one quad processor group 58 may access memory 68 on any other quad processor group 58. NUMA (Non-Uniform Memory Access) systems typically partition memory 68 into local memory and remote memory for access by other quads.
In a typical multiprocessor system using distributed memory as shown in
Each quad 58 is hardwired to a port of crossbar 70. Each quad 58 is configured with a partition ID and a logical ID. The partition ID (0, 1, 2, or 3) designates the quad's membership in an operating system and shared memory space. The logical ID (0, 1, 2, or 3) designates the quad's placement in the memory space of its partition. The logical ID specifies the physical address range that quad 58 treats as its local memory within that partition, i.e., the memory stored in its own memory 68. When a processor 62 requests an address that has the same logical region as its quad's logical ID, then the address is local to the processor or �home�, otherwise it is �remote� to that processor.
The memory map of all quads in a partition is orthogonal to all addresses in another partition. System 60 can therefore be configured in any possible arrangement of partitions provided that each partition has a unique partition ID and each quad 58 has a unique logical ID within that partition. It should be appreciated that quad 58 is the smallest configurable unit in terms of partitioning a system using the preferred embodiment of the invention, as individual processors, IO (input/output) devices, or portions of memory 68 in quad 58 cannot be configured to different partitions. However the invention is equally applicable to partitionable systems comprising building blocks having fewer or more processor or I/O devices, or different arrangements and sizes of memory than the quads described herein, as well as to systems having fewer or more building blocks than the four described herein. Each quad is allocated a 128 MByte Remote Cache memory, which resides in the main memory 68 of each quad 58. Crossbar 70 maintains tags for each quad's Remote Cache.
As a system is configured with virtually identical processor groups (nodes) or quads 58, the entire system may be partitioned as a single system or up to four separate partitioned systems using the method disclosed. In the hardware implementation of the preferred embodiment, the maximum total number of quads 58 is four, as configured in
Shown in
Ports 0, 1, 2 and 3 are all shown on
Continuing with
Tag look-up register 81 a and 81 b, identical in configuration, are made up of four SRAMS chips, each being 512 kbits by 16 bits in size. Tag look-up register 81 a is connected through line 82 a to even tag comparator and dispatcher 84. Though shown as one connection in
The physical configuration of register 81 a and 81 b is illustrated in the block diagram shown in
One means of partition data overwrite protection is handled by tag comparator and dispatcher 84 and 85 in
Further, considering
Each port has configuration information that assigns its partition ID and logical ID (address range). The partition membership of each quad 58 is defined by the value of the partition ID field. Logical address range is defined by the setting of the logical ID field. Each port has a Commit and a Write Protect bit. The Commit bit verifies that the partition ID is valid; if Commit is not set, the partition ID is invalid and the effected quad 58 is thereby not a member of any defined partition, and thereby shares nothing with any other quad 58 in system 60.
The Write Protect bit allows a quad 58 to lock itself into a partition so that no other quad 58 can modify its configuration registers; a quad sets its Write Protect bit when it completes its boot sequence and partition integration tasks. When the Write Protect bit is set, any individual quad 58 always controls its own configuration and other quad 58 requesting a configuration change must do so by requesting the controlling quad 58 to make a configuration change.
When booting the system with quad 58, crossbar 70 provides a CSR (a hardware storage register accessible to software to and from which software can read and write) Mapping Flag bits that allow communications between quads 58 even when such quads are in different partitions. Eight flag bits for each quad 58 may be written only for that effected quad 58 and all thirty-two flags can be read by any quad 58. The address spaces for different partitions cannot be violated by simple address pointer errors because crossbar 70 prevents requests from being sent to any quad 58 in another partition based on the partition ID of the inbound data request. Therefore, in accordance with the invention, inter-partition accesses could only occur because of possible hardware faults or scan operations.
Each P*pvec shown in
The HnID is the physical port ID that corresponds to the logical target ID. P*IDerr is asserted if there is not exactly one match and P*Commit is asserted. P*Commit comes from the CSR block and is set when this inbound port is committed to a partition. The HnID indicates which physical port has been configured to be home for that address in this partition. It is used to route requests, replies, responses, and data associated with the request to the appropriate tag and address crossbar 70 output port. HnID is delivered to the Input mux during the AD phase.
Continuing with the example above, assume the logical home IDs are configured so that Port 0 has logical ID 00b, Port 1 logical ID 10b, Port 2 logical ID 10b and Port 3 logical ID 01b. PlogID will be 68 h. A transaction coming into Port 0 with addr[36:35] of 10b is compared with PlogID. There will be a match of the logical ID of both Port 1 and Port 2 and the vector out of the comparators will be 0110b. After it is summed with the partition vector of 0101b, the result is the one-hot vector 0100b, from which the encoder provides a HnID of 10b. The match with Port 1 that is not in the same partition has been masked out. The transaction will be processed knowing that the home port is physical Port 2 based on the HnID of 10b. If the HnID is equal to the snID 83, (physical node ID), then the request is local, and LocalRemote is asserted to the TypeCk block. Otherwise it is remote and LocalRemote is de-asserted. It is delayed by a clock to arrive during the ID phase of the transaction. Table 3 illustrates the content of the partition configuration register, a graphical representation of which is shown in
Table 4 is a table of possible partition member register entries. The partition member register is read only. Its contents are calculated from the partition configuration register shown above in Table 3. It will be appreciated by review of Table 4 that the entries define the partition membership of each port, and therefore each quad.
Table 5 provides the definitions of the port flag register.
Table 6 illustrates the port identification register.
Tag and address crossbar 70 Control and Status Registers (CSRA) hold initialization, configuration, control, and status information relating to various features and operations within tag and address crossbar 70. They all may be accessed either by scan or from control agent 66 through a serial CSR interface to tag and address crossbar 70. CSRs are either port specific or global. Port specific registers relate to a particular bus 73 port. Each port has its own set. Port specific registers are further divided into performance counters and kernel categories. The kernel category consists of configuration and diagnostic registers, for which access should be restricted. Each category is aligned on a 16 k page boundary. Global registers pertain to Tag and address crossbar 70 as a whole. There is only one copy of a global register, which is seen in the address space of each of the ports.
Each quad 58 in the system 60 has 64 KB of tag and address crossbar 70 CSR memory space, each at a specific address range. These addresses appear in the address space of all quads in a partition, and are therefore referred to as Shared CSR addresses. In addition, each quad 58 has 64 KB of local tag and address crossbar 70 CSR memory space. Accesses to Local CSR memory space are routed to the CSRs associated with the physical port that receives the access. Therefore, registers are only accessible at the Local CSR address through the port to which they are local.
The global register block logic is shown in
The CSR Global Register block is also responsible for generation of the partition vector (parvec), the 16-bit vector that collectively summarizes the status of all bus 73 ports that are included in the four possible partitions in the system shown in the hardware implementation of the preferred embodiment. It is used internally to tag and address crossbar 70 and is also visible as a CSR register. There is a programmable 2-bit field for each bus 73 port that contains the number of the partition to which the port belongs. These port references are listed in Table 7.
A partition write protect bit, P0PartWrProt 77, and a port write protect, P0PortWrProt 78, are used to restrict write access and protect partitions from non-member quads (via their ports) in the system. In the invention, a restriction is provided that a specified bit must be in a certain state in order to enable writing of another bit, and such state must exist before a write is successful in changing the state of that bit. In general, either write protect bit does not restrict writes by the port that owns the Partition Configuration register that is the target of the write (or the target port, in this case, port 0), except that P0PartWrProt 77 can only be written by a port that is member of the target port's committed partition.
P0PartWrProt 77 restricts writes of bits 91, 79, and 93 by non-owner ports, all under certain circumstances. P0PortWrProt 78 restricts writes of bits 91, 78, 79, 92, and 93 by non-owner ports, all under certain circumstances. Each bit or field that is protected by these two write protect bits does so under the following circumstances:
P0enable bit 91 is a bit that enables port 0 subject to certain conditions. If bit 91 is clear, port 0 in the system is disabled and will not respond to port 0 inbound transactions.
P0logID 92 is a two-bit field (3:2) that identifies the logical node ID of crossbar 70 physical port 0, being shown as the bus comprised of input 40 and output 45 in
P0Commit bit 79 determines whether port 0 is to be part of the partition indicated by field 93, which is P0ParNum. When bit 79 is cleared, then port 0 is not considered to be part of any partition. It could be appreciated that if the P0Commit bit 79, or its equivalent in the partition configuration registers for other ports is not set, it is possible that a particular port will not be assigned to any partition in the system and therefore could be disabled if desired. Therefore, the invention allows selection of one or more nodes to operate within a given partition, while disabling one or more nodes to be dormant in a given configuration of the system.
Embodiments of the invention allow for advantages over the prior art. Embodiments are more fault tolerant than approaches for binding building blocks to partitions that employ a master building block, because the failure of any one building block does not prevent the others from properly binding to their respective partitions. Furthermore, although embodiments of the invention employ a masterless approach for binding building blocks to partitions, race conditions are avoided through the use of the various identifiers and indicators of the building blocks that have been described. The building blocks are also protected from other building blocks, as well as from rogue software. The partitions themselves are also protected.
It will be appreciated that, although specific embodiments of the invention have been described herein for purposes of illustration, various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. For instance, whereas the invention has been described as capable of being implemented on NUMA systems, it can also be implemented in conjunction with other types of multi-processor systems having fewer or more processor or I/O devices, or different arrangements and sizes of memory than the quads described herein, as well as to systems having fewer or more building blocks or nodes than the four quads described herein. Additionally, the process of partitioning the building blocks may use protect and commit indicators other than the bits and port identifiers described above. Accordingly, the scope of protection of this invention is limited only by the following claims and their equivalents.
Patent Citations
Non-Patent Citations
Referenced by
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Deviant Art
Panica bioPanica bio4 years ago in Profiles More Like This
Fallout New vegas
Character Bio
Name: Panica Radford
Panica is the daughter of Delilah Radford of Fallout 2. After the events of Fallout 2, Delilah got knocked up and had Dylan and Panica. They lived in Vault City and Dylan and Panica hated it. They would constantly sneak out and made friends with the residents outside the city. Panica learned everything she knows from her mother and adopted her mother's sense of morals (accidentally including the one where her mother is a porn star). Panica loves to drink, with her favorite being good old beer. When she's drunk, she's usually a very lovey drunk, but occasionally she'll be a crying drunk. At the age of 19, Panica decided she wanted to get out of the NCR and explore the world, so she took the job of a courier to travel the wastes. She even was able to go visit her cousin, Calico in the Capital Wasteland. When she was coming back from her visit with Calico, she accepted the strange package with the platinum poker chip and fro
|Sta.sh Submit

