Direct coupling for data transfers

• US 6,032,191 A
• Filed: 10/28/1997
• Issued: 02/29/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Permezel, Damon Anton, Russell, Lance Warren, Day, Michael Norman, Chowdhury, Shyamal
• Primary Examiner(s): Maung, Zarni
• Application Number:
  US08/958,823
• Time in Patent Office: 854 Days
• Field of Search: 709/238, 709/220, 709/229, 709/226, 709/232
• US Class Current: 709/238
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/544 Buffers; Shared memory; Pipes

Abstract

A method and implementing apparatus is provided for transferring data from a first device to a second device through a system coupling call. The coupling methodology is implemented to effect a direct coupling between a data producing device and a data receiving device such that data transfers between devices is passed more directly between devices with only minimal copying of the data during the transfer process. The coupling subsystem enables the construction of coupling modules which provide services and afford the opportunity to optimize the transference of data between two devices and permit the dynamic construction of coupling modules to provide coupling service between any pair of devices. In one example, video calls have been created to interface within the new data coupling environment.

Claims

1. A method for directly coupling first and second devices together in a computer environment, said first and second devices having first and second file types, respectively, associated therewith, said method comprising:

creating a data transfer requirement by an originating device;

recognizing said data transfer requirement for transferring data between said first and second devices;

getting file types for first and second devices;

creating a transfer service for said first and second devices, said service being based upon said file types for said first and second devices, and

transferring data directly between said first device and said second device without intermediate buffering, said transfer being accomplished using said created transfer service.

2. The method as set forth in claim 1, and further including:

getting file descriptors for said first and second devices after said recognizing.

3. The method as set forth in claim 2 and further including:

returning a new file descriptor for said transfer service after said creating.

4. The method as set forth in claim 3 wherein said new file descriptor is based upon said file types for said first and second devices.

5. The method as set forth in claim 4, and further including:

closing said first and second file descriptors after said returning.

6. The method as set forth in claim 3, and further including:

closing said first and second file descriptors after said returning.

7. The method as set forth in claim 1 and further including:

returning a new file descriptor for said transfer service after said creating.

8. The method as set forth in claim 7 wherein said new file descriptor is based upon said file types for said first and second devices.

9. The method as set forth in claim 8, and further including:

closing said first and second file descriptors after said returning.

10. The method as set forth in claim 7, and further including:

closing said first and second file descriptors after said returning.

11. The method as set forth in claim 1 and further including:

recognizing a start request; and

starting a data transfer operation in response to said start request.

12. The method as set forth in claim 1 and further including:

recognizing a stop request; and

stopping a data transfer operation in response to said stop request.

13. The method as set forth in claim 1 and further including:

recognizing a synchronize request; and

permitting a thread to synchronize with pending operations in response to said synchronize request.

14. The method as set forth in claim 1 and further including:

recognizing a queuing request; and

queuing up a file to be transferred in response to said queuing request.

15. The method as set forth in claim 1 and further including:

recognizing a pause request; and

effecting a pause in a program operation in response to said pause request.

16. The method as set forth in claim 1 and further including:

recognizing a resume request; and

resuming a paused program operation in response to said resume request.

17. The method as set forth in claim 1 and further including:

recognizing a seek request; and

seeking to a predetermined offset in response to said seek request.

18. The method as set forth in claim 1 and further including:

recognizing a statistics request; and

providing program statistics in response to said statistics request.

19. The method as set forth in claim 1 and further including:

recognizing an alert request; and

effecting a program alert condition for a predetermined offset in response to said alert request.

20. The method as set forth in claim 1 and further including:

recognizing a select request; and

permitting one thread to synchronize with many couplings in one blocking call.

21. The method as set forth in claim 1 and further including:

recognizing a flush request; and

flushing pending data from a read side to a write side in response to said flush request.

22. The method as set forth in claim 1 and further including:

recognizing a getevent request; and

returning information regarding events which have occurred on a coupling to a caller.

23. A storage medium including machine readable indicia, said storage medium being selectively coupled to a reading device, said reading device being selectively coupled to processing circuitry within a processing system, said reading device being selectively operable to read said machine readable indicia and provide program signals representative thereof, said program signals being effective to selectively cause said processing circuitry to directly couple first and second devices together, said first and second devices having first and second file types, respectively, associated therewith, said program signals being further effective to accomplish the steps of:

enabling a creating of a data transfer requirement between said first and second devices by an originating device;

recognizing said data transfer requirement for transferring data between said first and second devices;

getting file types for first and second devices;

creating a transfer service for said first and second devices, said service being based upon said file types for said first and second devices, and

transferring data directly between said first device and said second device without intermediate buffering, said transfer being accomplished using said created transfer service.

24. The medium as set forth in claim 23, and further including:

getting file descriptors for said first and second devices after said recognizing.