Monitoring a queue for a communication link

• US 20060239194A1
• Filed: 04/20/2005
• Published: 10/26/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Christopher L. Chapell
• Original Assignee: Christopher L. Chapell
• Inventors: Chapell, Christopher L.
• Application Number:
  US11/111,299
• Publication Number:
  US 20060239194A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/235
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/50 Queue scheduling

Abstract

To monitor a queue for a communication link includes monitoring available space in a virtual channel (VC) queue for a communication link. A comparison of the available space in the VC queue relative to another VC queue for the communication link is made. The comparison is communicated to an arbiter to modify a parameter for an arbitration scheme to change a utilization rate of the VC queue relative to the other VC queue.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

monitoring available space in a virtual channel (VC) queue for a communication link;

comparing the available space in the VC queue relative to another VC queue for the communication link; and

communicating the comparison to an arbiter to modify a parameter for an arbitration scheme to change a utilization rate of the VC queue relative to the other VC queue.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the VC queue comprises a VC receive queue for a device on a communication network, wherein the device receives data on the communication link from a link partner in the communication network.

3. A method according to claim 2, wherein available space comprises available space to receive the data into the VC receive queue.

4. A method according to claim 3, wherein the data is received by the device in compliance with a Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) Express standard.

5. A method according to claim 3, wherein the data is received by the device in compliance with an Advanced Switching (AS) standard.

6. A method according to claim 5, wherein the arbiter is for a protocol interface (PI) processing element, the PI processing element responsive to the device.

7. A method according to claim 5, wherein monitoring available space in the VC receive queue comprises reading flow control credit data link layer packets transmitted between the device and the link partner.

8. A method according to claim 1, wherein the VC queue comprises a VC transmit queue for a device on a communication network, wherein the device forwards data on the communication link to a link partner in the communication network.

9. A method according to claim 8, wherein available space comprises available space to receive the data into the VC transmit queue.

10. A method according to claim 8, wherein the data is forwarded by the device in compliance with an Advanced Switching (AS) standard.

11. A method according to claim 8, wherein monitoring available space in the VC transmit queue comprises reading an AS route header associated with the data forwarded through the VC transmit queue.

12. A method according to claim 1, wherein the arbitration scheme comprises a weighted round robin arbitration scheme.

13. A method comprising:

monitoring available space in a virtual channel (VC) receive queue for a point-to-point communication link for a device operating in compliance with an Advanced Switching (AS) standard, wherein the device receives data on the point-to-point communication link from a link partner in a communication network;

comparing the available space in the VC receive queue relative to another VC receive queue for the point-to-point communication link; and

communicating the comparison to an arbiter for a protocol interface (PI) processing element responsive to the device, wherein the arbiter modifies one or more parameters for a weighted round robin arbitration scheme based on the comparison, the modification to change a utilization rate of the VC receive queue by the PI processing element relative to the other VC receive queue.

14. A method according to claim 13, wherein monitoring available space in the VC receive queue comprises reading flow control credit data link layer packets transmitted between the device and the link partner.

15. A method according to claim 14, wherein the PI processing element comprises a PI processing element to facilitate transportation services to include segmentation and reassembly of the data received by the device on the communication link.

16. An apparatus comprising:

a capacity manager to monitor available space in a virtual channel (VC) queue for a communication link, compare the available space to available space in another VC queue for the communication link and communicate the comparison to an arbiter, wherein the arbiter modifies a parameter for an arbitration scheme to change a utilization rate of the VC queue relative to the other VC queue based on the comparison.

17. An apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the VC queue comprises a VC receive queue for a device on a communication network, wherein the device receives data on the communication link from a link partner in the communication network.

18. An apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the data is received by the device in compliance with an Advanced Switching (AS) standard.

19. An apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the processing element comprises a protocol interface processing element responsive to the device.

20. An apparatus according to claim 18, wherein to monitor available space in the VC receive queue comprises the capacity manager to read flow control data link layer packets transmitted between the device and the link partner.

21. An apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the VC queue comprises a VC transmit queue for a device on a communication network, wherein the device forwards data on the communication link to a link partner in the communication network.

22. An apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the data is forwarded by the device in compliance with an Advanced Switching (AS) standard.

23. An apparatus according to claim 22, wherein monitoring available space in the VC transmit queue comprises reading at least a portion of an AS route header, the AS route header associated with a transaction layer packet forwarded through the VC transmit queue.

24. An apparatus according to claim 16, the apparatus further comprising:

a memory to store executable content; and

a control logic, communicatively coupled with the memory, to execute the executable content, to implement an instance of the capacity manager.

25. A system comprising:

a device on a communication link;

a processing element responsive to the device, the processing element including an arbiter;

dynamic random access memory (DRAM) responsive to the device, the DRAM including virtual channel (VC) receive queues for a communication link;

a capacity manager to monitor available space in one of the VC receive queues, compare the available space to available space in another of the VC receive queues and communicate the comparison to the arbiter to modify a parameter for an arbitration scheme, the modification to change a utilization rate of the one VC receive queue by the processing element relative to the other VC receive queue.

26. A system according to claim 25, wherein the device receives data on the communication link from a link partner, the data received by the device in compliance with an Advanced Switching (AS) standard.

27. A system according to claim 26, wherein the processing element comprises a protocol interface processing element to facilitate transportation services to include segmentation and reassembly of the data received by the device on the communication link.

28. A machine-accessible medium comprising content, which, when executed by a machine causes the machine to:

monitor available space in a virtual channel (VC) queue for a communication link;

compare the available space in the VC queue relative to another VC queue for the communication link; and

communicate the comparison to an arbiter to modify a parameter for an arbitration scheme to change a utilization rate of the VC queue relative to the other VC queue.

29. A machine-accessible medium according to claim 28, wherein the VC queue comprises a VC receive queue for a device on a communication network, wherein the device receives data on the communication link from a link partner in the communication network.

30. A machine-accessible medium according to claim 28, wherein the VC queue comprises a VC transmit queue for a device on a communication network, wherein the device forwards data on the communication link to a link partner in the communication network.