Unidirectional atomic messaging

In an information processing environment having a plurality of computing devices for storing and processing data, a method of transferring data in accordance with a security standard for limiting memory access between the respective memories of the computing devices, comprising:

• generating a message in a memory on a message producer;
• the message for transmission to a message consumer;
• fetching the message from the memory on the message producer for transmission to the message consumer, and storing the message into a shared memory accessible for reading by the message consumer, the shared memory unavailable for write access by the message consumer;
• prior to storing the message in the shared memory, storing a stop bit indicative of a current write operation in progress;
• updating a writer counter indicative of an amount of data in the messages stored into the shared memory;
• following completion of storing the message in the shared memory, resetting the stop bit for indicating successful completion;
• examining, by the message consumer, the stop bit;
• refraining from fetching the message by the message consumer if the stop bit is indicative of the message producer continuing to store the message into the shared memory;
• transferring the message from the shared memory into the memory at the message consumer;
• and
• determining, based on a comparison of the writer counter, whether the message received by the message consumer is accurate.

A data transfer device, comprising:

• a shared memory connected to a message consumer and a message producer;
• an interface from message consumer for storing a message for transmission to a into the shared memory accessible for reading by the message consumer, the shared memory unavailable for write access by the message consumer;
• a writer counter indicative of an amount of data in the messages stored into the shared memory, the shared memory being a memory region accessible for read access by both the message producer and the message consumer, and accessible for write access by only the message producer, the shared memory further including:
• a writer state, the writer state including a stop bit and the writer counter;
• a buffer for storing a length and payload of one or more messages for transmission to the message consumer;
• and
• a buffer length indicative of a fixed size of the buffer;
• consumer logic programmed to receive the message at the message consumer;
• and
• determine, based on a comparison of the writer counter, whether the message received by the message consumer is accurate.

A data transfer device, comprising:

• a shared memory connected to a message consumer and a message producer;
• an interface from the message consumer for storing a message for transmission into the shared memory accessible for reading by the message consumer, the shared memory unavailable for write access by the message consumer;
• a writer counter indicative of an amount of data in messages stored into the shared memory;
• an interface to a memory on the message producer;
• the memory storing a generated message for transmission to the message consumer;
• and
• producer logic programmed for fetching and storing the message from the memory on the message producer into the shared memory;
• the producer logic programmed to transfer the message from the shared memory into the memory at the message consumer;
• consumer logic programmed to:
• receive the message at the message consumer, and
• determine, based on a comparison of the writer counter, whether the message received by the message consumer is accurate;
• wherein the producer logic is further programmed to:
• prior to storing the message in the shared memory, store a stop bit indicative of a current write operation in progress;
• following completion of storing the message in the shared memory, reset the stop bit for indicating successful completion;
• and
• the consumer logic further programmed to:
• examine, by the message consumer, the stop bit;
• and
• refrain from fetching the message by the message consumer if the stop bit is indicative of the message producer continuing to store the message into the shared memory.

A computer program embodying program code on a non-transitory medium that, when executed by a processor, performs steps for implementing a method of transferring data between computers, the method comprising:

• storing a message for transmission to a message consumer into a shared memory accessible for reading by the message consumer, the shared memory unavailable for write access by the message consumer;
• updating a writer counter indicative of an amount of data in the messages stored into the shared memory, the shared memory being a memory region accessible for read access by both a message producer and the message consumer, and accessible for write access by only the message producer, the shared memory further including:
• a writer state, the writer state including a stop bit and the writer counter;
• a buffer for storing a length and payload of one or more messages for transmission to the message consumer;
• and
• a buffer length indicative of a fixed size of the buffer;
• receiving the message at the message consumer;
• and
• determining, based on a comparison of the writer counter, whether the message received by the message consumer is accurate.