subset: commoncrawl


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3 thoughts on being holy
One of the most serious yet ignored and/or misunderstood passages in all the Bible is when God says to us "You shall be holy, for I am holy." God first said it in Leviticus 11, and Peter quotes it and elaborates on it in 1 Peter 1.
At our church, we are preaching through 1 Peter right now, and our Associate Pastor Troy Harrison preached on this passage (1 Peter 1:13-16) two weeks ago. You can listen to that sermon here.
Then this past Sunday I got to preach on the very next passage in 1 Peter (1 Peter 1:17-21). You can listen to that sermon here.
Here are the three main thoughts from my sermon.
Three thoughts on being holy (all of these thoughts taken from 1 Peter 1):
- You have to know who you are NOT!
-We are not perfect. We are often wrong, bad and sinful.
-We are not God's standard. Jesus is.
-God will judge everyone. And He will judge impartially.
-Therefore we should not be judgmental.
-We should be mindful of our sins and need of God.
-We should worry more about ourselves then we do others.
-You have to know who you are NOT in order to really know who you are.
-Our ability to be holy comes from knowing that we first & foremost are not holy.
-As elect ransomed exiles, we become holy!
- You have to know who you are!
-You have been ransomed.
-You are living in exile. Earth is not our home.
-Since we are in exile, we factor every experience through this truth.
-Heaven is our home. God is our focus. Everything else is in light of those facts.
-In knowing who you are, you are always reminded who you are not. And who you used to be.
-We are God's ransomed children. We belong to God. We long for heaven.
-Being loved and ransomed by God, we are now new and free and made and empowered to be holy!
- You have to know whose you are!
-We are God's children because of Jesus.
-The blood of Christ has ransomed us.
-The pure and spotless Lamb of God has taken away the sins of the world!
-It was God's plan to kill Jesus for our saving.
-Through Him we are believers in God.
-God raised Jesus and gave Him glory so that our faith & hope are in God.
-Since we know God and we know we are God's, we desire to be holy like Him.
I encourage you to take time to read 1 Peter chapter 1. And see what I am trying to say. May God give us clarity and understanding on what He means when says "Be holy, for I am holy."
What is truth?
In John 18:37, Jesus claims "For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world — to bear witness to the truth."
–Jesus's purpose in coming to earth is to bear witness to the truth.
In reply to that, Pilate asks Jesus in John 18:38 "What is truth?"
–Pilate, like many people, question 'what is truth?'
Just one chapter earlier in John 17:17, Jesus prayed to the Father "Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth."
–The Word of God is the truth.
Earlier in John 8:31-32 to the Jews who were considering believing, Jesus said "If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth and the truth will set you free."
–True followers of Jesus know the truth and are set free from sin by it.
In John 14:6, Jesus boldly stated "I am the way, the truth, and the life."
–Jesus is the truth. (In John's Gospel, Jesus is also the Word.)
And in John's prologue (at the very beginning of John), he wrote, "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth."
–Jesus is God in the flesh, and He is full of truth.
4 Thoughts on Fatherhood from Genesis 22
Lord willing, Valeria and I will have our 5th child in April. We are looking forward to it. But we also realize that having 5 kids is a big responsibility.
I love the quote by the late Jim Valvano "My father gave me the greatest gift anyone could give another person, he believed in me."
I want to be a good father to our children.
I recently spent time observing Abraham as a father to Isaac in Genesis 22. There are several key passages in God's word on parenting and fatherhood (Psalm 127 and Ephesians 6:1-4 just to name two), but I believe that Genesis 22:5-8 is one of the best passages in all of Scripture on fatherhood.
Here are 4 thoughts on Fatherhood from Genesis 22:5-8:
- The son was led by his father to worship. In Genesis 22:5 Abraham says "I and the boy will go over there and worship and come again to you." Can you picture the power of a dad who speaks like this? Very few boys or sons in the world have ever heard a dad say this. Few have heard their dad say "Lets go to church." But what about "We're going to worship." That is a strong statement. Many dads lead their sons well. Sons treasure being led by their fathers. I have heard my dad say often "Come on son, lets go help your mom." Or "Come on Josh, lets go mow the yard." Or "Come on, lets go play corn hole." I want to be like Abraham in that I lead my sons to worship God.
- The son was aware of his father's devotion and obedience to God. In Genesis 22:6 Abraham is doing everything that God has asked him to do. The whole story of Abraham in Genesis, which covers chapters 12-25, is full of Abraham obeying God. And Isaac, his son, is right there observing all of it. Isaac knew he was loved by his dad. There was no question about that. In verse 22:2 God says to Abraham "Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love." Yet Isaac knew that his father, Abraham, loved God even more. He was meticulous in obeying all that God had told him. In 22:12 God acknowledges Abraham's devotion to God. While I want my children to know that I love them dearly, I also desire that they clearly observe in me a greater devotion and love for God.
- The son understood his father's faith and practice. In Genesis 22:7 Isaac observes "Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?" What a great question? Many children have no idea why their parents are religious. Or why their fathers do what they do. Many sons today have no idea what their fathers believe. In this passage, Abraham is getting ready to offer a sacrifice to God. And Isaac is not sitting in the car waiting. Isaac is not disengaged while consumed by his phone. Isaac is there. He is aware. He understands. And he is even pointing out to his dad that there is a key element missing. This is remarkable. Many fathers today have very little devotion to God and that which they do have has not carried over to their children. I want to be like Abraham in that his son understood his faith in and devotion to God.
- The father wholeheartedly trusted God. In Genesis 22:8, in response to Issac's question/observation in verse 7, Abraham boldly answers "God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son." This is one of the greatest verses in all of the Bible on fatherhood. Abraham had no idea where the lamb for the offering would come from. But he believed God (Genesis 15:6). And in the meantime he was faithful to obey God, trusting that God would provide the lamb. The rest of the passage, verses 9-14, show God doing just that – providing the lamb for the offering. There is nothing better for a son than for his father to wholeheartedly trust and believe in God. With all of my sins and with all of my sons sins, may I continually assure them that God indeed has provided a sacrificial lamb. That's Jesus!
May God make us fathers who point our children to Jesus!


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Cork Materials Appear on the Nike SB Dunk High by Zack Schlemmer 0 Comments
August 16, 2011 BY Aaron Hope / 0
Todd Bratrud clearly has a thing for smokin' Nike SB Dunk Highs, because not only did he craft the 'Cheech and Chong' edition that caused such a commotion this April, but also this new design for the Skatepark of Tampa. The Todd Bratrud x SPoT x Nike SB Dunk High 'Cigar' is vaguely similar to last year's 'Iron Man' thanks to a red and gold dual-layered side panel Swoosh, but a series of brown shades ensures these come off more like tobacco than Tony Stark. Skate Park of Tampa is a well-respected icon of the skateboarding scene (and one of the best spots to buy your kicks), so click through for an additional shot of this upcoming collaboration and let us know what you think. Stick with Sneaker News for updates regarding a release because these are set to drop in September.
Filed under: Collaboration Dunk Nike SB Upcoming Sneakers
Cork Materials Appear on the Nike SB Dunk High by Zack Schlemmer 0 Comments
Nike SB Dunk High – Obsidian – Team Orange by Zack Schlemmer 0 Comments


