Method for transferring information between main store and input output bus units via a sequence of asynchronous bus and two synchronous buses
First Claim
1. A method of performing a data storage operation in a main data store over a plurality of buses, said plurality including a first asynchronous bus interconnecting one or more Input/Output Bus Units (IOBUs) and a first Input/Output Interface Controller (IOIC), a second synchronous bus interconnecting said first IOIC and one or more additional IOICs and a storage controller, and a third synchronous bus interconnecting said storage controller and said main data store, said first asynchronous bus including a first address/data bus, a command/status bus, an origin/destination bus, and a handshaking line group, said second synchronous bus including a second address/data bus, a key/status bus and a control line group, said third synchronous bus including a third address/data bus and a storage control bus, said method comprising the unordered steps of:
- (a) arbitrating a request from a first said IOBU or said first IOIC for control of said first asynchronous bus;
(b) transferring information on said first asynchronous bus between said first IOBU and said first IOIC by exchanging asynchronous handshaking signals via said handshaking line group,a first part of said information being transferred between said first IOBU and said first IOIC via said first address/data bus,a second part of said information being transferred between said first IOBU and said first IOIC via said command/status bus, anda third part of said information being transferred between said first IOBU and said first IOIC via said origin/destination bus;
(c) storing said first and said third parts of said information in said first IOIC;
(d) arbitrating a request from said first IOIC or said main data store for control of said second and third synchronous buses;
(e) transferring information on said second synchronous bus between said first IOIC and said storage controller in response to clock signals from said second synchronous bus,said first part of said information being transferred between said first IOIC and said storage controller via said second address/data bus; and
(f) transferring information on said third synchronous bus between said storage controller and said main data store in response to clock signals from said third synchronous bus,said first part of said information being transferred between said storage controller and said main data store via said third address/data bus.
0 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
In a data processing system, an input output bus unit (IOBU) is connected one end of an input output interface controller (IOIC) via an asynchronous bus. The other end of the IOIC is connected to a storage controller (SC) and an input output interface unit (IOIU) via a synchronous bus. The SC and IOIU are connected to a memory unit and an instruction processing unit. The asynchronous bus, which is comprised of three sub-buses and a control bus, conducts signals between the IOIC and an IOBU in an asynchronous handshaking manner. The synchronous bus, which is comprised of two sub-buses and a control bus, conducts signals between the IOIC and the SC/IOIU in an synchronous manner. The IOIC, interconnected between the synchronous bus and asynchronous bus, functions as a buffer between the faster synchronous bus and the slower asynchronous bus. Various operations are performed between an IOBU and the memory unit via the asynchronous bus, IOIC, synchronous bus, message acceptance operation.
65 Citations
13 Claims
-
1. A method of performing a data storage operation in a main data store over a plurality of buses, said plurality including a first asynchronous bus interconnecting one or more Input/Output Bus Units (IOBUs) and a first Input/Output Interface Controller (IOIC), a second synchronous bus interconnecting said first IOIC and one or more additional IOICs and a storage controller, and a third synchronous bus interconnecting said storage controller and said main data store, said first asynchronous bus including a first address/data bus, a command/status bus, an origin/destination bus, and a handshaking line group, said second synchronous bus including a second address/data bus, a key/status bus and a control line group, said third synchronous bus including a third address/data bus and a storage control bus, said method comprising the unordered steps of:
-
(a) arbitrating a request from a first said IOBU or said first IOIC for control of said first asynchronous bus; (b) transferring information on said first asynchronous bus between said first IOBU and said first IOIC by exchanging asynchronous handshaking signals via said handshaking line group, a first part of said information being transferred between said first IOBU and said first IOIC via said first address/data bus, a second part of said information being transferred between said first IOBU and said first IOIC via said command/status bus, and a third part of said information being transferred between said first IOBU and said first IOIC via said origin/destination bus; (c) storing said first and said third parts of said information in said first IOIC; (d) arbitrating a request from said first IOIC or said main data store for control of said second and third synchronous buses; (e) transferring information on said second synchronous bus between said first IOIC and said storage controller in response to clock signals from said second synchronous bus, said first part of said information being transferred between said first IOIC and said storage controller via said second address/data bus; and (f) transferring information on said third synchronous bus between said storage controller and said main data store in response to clock signals from said third synchronous bus, said first part of said information being transferred between said storage controller and said main data store via said third address/data bus. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
-
Specification
-
- Resources
-
Current AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation
-
Original AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation
-
InventorsLiu, Roy Y., Malmquist, Carl A., Wilson, John D., Nelson, John M., Kelley, Richard A., Bourke, Donall G., Perkins, Charles B. Jr., Schwermer, Hartmut R., Float, Gregory D., Place, Richard L., Chisholm, Douglas R.
-
Primary Examiner(s)Lee, Thomas C.
-
Application NumberUS07/351,181Time in Patent Office1,700 DaysField of Search364/200, 395/325, 395/250, 395/500US Class Current710/105CPC Class CodesG06F 13/405 where the bridge performs a...
