Communicating message request transaction types between agents in a computer system using multiple message groups

• US 7,099,318 B2
• Filed: 12/28/2001
• Issued: 08/29/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Harriman, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham, Chi
• Assistant Examiner(s): Philpott, Justin M.
• Application Number:
  US10/040,755
• Publication Number:
  US 20030123484A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,705 Days
• Field of Search: 370/270, 370/312, 370/397, 370/409, 370/423, 370/432, 370/471, 709/236, 710/3, 710/21, 710/105, 710/125, 710313-315
• US Class Current: 370/389
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0745 in an input/output transactions management context input/output processing in general G06F13/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/4022 using switching circuits, e.g. switching matrix, connection or expansion network G06F13/4009 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/4282 on a serial bus, e.g. I2C bus, SPI bus on daisy chain buses G06F13/4247
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/22 Parsing or analysis of headers

Abstract

A transmitting device and a receiving device are coupled via a high-speed serial interface within a computer system. The transmitting device transmits a packet header for a message request transaction that include a message group sub-field that indicates one of a plurality of message groups. The packet header also includes a format field that indicates whether the message request packet includes data. The packet header further includes a message code field to indicate a specific message type.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a data path output unit to output a packet header of a packet relating to a message request transaction, the packet header including;

a format field to indicate the length of the packet header and to further specify whether the packet is to include data;

a subset of a type field to indicate the packet relates to a message request transaction;

a message group sub-field to indicate the packet is associated with one of a plurality of message groups, each message group including one or more message types; and

a message field to include a message to implement the one or more message types, the message to include at least one message selected from the following group of;

a message to unlock a device, a message to reset a device, a message to indicate a correctable error condition, a message to indicate an uncorrectable error condition, a message to indicate a fatal error condition, a message to report a bad request packet and a message to emulate an interrupt signal.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the message group sub-field is a three-bit sub-field including one bit from the type field and two bits from an extended type field.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of message groups comprises a power management message group to include one or more power management message types.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of message groups comprises an interrupt signaling message group to include one or more interrupt signal message types.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the message to emulate an interrupt signal comprises the message to emulate a legacy peripheral component interconnect (PCI) interrupt signal.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the message field to include the message to implement the one or more message types further includes an indication of whether a completion indication is required for the implemented message.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein, not supporting the implementation of the message indicates to a data path input unit that the completion is not required.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of message groups comprises an advanced switching message group to include one or more advanced switching message types.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, the packet header further comprising:

a requester identification field to include information to identify a requester of the message request; and

a tag field to include information to identify a completion relating to the message request, wherein the requester identification field and the tag field together form a transaction identification field.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the requester identification field comprises the requester identification field to include a bus number, a device number and a function number associated with the requester.

11. An apparatus comprising:

a data path input unit to receive a packet header of a packet relating to a message request transaction, the packet header including;

a format field to indicate the length of the packet header and to further specify whether the packet is to include data;

a subset of a type field to indicate the packet relates to a message request transaction;

a message group sub-field to indicate the packet is associated with one of a plurality of message groups, each message group including one or more message types; and

a message field to include a message to implement the one or more message types, the message to include at least one message selected from the following group of;

a message to unlock a device, a message to reset a device, a message to indicate a correctable error condition, a message to indicate an uncorrectable error condition, a message to indicate a fatal error condition, a message to report a bad request packet and a message to emulate an interrupt signal.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the message group sub-field is a three-bit sub-field including one bit from the type field and two bits from an extended type field.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the plurality of message groups comprises a power management message group to include one or more power management message types.

14. A system comprising:

a transmitting device to transmit a packet header of a packet relating to a message request transaction, the packet header including;

a format field to indicate the length of the packet header and to further specify whether the packet is to include data;

a subset of a type field to indicate the packet relates to a message request transaction;

a message group sub-field to indicate the packet is associated with one of a plurality of message groups, each message group including one or more message types;

a message field to include a message to implement the one or more message types, the message to include at least one message selected from the following group of;

a message to unlock a device, a message to reset a device, a message to indicate a correctable error condition, a message to indicate an uncorrectable error condition, a message to indicate a fatal error condition, a message to report a bad request packet and a message to emulate an interrupt signal; and

a receiving device responsive to the transmitting device, the receiving device to receive the packet header.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the message group sub-field is a three-bit sub-field including one bit from the type field and two bits from an extended type field.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the plurality of message groups comprises a power management message group to include one or more power management message types.

17. The system of claim 14, the packet header further comprising:

a requester identification field to include information to identify a requester of the message request; and

a tag field to include information to identify a completion relating to the message request, wherein the requester identification field and the tag field together form a transaction identification field.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the requester identification field comprises the requester identification field to include a bus number, a device number and a function number associated with the requester.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the receiving device, based on implementing the message request, indicates completion of the message request via a packet header of a packet relating to the completion, the packet header to include:

a completion status field to indicate a status of a completion;

a completer identification field to include a bus number, a device number and a function number associated with the completer of the message request in the receiving device; and

the transaction identification field included in the packet header of the packet relating to the message request.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the status of a completion includes at least one status selected from the following group of:

to indicate successful completion, to indicate an unsupported message request, and to indicate a completer abort.