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Built three mini hoophouses
Finally took the plunge....
In my 4 x 8 raised garden beds I put up four half circle hoops. I took ten foot long pieces of 1" PVC pipe and pushed the ends into the ground on either side of the bed. I then covered the pipe with 3 mil plastic and clamped it into place with big binder clips from the office supply.
I have planted a variety of salad greens: mache, mesclun, lettuce, cress, chervil, endive, radicchio, and spinach. So far everything is growing except for the spinach which is a zero so far.
I open the ends for ventilation on warm days and then close it up to catch warmth for cool nights.
I have tons and tons of volunteer tomatoes sprouting up and I plan to use one of my three houses for tomatoes only.
This is my first adventure into growing in a hoop house of any type. I plan to build a cold frame next weekend and experiment to see what happens.
My neighbors always thought I was nuts....they have another reason to think so now....he he...
Good Gardening!
Way to go! I have yet to build my additional layer of protection over my coldframes for my beloved veggies. I have a spotty track record with spinach - mostly lousy - but have managed to get a few up this fall both inside coldframes and outside in the garden. I've been transplanting the garden spinach into the coldframes and they've been doing better. I want that double layer fo protection that Eliott Coleman writes about in his Four Seasons book. I'm envious of your crops! All I have left is what little collards I have left after the damn deer have munched on to their heart's delight, some nice red russian kale, and maybe a broccoli nub or two. In my coldframes, the radishes have started to come up but our N. Ga morns are down in the mid twenties and that makes for some slow growth. I've also planted bunching onions, and several kinds of radishes. I'm kinda proud of my coldframes I've built out of old cedar deck boards and patio doors. I insulated with foamboard painted white and added cast iron window weights to help open the rather heavy doors. Now if I can get something to grow...
so excited to hear everyones success. new to computer. i built a type of "pup tent" greenhouse. used 6'poles and 10x25' plastic on each side. dark colored buckets hold plastic in place along inside. buckets filled with water, which absorb heat during day and release heat at night. fun to have big greenhouse!!


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The Atlanta Housewife gets real (and disses her co-star) with Dr. Oz.
Some of them at least...
The Atlanta Housewife defends her recent hairstyle.
Ep 17: The 'Wives seek the help of Dr. Jeff this week, but not all of them are willing to hear what he has to say...
From long locks to bloop-worthy bobs, check out NeNe's hair style evolution.
The 'RHOA' star brought the laughs on the smash hit
The 'RHOA' star says she and the late Joan Rivers had a lot in common.


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Life on Almosta Ranch
David McClain
- Location
- Doniphan, Missouri, USA
- Birthday
- February 08
- Bio
- I am a simple man who has lived a simple life for sixty years. I have not dined with movie stars nor Kings and Queens. I have not walked the halls of power, nor have I been a mover and a shaker.
I have, however, been a soldier, a tinker, a jack of all trades. I have raised five children....I have been loved and I have loved.
I do not see grand designs nor do I chase afer them. Instead, I listen to the heartbeat of the land and I rejoice in a bird's song in the morning.
Do not come here seeking answers for I have none. I do have questions which I will ask you constantly though.
I do not believe in aruging so Politics will not be discussed in my blog. I do not care what your personal beliefs are for you are free to believe as you will...please allow me to do likewise.
I have never been rich, but I have always been poor. Being poor however has never stopped me from feeling rich.
I feel rich because I have the love of a good woman. Melinda completes me. She gives me the peace of mind and soul required to write about life without regrets and without envy of those who might have more. She is my world. Almosta Ranch is our heaven and we are happiy. This is what I want to share with you in this blog.
- 23,910 days...and counting.
February 07, 2015 08:23PM
- Something that might interest
January 16, 2015 02:39PM
- The Hunt
December 06, 2014 11:57AM
- The Great Wagoo
October 30, 2014 11:28AM
- What side do you come down on?
August 19, 2014 11:59AM
- "I gotta start coming in
OS more often as I am just now
this and I hate
February 23, 2015 11:43AM
- "Very few times do I ever
read a blog entry and think:
I wish I had
February 09, 2015 12:14PM
- "I can not imagine
watching that video or any
video of a
person's last
moments on…"
February 08, 2015 09:31AM
- "Catch-22.....Thanks for
the comment and thank you
hanks, I lo…"
January 16, 2015 10:14PM
- "Greenie.....the e-book
is only three dollars and no,
are no Tater stories
January 16, 2015 02:55PM
David McClain's Links
When your child steals from you
As much as it pains me to admit it, the fault for this sad state of affairs lay solely with my wife, Mel. It is a fact that she has always favored her baby boy over all our other children and she has not been able to stop herself from… Read full post »
I Share My Wife With Others
Every man likes to think that he is the center of his wife's universe, the sole recipient of her love and affection. Unfortunately nothing could be further from the truth when it comes to my wife, Melinda.
I'm not complaining mind you, I knew the truth going into the… Read full post »
Under the Waxing Moon
Midnight. The day was hot and the night cool and too perfect to be in bed so Mel and I walked out to make a last check on the livestock.
Around here we call that normal. Time, in the country in general and here on Almosta ranch… Read full post »
Punctuation at the end
I woke up this morning and took my first cup of coffee out onto the front porch to enjoy the cool breezes and the songs of birds. I was lounging in my chair and slowly sipping the hot brew, lost in the peace of the moment when a thought… Read full post »
High tech blues with a serving of angst on the side
