Transfer information using optical fiber connections

• US 6,330,585 B1
• Filed: 10/14/1998
• Issued: 12/11/2001
• 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): Sheikh, Ayaz
• Assistant Examiner(s): Backer, Firmin
• Application Number:
  US09/172,462
• Time in Patent Office: 1,154 Days
• Field of Search: 395/839, 709/230-244, 707/101, 710/5, 710/68, 710/3, 710/9, 710/36, 711/2, 711/100, 711/157, 455/4.2, 704/213
• US Class Current: 709/200
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/4027 using bus bridges G06F13/4022 takes precedence

Abstract

This invention relates to concept of transferring information in a program storage device and a computer program device readable by a digital processing apparatus and a program means on the program storage device and including instructions executable by the digital processing apparatus for performing method steps for transferring of information in a network computing system. The method steps include: sending packets of data consecutively to and from said main storage; transferring execution of certain channel functions to said control unit so that certain commands can be combined with said data packets in one sequence; and sending only one start data command and only one end command notification before and after a plurality of data packets is transferred respectively.

Claims

1. A program storage device readable by a digital processing apparatus and tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the digital processing apparatus to perform method steps for transferring information in a network computing system environment having a main storage coupled to a channel subsystem with a plurality of serial channels in processing communication with a control unit coupled to an information transfer interface mechanism capable of connecting to one or more input/output devices, the method steps comprising:

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

transferring operation of certain channel functions to said control unit so that a start command response or an end notification response is not required after each packet of data is sent;

combining certain commands with associated data within one or more of said packets;

transferring information using time division multiplexing; and

interleaving multiple starts each to a separate device on one serial channel by using multiplexing capability.

2. The program storage device of claim 1, wherein a fabric is in processing communication with said control units and said channels.

3. The program storage device of claim 1, further comprising sending associated processed data and commands from a plurality of Command Control Words (CCWs) to said control unit without any need for interlocking responses from said control unit.

4. The program storage device of claim 3, further comprising sending any each Read Control Command Word in one sequence.

5. The program storage device of claim 4, further comprising sending each Write Control Command Word as one sequence.

6. The program storage device of claim 5, further comprising determining if a Write CCW exceeds a certain length and computer readable code for sending any portion of said Write that exceeds said length as a separate data sequence.

7. The computer program device of claim 6, further comprising a storage control element in processing communication with said computer program storage device and said interface mechanism.

8. The computer program device of claim 7, wherein said storage control element is coupled to at least one central processing unit.