Electrical computers and digital data processing systems: input/ – Intrasystem connection – Bus expansion or extension
Reexamination Certificate
1999-10-29
2004-06-08
Park, Ilwoo (Department: 2182)
Electrical computers and digital data processing systems: input/
Intrasystem connection
Bus expansion or extension
C710S301000, C710S306000, C710S305000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06748473
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention pertains to computer networks and management thereof.
RELATED ART AND OTHER CONSIDERATIONS
Currently there are essentially three paradigms for computer network architecture. In a first paradigm, illustrated in
FIG. 1A
, a network
20
A has plural client workstations or desktop systems
22
A connected to a pool of servers (e.g., data base server
24
A, file server
26
A, and printer server
28
A) and a router
30
A. Typically the desktop systems
22
A are connected to the servers and router by an appropriate cabling, e.g., a category 5 unshielded twisted pair
32
A. Printer server
28
A is connected to one or more printers
36
A; router
30
A is connected through an appropriate gateway or the like to the Internet
38
. The servers and routers are traditionally located in a different location from the desktop systems
22
A, e.g., in a data center which may be in a different room, in different part of a building, in a differing building, or even in a different geographical area than the client workstations.
The computer network paradigm of
FIG. 1A
has been characterized as employing “fat client technology”. Such characterization indicates that resources are provided at desktop systems
22
A to perform the operations of executing application programs, maintaining user configurations, and maintaining application program configurations. The measure of “fatness” is how much of an application program actually executes at the ultimate user's workstation. According to industry analysts, fatness increases the total cost of ownership of the network. In this regard, a significant component of the total cost of ownership is the maintenance required to keep the client workstation running. For example, in order to perform activities such as upgrades and the like, network administrators usually require access to each client workstation. Such access is not necessarily convenient for large networks having desktop systems considerably remote from the administrator's premises.
A second network paradigm is exemplified by network
20
B of FIG.
1
B. Network
20
B includes plural terminals
23
B, known as “Windows Terminals”, which are connected to a multi-user server
24
B. The server
24
B is connected via router
30
B to the Internet
38
, and interfaces with printers
36
B. Each of the terminals
23
B is connected by cabling
32
B to server
24
B, with cabling
32
B again being (for example) a category 5 unshielded twisted pair
32
B. Network
20
B is an example of “thin client technology” in that the equipment provided at the desk (e.g., a personal computer) does not perform general purpose functions, but instead acts as a terminal to the server. That is, in network
20
B, it is the server that that executes applications, maintains user configurations, and maintains application program configurations. Since the server performs these operations, keystrokes and mouse input received at the terminals are transmitted over the network to the server where, e.g., the application program executes. The execution at the server results in screen displays, etc., which are transmitted back over the network to the terminals.
The “thin client” network
20
B of
FIG. 1B
puts a lean but powerful client computer on the desktop, e.g., a computer with relatively high-end processing power and memory, but with limited peripherals and limited user control of the boot process and operating environment. Since the network administrator has direct access to user configurations, etc., the “thin client technology” typified by network
20
B of
FIG. 1B
makes it easier for the network administrator to upgrade, e.g., application programs, and to change user configurations. Moreover, the “thin client technology” lowers the cost of equipment and the cost of maintenance of resources at the desktop.
A third paradigm, known as the “lean client technology”, provides an intermediate compromise between the fat client and thin client technologies. An example of a lean client network
20
C is illustrated in
FIG. 1C
as including network personal computers (NetPCs)
22
C connected to a pool of application/user configuration servers
24
C and router
30
C over cabling
32
C (e.g., a category 5 unshielded twisted pair
32
C). In lean client network
20
C, the personal computers (NetPCs)
22
C execute the applications programs, but the application/user configuration servers
24
C are employed to maintain user configurations and application configurations. The applications programs are maintained at the application/user configuration servers
24
C and downloaded as needed to the personal computers (NetPCs)
22
C for execution at the personal computers (NetPCs)
22
C.
Concerning computers per se, the PCI expansion bus is a current means for adding hardware to a present day personal computer (PC). The PCI expansion bus is typically realized by expansion slots, which are usually mounted on the motherboard of the computer. Current designs use the PCI-bridge technology to support multiple three-slot PCI buses on a system.
It has been known in the prior art to divide a computer into two components, but such division has heretofore occurred at a video card. Nor has the video card-based computer division addressed the networking concerns such as total cost ownership, for example.
Whereas the thin and lean technologies depend upon new applications that run on servers or get downloaded, and it can be difficult to change to these type of applications. What is needed therefore, and an object of the present invention, is a computer which affords centralized management using as much existing software and hardware as possible.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A split computer comprises a main module remotely connected by external PCI bus to a input/output (I/O) or extension module. The main module comprises a processor and an external PCI bus first interface. The input/output (I/O) module comprises one or more input and/or output device controllers and an external PCI bus second interface. The external PCI bus connects the external bus first interface of the main module with the external bus second interface of the input/output (I/O) module. The main module executes application programs, maintains user configurations, and maintains application configurations. Yet since the main module is located remotely, e.g., at a data center, the both security and centralized management are realized using existing hardware and software. The input/output (I/O) module has a relative small footprint and primarily performs input and output operations.
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“Digital Semiconductor 21152 PCI-To-PCI Bridge, Data Sheet”, Feb. 1996, Digital Equipment Corporation, Maynard, Mass.
“PCI Local Bus Specification, Revision 2.1”, Jun. 1995, The PCI Special Interest Group, Portland, Oregon.
Mobility Electronics, Inc. Brochure for PCI Split Bridge, Scottsdale, AZ, ©1999.
Asprey Robert R.
Choun Jeffrey E.
Luterman Greg
O'Bryant Greg
Shatas Remigius G.
Avocent Huntsville Corporation
Davidson Berquist Klima & Jackson LLP
Park Ilwoo
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