System for classifying input/output events for processes servicing the events

In a communications switching system including a plurality of input/output (I/O) devices and a processor coupled to the plurality of I/O devices, an apparatus for managing status information indicating service-requiring events in the plurality of I/O devices, comprising:

• classifying logic, coupled to the plurality of I/O devices, which classifies status information generated by the plurality of I/O devices into a first class of more time-critical status indications and a second class of less time-critical status indications corresponding to events requiring service by a plurality of routines;
• a processor interface, coupled to the classifying logic and the processor, which stores data identifying status indications in the first class and data identifying status indications in the second class from the plurality of I/O devices;
• and
• event servicing logic, executed by the processor and responsive to the processor interface, for servicing events with the plurality of routines including a relatively higher priority routine and a relatively lower priority routine which responds to status indications in the first class with the relatively higher priority routine to select events corresponding to the status indications in the first class for service, and responds to servicing indications in the second class with the relatively lower priority routine to select events corresponding to the status indications in the second class for service.

In a system routing packets of data among communications networks, including a plurality of network interface devices generating status information, and a processor routing data among the plurality of network interface devices and managing system resources, an apparatus for managing status information indicating service-requiring events from the plurality of network interface devices, comprising:

• a plurality of indication channels, coupled to corresponding network interface devices in the plurality of network interface devices, at least one indication channel in the plurality including
• means for classifying status information generated by the corresponding network interface devices into a first class of more time-critical events and a second class of less time-critical events for service by a plurality of routines,
• a match store for match data identifying certain status information for the corresponding network interface device,
• means, coupled to the match store and receiving a subset of the status information from the corresponding network interface device, for generating match signals in response to a match of the match data and the subset of the status information from the corresponding network interface device, and
• means for classifying the match signals into the first class or the second class;
• a processor interface, coupled to the plurality of indication channels and the processor, which stores data identifying status indications in the first class and data identifying status indications in the second class from the plurality of network interface devices;
• and
• event servicing logic, executed by the processor and responsive to the processor interface, for servicing events with the plurality of routines including a relatively higher priority routine and a relatively lower priority routine which responds to indications in the first class with the relatively higher priority routine to select events corresponding to the status indications in the first class for service, and responds to indications in the second class with the relatively lower priority routine to select events corresponding to the status indications in the second class for service.

A method for managing status information having prespecified priority levels and identifying I/O events generated by I/O processes in a data processing system having a processor servicing the I/O events, comprising the steps of:

• classifying status information into a first class of status indications for I/O events having a need for relatively more time-critical service and a second class of status indications for I/O events having a need for relatively less time-critical service;
• storing event data identifying I/O events corresponding to the first and second class of status indications in a processor interface coupled to the processor;
• polling the stored event data of the second class with the processor to service the I/O events corresponding to the event data of the second class in a normal course;
• and
• interrupting the processor by the processor interface in response to storing event data of the first class in the processor interface to service the I/O events corresponding to the event data of the first class.