Using an index and count mechanism to coordinate access to a sha

Details Using an index and count mechanism to coordinate access to a sha Using an index and count mechanism to coordinate access to a sha

1997-12-17

2000-05-30

Geckil, Mehmet B.

Electrical computers and digital processing systems: multicomput

Computer-to-computer session/connection establishing

Network resources access controlling

709213, 710 28, 710 34, 710 36, G06F 1516

Patent

active

060701943

ABSTRACT:
Th present invention coordinates access to a shared resource, comprised of a plurality of segments, between a first device and a second device using an index and count mechanism. The present invention includes a respective descriptor, for each of the plurality of segments. Entries to the respective descriptors of the segments are maintained by the first device to inform the second device of activity between the first device and the shared resource. The present invention also includes a descriptor queue register, coupled to the first device and the second device. The first device writes an index into the descriptor queue register for indicating a starting descriptor of a corresponding segment that is available to the second device for access. The first device also writes a count into the descriptor queue register for indicating a subsequent number of descriptors, from the starting descriptor, of any corresponding segments that are available to the second device for access. By thus using this index and count mechanism, the second device does not poll the descriptors to determine any available segments within the shared resource thereby substantially eliminating bandwidth, delay, and data processing overhead associated with the polling process of the prior art. The present invention can be used to particular advantage when the first device is a CPU of a computer host system having a shared memory which is the shared resource and when the second device is a computer network peripheral device that couples the computer host system to a network of computers.

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