I'm a low-tech guy in a high-tech world. This is not a condition that came upon me with advancing age though, I have been this way all my life. I can remember, at the tender age of sixteen being labeled something similar by my dear, sweet mother who, exasperated at my… Read full post »
"Cry Havoc......" A battle for the ages!
"Cry Havoc and let slip the dogs of war!" This is one of my all time favorite Shakespeare quotes and, curiously, it came to mind a few days ago in a way that left both Mel and myself almost helpless with laughter.
It all started innocently enough,… Read full post »
"Downsizing" continues: The arrival of Sparkles and Rosie
Yesterday, while most folks were busy hiding Easter eggs or visiting with family, Mel and I were on the road going to meet the two latest acquisitions of Almosta Ranch: Sparkles and Rosie, two Juliana Pigs.
Sparkles is only six weeks old while Rosie is about three months old. Neither… Read full post »
GNS: The Arrival of Snowball
"Honey, you need to get out here and see this."
Now when I hear these words spoken by my sweet wife who has just come in from the barn, I know I have trouble. The only question in my mind is what form with the trouble take. Will I have a… Read full post »
Blog anniversary....It's been fun!
Today has been one of those days I wish everybody in the world could experience. Eighty degrees, breeze blowing so that it felt like seventy or so, cobalt-blue skies and birds singing their hearts out in the trees.
Which brings me to this entry. Tomorrow is supposed to be just… Read full post »
Politics, my view: Inspired by Walter Blevins
Today I want to write my second blog entry which was inspired by another great writer here on Open Salon: Walter Blevins. Walter did a blog a few days ago about political apathy and if any of you have not read it, you have missed a real gem. In terms of… Read full post »
My Mortality...Entry inspired by Bobbot's Blog
Normally I confine blog subjects here to the animals and happenings on Almosta Ranch but yesterday I read blogs by two of my favorite writers: Bobbot and Walter Blevins which has inspired me to write on the same subjects that they wrote about.
This entry then will deal… Read full post »
Shadow Dancer...My Time Machine
A funny thing happened on my way to Open Salon the other day. I discovered a time machine. We have all done that….discovered a time machine…at one time or another. For some the vehicle that transports them to a simpler, happier time might be a song on the radio, for others… Read full post »
Downsizing the Ranch
Due to the prevalent downturn in America's economic picture, Almosta Ranch is, in a matter of speaking, downsizing. Even though we will continue to maintain our existing horse herd, we will no longer be actively pursuing a breeding program. This is news met with a certain amount of chagrin by o… Read full post »
Things not always as they seem
As many of you know, many of my blog entries deal with life on Almosta ranch and I have been pleased to see that for the most part people have enjoyed these entries. However, I have also noticed an alarming trend among those who leave comments. Many folks express the opinion… Read full post »
For my Wife On Valentine's Day and all the Days beyond
You give my soul peace.
You give my lips their smile.
You are my warmth on cold days.
You are my cool breeze on hot Summer days.
You are my world.
You are my wife.
Thank you. Read full post »
For My Little Brother
Tomorrow is a Red-Letter day within the extended McClain clan. February first is my little brother's birthday. Rick is five years younger than me and as the youngest son he was of course spoiled beyond all reason. Of course, this continued even after he was grown, much to my consternation.… Read full post »
Once again: My mouth gets me in trouble
Something told me I was in trouble the moment I made the suggestion. I have learned through painful experience, that making any sort of suggestion to my wife has the potential of blowing up in my face. This is a perfect example of that belief.
One day, almost a year… Read full post »
Farewell to my Snow Queen
I discovered a surprising fact about myself yesterday. I found out that I am not ideally suited for horse ranching. You see, running a horse ranch is first and foremost, a business. The commodity we deal in happens to be horses which means we buy and sell them.… Read full post »
Killer goes Free in Missouri
On January 4, 2012 a man in Southeast Missouri captured a young adult mountain lion in a live trap. The man, being a county commissioner and well versed in the law, did not kill the big cat but rather transported him to the nearest Conservation department office.
After seeing the… Read full post »
A Simple View for a Simple Man
We live in a drafty, old, farmhouse that is cold in the Winter and Hot in the Summer but it is a home of many views from many windows that allows us to look out onto our own personal world and everything that is important.
The back room that was once… Read full post »
Jeremiah Vs The Round Bale
It is a well known fact around here that were it not for the animals of Almosta Ranch I would have little of note to write about, and so it is today. My present four legged inspiration comes from Jeremiah, our miniature male donkey.
A few of you might remember… Read full post »
Constants for the New Year
On the last day of 2011 I find myself doing the same thing I did on the last day of 2010. I'm sitting at my computer wondering if this Winter-besotted land of Missouri will ever be warm again but that is normal, it's one of the little things that define… Read full post »
After Ten Years: Our First Big Fight
A few days ago Mel and I had our first big fight in over ten years of marriage. In order to be fair in the telling of this sad tale I must first give you a bit of background so that you might better understand the events that unfolded, and how… Read full post »
Aging and Me....It's Not All Bad
The Internet is full of blogs lamenting the onset of old age, the loss of mobility, the waves of various aches and pains, and the general loss of precious Time in our lives. TV is full of adds for all sorts of products meant to ward off the effects of time… Read full post »
A Historic Thanksgiving at Almosta Ranch
This Thanksgiving marks a historic event here on Almosta Ranch. For the first time in 62 years this old codger will NOT be eating turkey and dressing and all the other seasonal goodies associated with the holiday. Neither will I be basking in the controlled chaos of the gathered McClain clan.… Read full post »


