System and method for multi-frame received queuing with sorting in an asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) system
First Claim
1. An information system including a system processor with memory and an adapter for receiving data cells and reassembling the cells into sorted prioritized frames in system memory whereby the system can process information at the frame level comprising:
- means for supplying to the adapter virtual circuit control information including prioritized frame sort information for a plurality of data sources;
means for receiving and sorting cells into partially completed ATM frames in a first area of the system memory according to the virtual circuit control information;
means for determining when an end of frame indication is received in a cell;
means for linking completed frames onto one of a plurality of received ready lists in a second separate area of the system memory according to a priority of the list;
means for updating a pointer in the system memory for a prioritized completed frame list through a most recently completed frame; and
means for serving the data sources with frames according to the highest priority data source.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An ATM information system processes information at the frame level using a processor including a device driver; a system memory and an adapter for sorting data cells into partially completed frames stored in the system memory using control information provided by the device driver. A controller in the adapter determines when an end of frame indication is received in a cell and updates a pointer in system memory for a completed frame list to a recently completed frame. The device driver processes frames in a completed frame list according a priority of the list. The device driver processing is independent of the sorting and storing of completed frames received in the system memory which improves the performance of the driver and the ability to handle delay sensitive traffic.
33 Citations
18 Claims
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1. An information system including a system processor with memory and an adapter for receiving data cells and reassembling the cells into sorted prioritized frames in system memory whereby the system can process information at the frame level comprising:
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means for supplying to the adapter virtual circuit control information including prioritized frame sort information for a plurality of data sources; means for receiving and sorting cells into partially completed ATM frames in a first area of the system memory according to the virtual circuit control information; means for determining when an end of frame indication is received in a cell; means for linking completed frames onto one of a plurality of received ready lists in a second separate area of the system memory according to a priority of the list; means for updating a pointer in the system memory for a prioritized completed frame list through a most recently completed frame; and means for serving the data sources with frames according to the highest priority data source. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. An ATM information system for processing and prioritizing data at the frame level comprising:
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a system processor and a system memory an adapter for receiving data cells from an ATM unit and sorting the data cells into partially completed ATM frames for storage in a first area of the system memory; said adapter including further means providing control information to a controller for linking completed ATM frames on one of a plurality of prioritized received ready lists for storage in a second separate area of the system memory according to a priority of a data source supplying the data cells; said controller means further responsive to the control information to obtain a pointer to most recently completed ATM frame for each prioritized received ready list; and means for generating an interrupt when a frame has been added to a received ready list notifying the system processor for processing data at the frame level.
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10. The information system of claim further including means for exchanging virtual circuit information with the controller.
- 11. The information system of claim wherein the controller controls a cell buffer to capture data cells for transfer to the system memory.
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16. In an ATM information system including a system processor having a device driver and a system memory coupled to an adapter including a cell buffer, a frame controller, a virtual circuit control information register and an interrupt register, a method for processing data cells onto prioritized frame levels comprising the steps of;
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a) writing virtual circuit control information into the virtual circuit control register using the device driver to indicate one of a plurality of prioritized receive ready lists for linking completed frames in system memory; b) monitoring the data cells from a communication network for processing by the system;
a "no" condition continuing the monitoring of the network;
a "yes" condition moving the data cell from the network into the cell buffer;c) transferring the data cell from the cell buffer across a system interface into a partially completed frames storage area in the system memory using the frame controller; d) monitoring the cell buffer for an end of frame indication in a data cell;
a "no" condition repeating steps a, b, and c;
a "yes" condition activating the frame controller to read virtual circuit control information to determine one of the prioritized received ready list to link completed frames;e) linking completed ATM frames in a completed frame storage area in the system memory to the most recently prioritized received ready list system address specified by the virtual circuit control information using the frame controller; f) updating the virtual circuit control information with a completed frame system memory address using the frame controller; and g) notifying the device driver by setting a appropriate received ready list interrupt for completed frames using the frame controller to activate the interrupt register. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18)
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Specification