Time-gap defect detection apparatus and method
DC CAFCFirst Claim
1. An apparatus detecting time-gap defects in a first device communicating with a second device and a third device, the apparatus comprising:
- the first device controlling an exchange of data between the second and third devices, configured to detect errors in the exchange, and having a buffer, characterized by a capacity, to temporarily store the data exchanged, anda memory device operably connected to the first device to store data structures of executable and non-executable types, the data structures comprising a detector detecting a time-gap sufficiently long that a data transfer error has occurred, causing data corruption undetected by the first device.
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Abstract
A programmatic time-gap defect correction apparatus and method corrects errors which may go undetected by a computer system. Buffer underruns or overruns, which may incur errors in data transfers, yet remain undetected and uncorrected in a computer system, are corrected by an error avoidance module in accordance with the invention. Bytes transferred to and from buffers, used by an I/O controllers to temporarily store data while being transferred between synchronous and asynchronous devices, are counted and an error condition is forced based on the count. If the count exceeds the capacity of the buffer, an error condition is forced, thereby reducing chances that errors are incurred into the data transfer.
28 Citations
19 Claims
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1. An apparatus detecting time-gap defects in a first device communicating with a second device and a third device, the apparatus comprising:
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the first device controlling an exchange of data between the second and third devices, configured to detect errors in the exchange, and having a buffer, characterized by a capacity, to temporarily store the data exchanged, and a memory device operably connected to the first device to store data structures of executable and non-executable types, the data structures comprising a detector detecting a time-gap sufficiently long that a data transfer error has occurred, causing data corruption undetected by the first device. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A method comprising:
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identifying a first device controlling an exchange of data between a second device and a third device, the first device configured to detect errors in the exchange and having a buffer, characterized by a capacity, to temporarily store the data exchanged; initiating a data exchange between the second and third devices; identifying a time-gap within the data exchange at which data corruption is permitted by the first device without detection by the first device, the time-gap corresponding to a delay in the data exchange, selected from a delay between transfer of consecutive bytes, a delay during transfer of a byte, a delay during transfer of a burst of bytes, a delay between transfer of consecutive bursts of bytes, and an accumulated delay corresponding to a sum of delays accumulated during a plurality of consecutive transfers.
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13. A method comprising:
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identifying a first device controlling an exchange of data between a second device and a third device, the first device configured to detect errors in the exchange and having a buffer, characterized by a capacity, to temporarily store the data exchanged; initiating a data exchange between the second and third devices; identifying a time-gap within the data exchange at which data corruption is permitted by the first device without detection by the first device, the time-gap corresponding to at least one delay in the data exchange, comprising at least one of a delay between transfer of consecutive bytes, a delay during transfer of a byte, a delay during transfer of a burst of bytes, a delay between transfer of consecutive bursts of bytes, and an accumulated delay corresponding to a sum of delays accumulated during a plurality of consecutive transfers.
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14. A method comprising:
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identifying a first device controlling an exchange of data between a second device and a third device, the first device configured to detect errors in the exchange and having a buffer, characterized by a capacity, to temporarily store the data exchanged; initiating a data exchange between the second and third devices; identifying a time-gap within the data exchange at which data corruption is permitted by the first device without detection by the first device, the time-gap being a delay between completions of consecutive transfers. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17)
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18. A method for detecting time-gap defects in a first device communicating with a second device and a third device, the method comprising:
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initiating a data transfer between at least one of the first, second, and third devices and a buffer having a capacity; determining a time-gap within the data transfer at which data corruption is permitted by the first device without detection by the first device, the time-gap corresponding to at least one delay in the data transfer comprising at least one of a delay between transfer of consecutive bytes, a delay during transfer of a byte, a delay during transfer of a burst of bytes, a delay between transfer of consecutive bursts of bytes, and an accumulated delay corresponding to a sum of delays accumulated during a plurality of consecutive transfers. - View Dependent Claims (19)
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Specification