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Ken Testi
Ken Testi is British entrepreneur most notable for his involvement with the bands Queen and Deaf School and with the Liverpool music venue Eric's Club.
In the mid-1960s whilst at school, Testi began promoting shows in venues as diverse as scout huts, youth clubs, schools, pubs and civic halls.[1] In the summer of 1969, with a band formed at school, he went to London where he met Freddie Bulsara. A few weeks later Bulsara appeared on stage for the first time, fronting the band Testi had taken to London. Bulsara changed the band's name from Ibex to Wreckage and later changed his own name to Freddie Mercury.[2]
During 1970, as a college social secretary, Testi continued to follow Mercury's progress with Roger Taylor and Brian May in the newly formed Queen and arranged three shows for the band; at a youth club in Potters Bar, at St Helens College of Technology and at Liverpool's Cavern Club.[3] Testi returned to London and spent 1971 encouraging Queen and generating interest from record companies.[4]
In mid-1972 Testi returned to Merseyside, working with local musicians until 1974 when he met members of a band from Liverpool College of Art who had taken their name from the building where they rehearsed – Deaf School. Deaf School became the spark that ignited a creative, musical explosion in Liverpool which had seen scant original musical output since The Beatles.[5]
During two years of tour management with Deaf School, Testi formed an alliance with Roger Eagle. The two first met in the 1960s at the Magic Village in Manchester. Together they established Eric's Club in Mathew Street, Liverpool in 1976. The first band to play was Deaf School, followed by many of the leading acts of the day: The Stranglers, The Runaways, The Sex Pistols, The Damned, Elvis Costello, The Police, Ian Dury and the Blockheads, Nick Lowe, Dave Edmunds, The Clash, The Ramones and Talking Heads, amongst others.[6]
Before it closed in March 1980, many new local acts had been encouraged to take to the stage for the first time including Jayne Casey, Bill Drummond, Ian Broudie and Holly Johnson (Big in Japan), Paul Rutherford and Budgie (The Spitfire Boys) and Pete Wylie.[7] In the 1980s, the UK and international record charts were dominated by talent that had emerged from Eric's including, Frankie Goes to Hollywood, KLF, The Lightning Seeds, The Teardrop Explodes, Echo & the Bunnymen and Dead or Alive.[8]
In 1988 Testi persuaded Deaf School to reform for a series of shows, from which Clive Langer produced a live album, 2nd Coming: Liverpool '88. In 2008 Testi produced an Eric's Show at Liverpool Academy featuring acts from the club.[9] In the same year Liverpool's Everyman Theatre produced "Eric's, The Musical".[10]
Testi currently runs a company called Eric's Productions Limited, where he produces a number of shows each year for Deaf School, and their celebrity guests who regularly include Suggs and Lee Thompson (Madness), Kevin Rowland (Dexy's Midnight Runners) and Ian Broudie (Lightning Seeds).[11]
- ^ Florek, Jaki (2001). Bridge Over Muddy Waters. Feeedback. ISBN 978-0-9540326-0-9.
- ^ Gunn, Jacky & Jenkins, Jim (1992). Queen: As It Began. Sidgwick & Jackson Ltd. ISBN 978-0-283-06052-6
- ^ Jackson, Laura (1994). Queen and I: The Brian May Story. Smith Gryphon. ISBN 978-1-85685-099-5.
- ^ Blake, Mark (2010). Is This the Real Life? The Untold Story of Queen. Aurum. ISBN 978-1-84513-659-8.
- ^ du Noyer, Paul (2004). Liverpool - Wondrous Place: From the Cavern to the Capital of Culture. Virgin Books. ISBN 978-0-7535-0840-4.
- ^ Cope, Julian (1994). Head-on: Memories of the Liverpool Punk Scene and the Story of the Teardrop Explodes, 1976-82. Head Heritage. ISBN 978-0-9526719-0-9.
- ^ Florek, Jaki; Whelan, Paul (2009). Liverpool Eric's - all the best clubs are downstairs, everybody knows that . . . Feeedback. ISBN 978-0-9540326-2-3.
- ^ "Spotlight on Eric's Club". Museum of Liverpool. Retrieved 1 December 2011.
- ^ "Eric's legends back on stage in Liverpool". Liverpool.com. 27 July 2008. Retrieved 1 December 2011.
- ^ Cottrell Boyce, Frank (23 September 2008). "'We were the guinea pigs of punk'". The Guardian (London). Retrieved 1 December 2011.
- ^ Simpson, Dave (21 July 2011). "'Catalyst bands': What do you mean, you've never heard of them?". The Guardian (London). Retrieved 1 December 2011.


