System and method for sharing resources of a host computer among a plurality of remote computers
First Claim
1. A high speed digital communication system for linking a first digital processor connected to a first bus and a second digital processor connected to a second bus, the system comprising:
- first port means for presenting digital data in a parallel configuration;
first control means for conveying digital data between the first bus and the first port means;
second port means for presenting digital data in a parallel configuration;
memory means for receiving all digital data presented to the second port means destined for the first digital processor and for receiving all data presented on the first bus destined for the second digital processor;
second control means for directing flow of designated data among the second port means, the memory means, and the second bus; and
interconnecting means for establishing a parallel digital communication path between the first port means and the second port means for rapidly transferring digital data between the first bus and the second bus to permit high speed communication between the first and second digital processors.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system for providing a high speed digital communication path between the processor of a host computer and the processors of one or more remote computers. The high speed digital communication path allows a remote computer to efficiently share the resources of the larger host computer such as high speed magnetic disk drives and printers. A host interface located at the host computer is connected to the internal host bus of the host computer. The host interface includes a host port and components which provide for the transfer of data from the host bus to the host port. The data bits presented at the host port are arranged in a parallel format. A communication cable conveys the parallel data bits from the host port to a remote port in a remote interface at a remote computer. The remote interface provides a random access memory and components for transferring data from the remote bus to the random access memory and vice-versa. Data bits presented at the remote port are also conveyed to the random access memory. The host interface and the remote interface include control structures to supervise and arbitrate accesses to the communication cable and to the random access memory.
45 Citations
43 Claims
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1. A high speed digital communication system for linking a first digital processor connected to a first bus and a second digital processor connected to a second bus, the system comprising:
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first port means for presenting digital data in a parallel configuration; first control means for conveying digital data between the first bus and the first port means; second port means for presenting digital data in a parallel configuration; memory means for receiving all digital data presented to the second port means destined for the first digital processor and for receiving all data presented on the first bus destined for the second digital processor; second control means for directing flow of designated data among the second port means, the memory means, and the second bus; and interconnecting means for establishing a parallel digital communication path between the first port means and the second port means for rapidly transferring digital data between the first bus and the second bus to permit high speed communication between the first and second digital processors. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. An interprocessor communication system for establishing a communication path between at least one remote processor connected to a remote bus in a remote computer and a host processor connected to a host bus in a host computer, the communication system comprising:
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means for providing at least one host data port at the host computer, the host data port comprising a plurality of data transfer lines arranged in a parallel configuration; means for establishing a digital communication path between the host bus and the means for providing at least one host data port; means for providing a remote data port at the remote processor, the remote data port comprising a plurality of data transfer lines arranged in a parallel configuration; means for storing digital data received from and destined for the means for providing a remote data port; first means for transferring data between the remote bus and the means for storing; second means for transferring data between the means for storing and the means for providing a remote data port; and means for interconnecting the means for providing a host data port and the means for providing a remote data port to create a parallel data path therebetween and to provide for bidirectional data flow between the host bus and the remote bus for high speed exchange of digital data between the host processor and the remote processor. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
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33. A system for allowing resources of a host computer to be shared with a remote computer, the system comprising:
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remote port means at the remote computer for receiving and transmitting digital data in a parallel configuration; memory means at the remote computer for temporarily storing digital data received from and destined to the remote port means; remote computer control means for (a) controlling the passage of digital data between the memory means and the remote port means, and for (b) controlling passage of digital data between the memory means and an internal bus of the remote computer; host port means at the host computer for receiving and transmitting digital data in a parallel configuration; control means for controlling passage of digital data between the host port means and an internal bus of the host computer; and cable means for interconnecting the remote port means and the host port means for rapidly transferring digital data between said internal bus of the host computer and said internal bus of the remote computer, the cable means bidirectionally transmitting digital data in a parallel configuration.
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34. A system for exchanging digital data between internal structures of a larger host computer and a plurality of remote computers, the system comprising:
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(a) a host computer interface comprising; (i) a plurality of host ports, each of the host ports configured to transmit and receive digital data in a parallel mode; (ii) a host address circuit for directing data contained on the bus of a host computer to said addressed host ports; and (iii) a multiplexing circuit for sequentially passing a portion of address and digital data presented on said bus of the host computer to the host port; (b) a remote computer interface at each remote computer, each remote computer interface comprising; (i) a remote port configured to transmit and receive digital data in a parallel mode; (ii) a random access memory connected to the remote port for temporary storage of the data directed to and received from the remote port; and (iii) control and address circuits for controlling transfer of digital data between a remote bus and the random access memory by allowing data placed on said remote bus of the remote computers to address the random access memory; and (c) a communication cable connected between said plurality of host ports and the remote port in a parallel configuration for communicating digital data presented at one of said host ports or the remote port and thereafter communicating said digital data to the other port, the communication cable comprising a plurality of pairs of conductors, each pair of conductors conveying one data bit of a byte of digital data presented at the host computer at the remote port.
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35. A method for communicating digital data between a host computer and at least one remote computer, the method comprising the steps of:
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conveying the digital data from a bus of the host computer to a host port, the digital data being presented in a parallel configuration at the host port; communicating in a parallel configuration to a remote port located at the remote computer the digital data presented at the host port; storing the digital data communicated to the remote port; interrupting the remote computer to request access to a bus of the remote computer; and transferring the stored digital data to the bus of the remote computer, thereby establishing a high speed communication path between the bus of the host computer and the bus of the remote computer. - View Dependent Claims (36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43)
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Specification