Apparatus for transferring execution of certain channel functions to a control unit and having means for combining certain commands and data packets in one sequence

• US 6,230,218 B1
• Filed: 10/14/1998
• Issued: 05/08/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Casper, Daniel F., Elliott, Joseph C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): SCHUSTER, KATHARINA W
• Application Number:
  US09/172,696
• Time in Patent Office: 937 Days
• Field of Search: 710/5, 710/6, 710/14, 710/21, 710/24, 710/27, 710/20, 710/29, 710/129, 710/1, 711/113, 711/133, 711/118, 370/347, 709/235, 375/357, 340/825.07
• US Class Current: 710/20
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/126 and has means for transferring I/O instructions and statuses between control unit and main processor

Abstract

The present invention provides for an apparatus for transferring information in a network computing system environment. The apparatus comprises of a main storage and an information transfer interface mechanism in processing communication with the main storage. The interface mechanism is capable of coupling to a plurality of input/output devices. The apparatus also comprises of means for transferring a packet of data between the interface mechanism and the main storage and means for concurrently transferring and processing a plurality of other packets of data between the interface mechanism and said main storage.

Claims

1. An apparatus for transferring information in a network computing system environment, comprising:

a main storage for storing information;

a channel subsystem coupled to said main storage for sending and receiving data packets;

said channel subsystem having a plurality of channels;

at least one control unit in processing communication with said channel subsystem, said control unit capable of receiving and transferring multiple packets of data concurrently from and to at least two of said plurality of channels of said channel subsystem;

means for transferring execution of certain channel functions to said control unit, said transferring means having means for combining multiple data and command packets in one sequence; and

means for sending only one start data command and only one end command notification before and after a plurality of data packets is transferred respectively.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a plurality of control units are present and at least one control unit is dedicated to each input/output device.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said apparatus further comprises a fabric, said fabric being in processing communication with said control unit(s) and said channels.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein said fabric comprises a plurality of fiber optic switches.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one fiber optic switch is in processing communication with said channels and said control unit(s).

6. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising means for transferring information using time division multiplexing.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising means for interleaving multiple starts each to separate input/output devices on one of said channels using multiplexing capabilities.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising means for transferring information by time division multiplexing using multiple exchanges over a fiber optic link.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said multiplexing involves multiple channel programs to be exchanged at same time with different devices.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a storage control element in processing communication with said main storage and said channel subsystem.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein said storage control element is coupled to at least one central processing unit.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of Channel Control Words or CCWs pipelined together and means for sending associated processed data and commands from said CCWs to said control unit(s) without any need for interlocking responses from said control unit(s).

13. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising means for sending each Read CCW as one sequence.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising means for sending each Write CCW as one sequence.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising means for determining if a Write CCW exceeds a certain length and means for sending any portion of said Write that exceeds said length as a separate data sequence.

16. An apparatus for transferring information in a network computing system environment, comprising:

a main storage for storing information;

a channel subsystem coupled to said main storage for sending and receiving data packets;

a plurality of control units in processing communication with said channel subsystem;

said channel subsystem having a plurality of channels, said channels being each capable of receiving and transferring multiple packets of data concurrently from and to at least two of said plurality of control units; and

an information transfer interface mechanism provided by said control unit for establishing communication with a plurality of input/output devices so that information can be transferred between said main storage and said input/output devices.

17. An apparatus for transferring information in a network computing system environment, comprising:

a main storage for storing information;

a channel subsystem coupled to said main storage for sending and receiving data packets;

a plurality of control units in processing communication with said channel subsystem;

said channel subsystem having a plurality of channels, said channels being each capable of receiving and transferring at least two packets of data concurrently from and to at least two of said plurality of control units; and

an information transfer interface mechanism provided by said control unit for establishing communication with a plurality of input/output devices so that information can be transferred between said main storage and said input/output devices.

18. An apparatus for transferring information in a network computing system environment comprising;

a main storage;

an information transfer interface mechanism in processing communication with said main storage, said interface mechanism capable of coupling to a plurality of input/output devices;

means for transferring a packet of data between said interface mechanism and said main storage, said packet of data being related to one of said input/output devices; and

means for concurrently transferring and processing a plurality of other packets of data between said interface mechanism and said main storage, said other packets of data being related to at least one other of said input/output devices.

19. An apparatus for transferring information in a network computing system environment comprising:

a main storage;

a channel subsystem having a plurality of channels coupled to said main storage;

a control unit in processing communication with said channel subsystems and channels;

an information transfer interface mechanism capable of connecting with a plurality of input/output devices in processing communication with said control unit;

means for concurrently sending packets of data to and from said main storage;

means for transferring execution of certain channel functions to said control unit, said transferring means having means for combining multiple data and command packets in one sequence;

means for sending only one start data command and only one end command notification before and after a plurality of data packets is transferred respectively.

20. An apparatus for transferring information in a network computing system environment, comprising:

a main storage for storing information;

an information transfer interface mechanism in processing communication with said main storage and capable of coupling to a plurality of input/output devices;

said information transfer interface mechanism sending and receiving information from said main storage and any input/output device;

means for transferring combined multiple data and command packets in one sequence; and

means for sending only one start data command and only one end command notification before and after a plurality of data packets is transferred respectively.