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Hotel Iyashinosato
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TripAdvisor Reviews Hotel Iyashinosato Tsuchiura
Travel Blogs from Tsuchiura
First Step in Japan.. Jejak Kaki pertama di Jepun
... than riding a bus. only sometimes the plane vibrate a liltle bit.
Upon reaching narita airport at 7:30 we walked about 1km i think to the arrival halls( yeps walking no aerotrain). My friends who goes to bali complain about his luggage got scratch( maybe they throw his luggage too hard) but in Msia and also japan not even a liltle line of scratch.. they handle our ...
After I arrived at Narita International Airport at 23:00, I stayed overnight in a couch of the airport. On the next day, I headed for Naritasan Shinshoji Temple. The temple is famous and popular among Japanese and I was eager to go some day. When I arrived at the temple, there were only few visitors in the temple. I felt a bit uncomfortable at first, but I enjoyed strolling in their quiet garden behind the temple ...
Last minute sushi
Welcome to Beijing! Nope! Still in Japan:/ Yesterday I left off Claudia at the train station in order to get her train to the airport...a few hours before that we had sushi for dinner and it was one of those conveyer belt sushi restaurants. We walked in, sat down and looked at each other..now what? How do we order? Surely we can't just take whatever we want off the conveyer belt, hour are they gonna know how much we need to pay? Hrm..I got up ...
Last day in Tokyo, bittersweet!
... stuff.i finally made it back to hotel, got my luggage and transporter picked me up at 1700. He took me to Hilton Narita for final night in Tokyo. After arrival checked in then showered changed clothes and went into town to shop, but not a whole lot available. I came back to hotel, spent several hours packing etc, and went to bed. ...
Funny... Saigon Doesn't Look As I Imagined
... she came scurrying back and told me to hurry up, that they had decided to board my flight after all. So it was out the door and back on the plane.
Unfortunately the delay caused me, & everyone else, to miss our connections in Tokyo so we ended up spending the night there. I must say, the Japs have their stuff together because we got off the plane in Tokyo and they had our next day's flight arrangements, hotel room, bus, and ...
Other places to stay in Tsuchiura
Bells' Inn Tsuchiura6-5 Yamatocho, Tsuchiura | Hotelfrom $58
Hotel Marroad Tsukuba2-24 Johokumachi, Tsuchiura | Hotelfrom $84
Toyoko Inn Tsuchiuraeki Higashiguchi1-3-17 Minato machi, Tsuchiura | Hotelfrom $84
Life Inn Tsuchiura Satation East1-5-5 Minatomachi, Tsuchiura | Hotelfrom $65
Hotel Alpha The Tsuchiura1-4-26 Minatomachi, Tsuchiura | Hotelfrom $75
Tsuchiura City Hotel1-15-13 Manabe, Tsuchiura | Hotelfrom $49
Business Hotel Season2-15 Nakakandatsumachi, Tsuchiura | Hotelfrom $71
Hotel Meiken1-11-2 Komatsu, Tsuchiura | Hotelfrom $40


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Knowing and understanding your benefits and costs can help you to make more informed health care decisions. This feature provides a personalized out-of-pocket estimate for many of the most common exams, tests, or procedures you may be discussing with your provider.
Because health care is tailored to you by your provider, costs may vary. These estimates are provided as a guide to help you plan for health care spending.*
This feature provides estimates only for Kaiser Permanente Northwest members. If you are not a NW member, authorized representative, or provider - or if your employer has chosen a self-funded plan - you may be unable to use this Web site.


