System and method for controlling data transmission between network elements
First Claim
1. In a computer network, a method for optimizing a transmission of data from a first network element having a first flag to a second network element having a receiving buffer and a second flag, comprising the steps of:
- (a) initializing the first flag to an initial value in response to the computer network being initialized;
(b) modifying the initial value of the first flag to a first value if the receiving buffer being available to receive data;
(c) transmitting data from said first network element to said second network element in response to the value of said first flag being equal to the first value;
(d) setting the first flag to a second value indicating that the receiving buffer is in a full state and is not available to receive data from a first network element independent of when the receiving buffer actually receives the data;
(e) receiving the data in the receiving buffer;
(f) setting the second flag to said first value in response to the receiving buffer having received the data and the receiving buffer is available to receive data;
(g) generating a control signal having a value equal to the value of the second flag;
(h) transmitting said control signal from said second network element to said first network element; and
(i) setting the first flag equal to the value of said control signal.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A system and method for controlling data transmission between two network elements. A first port of a transmitting element is coupled to a second port of a receiving element. The second port includes buffers for temporarily storing received data until the data can be sent to another element. Included in the transmitting element are a received-currently-full register (RCFR), a sent-and-not-received register (SANRR), and a buffer-busy register (BBR). The transmitting element checks its BBR to determine if a buffer in the receiving element is available. The availability of buffers can be determined using a single priority protocol or a multiple priority protocol. If a buffer is available, the transmitting element transmits a data frame to the receiving element and sets the SANRR and the BBR to indicate that a frame has been sent (and that no acknowledgment has been received), that the selected buffer in the receiver is full, and that no additional data frames are to be sent to this buffer until the buffer is empty. When data is received by the receiving element, it is sent to an available buffer. When the data is received by the buffer, the receiving element sets a bit in a currently-full register (CFR) and a bit in a next-message-to-send register (NMTSR). A control signal is transmitted by the data receiving element on the same signal line as data that is being sent from the data receiving element to the data transmitting element. The data receiving element can multiplex the frames being sent in this direction with the control signal. When the transmitting element receives the control signal, it resets a bit associated with a buffer in the SANRR if the bit is set in the SANRR and if the associated bit in the NMTSR portion of the control signal is set.
55 Citations
28 Claims
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1. In a computer network, a method for optimizing a transmission of data from a first network element having a first flag to a second network element having a receiving buffer and a second flag, comprising the steps of:
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(a) initializing the first flag to an initial value in response to the computer network being initialized; (b) modifying the initial value of the first flag to a first value if the receiving buffer being available to receive data; (c) transmitting data from said first network element to said second network element in response to the value of said first flag being equal to the first value; (d) setting the first flag to a second value indicating that the receiving buffer is in a full state and is not available to receive data from a first network element independent of when the receiving buffer actually receives the data; (e) receiving the data in the receiving buffer; (f) setting the second flag to said first value in response to the receiving buffer having received the data and the receiving buffer is available to receive data; (g) generating a control signal having a value equal to the value of the second flag; (h) transmitting said control signal from said second network element to said first network element; and (i) setting the first flag equal to the value of said control signal. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A method for optimizing a transmission of data from a first network element having a first flag to a second network element having a receiving buffer and a second flag, in a computer network, comprising the steps of:
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(a) initializing the first flag to an initial value in response to the computer network being initialized; (b) modifying the initial value of the first flag to a first value if the receiving buffer being available to receive data; (c) transmitting data from said first network element to said second network element in response to said first flag being equal to a first value indicating that said receiving buffer is available to receive data; (d) setting the first flag to a second value indicating that the receiving buffer is in a full state and is not available to receive data from said first network element independent of when the receiving buffer actually receives the data; (e) receiving the data in the receiving buffer; (f) setting the second flag to said second value in response to the receiving buffer having received the data; (g) generating a control signal having a value equal to the value of the second flag; (h) transmitting said control signal from said second network element to said first network element; (i) setting the first flag equal to the value of said control signal; (j) setting the second flag to said first value in response to the second flag being equal to said second value and the buffer is available to receive data; (k) generating said control signal having a value equal to the value of the second flag; (l) transmitting said control signal from said second network element to said first network element; and (m) setting the first flag equal to the value of said control signal. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A system for optimizing a transmission of data in a computer network, the system comprising:
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a first network element having a first flag; and a second network element, coupled to said first network element, having a receiving buffer and a second flag; wherein said first network element includes; a first transmitting unit for transmitting data from said first network element if a value of said first flag is equal to a first value indicating that said receiving buffer is available to receive data; and a first buffer status unit, coupled to said first transmitting unit, for setting said first flag to one of a second value after data is transmitted from the first network element thereby indicating that the receiving buffer is in a full state and is not available to receive data from the first network element independent of when the receiving buffer actually receives the data and a first value thereby indicating that the receiving buffer is available to receive data; and wherein said second network element includes; a receiving element, coupled to said first transmitting unit, for receiving the data transmitted from the first network element; a second buffer status unit, coupled to said receiving buffer and coupled to said receiving element, for setting the second flag to said first value if the receiving buffer has received the data and the receiving buffer is available to receive data; a control signal generator, coupled to said second buffer status unit, for generating a control signal having a value equal to the value of the second flag; and a second transmitting unit, coupled to said control signal generator, for transmitting said control signal from said second network element to said first network element. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21)
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22. A method for optimizing a transmission of data from a first network element having a first flag to a second network element having a receiving buffer and a second flag, in a computer network, comprising the steps of:
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(a) initializing the first flag to an initial value in response to the computer network being initialized; (b) modifying the initial value of the first flag to a first value if the receiving buffer being available to receive data; (c) determining if a value of the first flag is equal to a first value indicating that said receiving buffer is available to receive data; (d) transmitting data from said first network element to said second network element if said value of the first flag is equal to said first value; (e) setting the first flag in said first network to a second value indicating that the receiving buffer is in a full state and is not available to receive additional data from said first network element independent of when the receiving buffer actually receives the data; (f) receiving the data in the receiving buffer; (g) setting the second flag to a third value if the receiving buffer has received the data and the receiving buffer is available to receive data; (h) setting the second flag to a fourth value if one of the receiving buffer has not received the data and the receiving buffer is not available to receive data; (i) generating a control signal, said control signal including the value of the second flag; (j) transmitting said control signal from said second network element to said first network element; and (k) setting the first flag to a value based upon the value of said control signal. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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Specification