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User talk:Edelafuente
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Have ton's of these to trade.
I would love to try some of your Queen Annes Pocket Melon for next years garden if you have some left. Would you consider SASE? Or I have some banana melon seeds 2005 I could trade you. LMK please, Trudyjean
I'm writing a news story on heirloom gardening in South Carolina, and I would love to talk to you about this topic. If you are willing to talk to me, please e-mail me at firstname.lastname@example.com.
Thank you!
would be interested in your melons. let me know where to send sase thank you lajo62
Hi, I just read about the "pocket melon." Do you still have any of these available? Thanks.
i have a lot of different squash seeds if you would like to trade. i also a bunch of flower and other veggies.
Do you have any left? If so, what might you be seeking in exchange? Do you do only heirlooms? If not, I could share some beautiful "Peaches and Cream" Hollyhocks????? I also have heirlooms-just let me know. Thanks, Stanette
would love some......what r u looking 4
I would love to have some of your Queen Ann pocket melons, if you have any. Just check my page and let me know. Thanks! Lisa easttexasgirl


text: Went there for traditional kerela meal called "sadya".Service was quick and food is good. Good value for money. Restaurant size is very small but you get authentic food.I havent tried any other dish or meal there but its dishes are reasonably priced. It was my 2nd visit and both times I had kerela... read more


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I believe in doing anything and everything to encourage and inspire my students to fall deeply in love with words! Each day we explore phonics, our spelling words {these follow a specific spelling pattern}, and sight words during word work time. This fall I finally updated and spiced up our word work activities by creating one of my favorite new word work resources. It's made changing out stations EASY...like print and go easy...and my students can't wait to work with them! Of course, we still also enjoy word building games, letter magnets, letter tiles, dry erase boards/markers, etc., but our new and improved word work tower is a BIT hit! It's where I organize 10 different word work stations every few weeks. There's something for everyone! Each station has a recording sheet to keep students accountable.
Download my word work tower labels <here>!
What kinds of activities are in the word work station tower? I'll let these pictures do the talking tonight...
Click HERE to download a few freebies!
If you are interested, these activities are in my TpT shop right here!
Thanks for the adorable button, Amy Lemons!
Teachers pay Teachers is having a site-wide sale tomorrow to show their appreciation for all the heroic acts that YOU do each and every day! My entire store will be 20% off, but you get an additional 10% off using the coupon code HEROES at check out!
"Not all SUPERHEROES have capes,
some have teaching degrees!"


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The Book of Blood
by Vicki Feaver
66pp, Cape, £9
Vicki Feaver's reputation far exceeds her output. This collection, which sees her shortlisted alongside Seamus Heaney for the 2006 Forward prize, is only her third in 25 years; it comes after a gap of more than a decade since her second collection (which itself followed 13 years after her debut, back in 1981). Fans of her distinctive brand of darkly domestic poetry have necessarily grown used to waiting; happily, with The Book of Blood, Feaver repays their patience with interest.
Those expecting an explosive return will, however, be disappointed. Feaver does not deal in spectacles; the scope of her poems lies in the density of their interiors, not their epic scale. The labour that has gone into this collection expresses itself as close work, visible in the lacy connections that weave across the surfaces of the poems, in the housekeeperly attention to technique that sees enjambment, internal rhyme and assonance sending ripples of meaning back and forth along the lines. The combination of technical dexterity, earthy subject matter (a zesty mix of the female, the familial and the mythic) and landscapes alive with flora and fauna alert us to the fact that, after a long absence, we are firmly in Feaver country once more.
In this collection, the richly suggestive "blood" of the title conjures a host of elemental ideas - reproduction and inheritance, womanhood, violence, passion - and thus acts as a lens through which Feaver is able to reconsider familiar territory. The colour red glows like a beacon through the poems, infusing flowers' petals, staining sheets after sex, darkening to opacity in a dream of a bull, who is tempted by a "bright scarlet" sweater into "meadows slippery / with thick black blood". The imagery throughout is unrepentantly Freudian; consider a poem entitled "The Gun", in which the weapon lies on the kitchen table, "polished wood stock / jutting over the edge", causing the marksman's eyes to gleam "like when sex was fresh". Blood blurs the line between sex and death, as in "The Sacrifice", a poem featuring a bull, in which two maidens lead the mesmerised animal in a highly sexualised dance that climaxes when they take a knife to its throat and the bull "swoons / into its edge, blood falling / in bright gobs on earth / where corn will sprout / green and gold".
Sexuality, particularly of the liminal, hazardous kind, is omnipresent here. Lovers are frequently equated with animals - a mythical association of the sexual and the transgressive that has its roots in fairytale archetypes, but which Feaver develops here. In "Bufo Bufo", for example, she takes the fable of the frog prince and forces its erotic undercurrent to the surface; the chaste and persuasive frog is replaced by a "moist and glistening" toad who crouches in silence in the "wet dark" of the speaker's cellar and "at night swells / to the size of a man". While this foregrounding of the story's sexual subtext substantially alters the texture of it, perhaps the most significant change is that which occurs in the balance of power between the characters. Where the frog coerces the ignorant princess into a relationship to obtain his freedom, Feaver's speaker is master of the situation, and the toad her "prisoner".
This method of reworking traditional stories to throw light on gender relations is one that Feaver returns to throughout the collection. Like the characters in Angela Carter's The Bloody Chamber - clearly a strong influence here - Feaver's unruly women are more than capable of taking aberrant pleasure in their actions. A modern-day Red Riding Hood rejoices in her "sizzling vermilion" lipstick and "ruby high heels", not caring that "Grandma said / it made me look like a tart"; Cinderella, meanwhile, loves her work, seeing herself as "an artist of the hearth". Feaver also lends a more sympathetic ear to the stories of mythically wicked women such as Medea (who dismembered her brother) and Blodeuwedd (the Welsh owl-goddess who conspired with her lover to murder her husband).
But she does not absolve them. Feaver permits Medea, for example, to tell her side of the story, but at the same time forces us to look her crimes in the face in a retelling so violent it is almost unreadable; her actions may be more understandable when we remember that she was love-drunk at the time, but they remain unforgivable. Nor do her feminist fairytale heroines meet with unproblematically happy endings: Red Riding Hood revels in her rebellion but ends up sunk in depression, dreaming "in black" like her mother before her; houseproud Cinderella prints "the shapes of grief" on to "fine linen sheets". Feaver's collection draws upon the mythic, but is fully attuned to real-world complexities; she doesn't attempt to offer us easy solutions in poetry, because in reality none exist. As a poet, she is better and wiser than that.


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PepperTree Inn Accommodation & Rooms
Conveniently near the airport, PepperTree Inn is in Beaverton (West Portland), close to Beaverton Civic Theatre, Beaverton History Center, and RedTail Golf Center. Also nearby are Cedar Hills Crossing and Washington Square Mall.
Property Features.
PepperTree Inn has an outdoor pool, a spa tub, and a children's pool. Complimentary wireless and wired high-speed Internet access is available in public areas. There is a business center on site. Guests are served a complimentary breakfast. The staff can provide tour/ticket assistance and wedding services. Additional amenities at this Art Deco property include multilingual staff, laundry facilities, and a garden. Complimentary self parking is available onsite for guests. The property may provide extended parking privileges to guests after check-out (surcharge). The property has designated areas for smoking.
Rooms open to patios. The 73 air-conditioned guestrooms at PepperTree Inn include coffee/tea makers and hair dryers. Guests can use the in-room complimentary wireless high-speed Internet access. Televisions are equipped with premium satellite channels. All accommodations provide desks and phones; free local calls are offered (restrictions may apply). Bathrooms offer shower/tub combinations and complimentary toiletries. All units feature microwaves and refrigerators. Additional amenities include irons/ironing boards and blackout drapes/curtains. Housekeeping is offered daily. Renovation of all guestrooms was completed in November 2013.
It's bare bones, but right for the price. Clean and cheap accommodations for a few nights…
Bedding ripped and needs to be replace. Pillow cases were stained, need to be thown out.…
Enter dates to check prices
Hotel Info: 800 1205131from S$76
- Standard Room, 1 King Bed
- Standard Room, 1 Queen Bed
- Standard Double Room, 2 Double Beds
- Standard Room, 1 Queen Bed, Accessible
Recommended hotels
At a glance
Key facts
Hotel size
- This hotel has 73 rooms
- This hotel is arranged over 2 floors
- Check-in time starts at 3 PM
- Check-out time is 11 AM
- Express check-in/out
Required at check in
- Credit card or cash deposit required
- Government-issued photo ID required
- Minimum check-in age is 18
Travelling with others
- Pets allowed *
Extra people
- Rollaway beds available, charges may apply*
- Free WiFi and wired Internet access in public areas
- Free WiFi in rooms
- Free self parking
- Accessible parking
- Extended parking
Other information
- Resort fee included
Nearby Two Star Beaverton hotels
In the hotel
- Free breakfast
- Free reception
- Coffee/tea in the lobby
- Outdoor pool
- Children's pool
- Free use of nearby fitness center
- Spa tub
- Bicycle rentals nearby
- Ecotours nearby
- Golf lessons available nearby
- Golfing nearby
- Hiking/biking trails nearby
- Mountain biking nearby
- Scooter/moped rentals nearby
- Business center
- 24-hour front desk
- Tours/ticket assistance
- Dry cleaning/laundry service
- Laundry facilities
- Wedding services
- Number of buildings/towers - 2
- Year Built 1996
- Safe-deposit box at front desk
- Designated smoking areas
- Garden
- Television in lobby
- Disabled parking
- Accessible path of travel
- Accessible bathroom
- In-room accessibility
In the room
- Air conditioning
- Coffee/tea maker
- Iron/ironing board
- Blackout drapes/curtains
- Premium bedding
- Patio
- Private bathroom
- Shower/tub combination
- Free toiletries
- Hair dryer
- Premium TV channels
- Desk
- Free WiFi
- Free local calls
- Refrigerator
- Microwave
- Daily housekeeping
- Access via exterior corridors
Top Beaverton hotels
Recently reviewed hotels in Beaverton
- Park Lane Suites and InnFrom
"This inn is located near to busy part of Portland where you access to quite a number of good restaurants. Front desk staff, Alex, is helpful and cheerful. I've a 2 bedroom suite…"Mar 3, 2015
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"It was as what we read in the review. Everything work out every good, in spite of our experiencing strong wind and snow for the first time in Portland."Nov 17, 2014
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"Small room but comfortable. Fantastic breakfast buffet. Great location for walking to Moda Center for Blazers game."Nov 5, 2014
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"The service and people make this hotel a good value for price. The hotel and neighborhood are just ok!"Oct 4, 2014
Nearby hotels
Special features
On Site
- Spa tub
- Bicycle rentals nearby
- Ecotours nearby
- Golf lessons available nearby
- Golfing nearby
- Hiking/biking trails nearby
- Mountain biking nearby
- Scooter/moped rentals nearby
PepperTree Inn Accommodation & Rooms's small print
Children under 15 years old are not allowed in the swimming pool, fitness facility, or spa tub without adult supervision.
This property does not have elevators.
Mandatory fees
The charges below are included in the total price displayed:
- Resort fee
Optional extras
Rollaway beds are available for USD 10 per night
Pets are allowed for an extra charge of USD 15 per stay
We have included all charges provided to us by this hotel. However, charges can vary, for example, based on length of stay or the room you book.


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Some Parole Requirements Could Be Increasing The Crime Rate
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Prisoners who are released invariably make it back to the areas where they came from. Does this have a positive or negative effect on crime? Research triggered by Hurricane Katrina offers insight.


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Johnny Depp To Play Jackson?
Johnny Depp is reportedly top of producers' list to play the late Michael Jackson in a new biopic.
Johnny Depp is being lined up to play Michael Jackson in a film about the Pop Idol's life.
Hollywood studios are reportedly considering asking the 'Public Enemies' actor to star in a new biopic about the 'Thriller' singer, who died of a suspected cardiac arrest in his Los Angeles home last week.
'Ray' star Jamie Foxx is also reportedly being considered to play the pop icon before his skin turned white.
An insider said: "There are a number of offers being drawn up with a variety of angles to tell Michael's incredible life story. Some involve using archive footage of Michael and his family and footage from his live shows.
"A couple would even have an actor cast to play Michael. Jamie Foxx has been mentioned, as has Johnny Depp. It all depends on how his family decide to honour him."
Despite the plans, Johnny insists he hasn't been approached about any Michael Jackson project.
He said: "No no no, I never ever thought of playing Michael Jackson in a film, I think if anyone should play Michael Jackson in a film it should've been Michael Jackson."