Dynamic hierarchical arbitration of computer resource access requests

An apparatus for prioritizing computer resource access requests, comprising:

• means for providing a number, n, of priority schemes in correspondence with a like number, n, of potentially requesting entities, wherein n is an integer greater than one, wherein each priority scheme designates relative priority of the potentially requesting entities with respect to one another, and whereby for each priority scheme there exists one corresponding potentially requesting entity, and a number, n-1, of noncorresponding potentially requesting entities;
• means for selecting one of the priority schemes as a current priority scheme;
• means for determining a set of currently requesting entities from the number of potentially requesting entities;
• means for using the current priority scheme to select a highest priority requesting entity from the set of currently requesting entities and designating the selected highest priority requesting entity as the next requesting entity to be serviced;
• and
• means for newly selecting one of the priority schemes as the current priority scheme for use in selecting a subsequent highest priority requesting entity, wherein the newly selected priority scheme corresponds to the highest priority requesting entity,
• wherein at least one of the priority schemes designates a first priority for the corresponding potentially requesting entity, and a second priority for one of the noncorresponding potentially requesting entities, the first priority being higher than the second priority.

A method of prioritizing computer resource access requests, comprising the steps of:

• providing a number, n, of priority schemes in correspondence with a like number, n, of potentially requesting entities, wherein n is an integer greater than one, wherein each priority scheme designates relative priority of the potentially requesting entities with respect to one another, and wherein at least one of the potentially requesting entities has a same relative priority designation in at least two of the n priority schemes;
• selecting one of the priority schemes as a current priority scheme;
• determining a set of currently requesting entities from the number of potentially requesting entities;
• using the current priority scheme to select a highest priority requesting entity from the set of currently requesting entities and designating the selected highest priority requesting entity as the next requesting entity to be serviced;
• and
• newly selecting one of the priority schemes as the current priority scheme for use in selecting a subsequent highest priority requesting entity, wherein the newly selected priority scheme corresponds to the highest priority requesting entity.

An apparatus for prioritizing computer resource access requests, comprising:

• means for providing a number, n, of priority schemes in correspondence with a like number, n, of potentially requesting entities, wherein n is an integer greater than one, wherein each priority scheme designates relative priority of the potentially requesting entities with respect to one another, and wherein at least one of the potentially requesting entities has a same relative priority designation in at least two of the n priority schemes;
• means for selecting one of the priority schemes as a current priority scheme;
• means for determining a set of currently requesting entities from the number of potentially requesting entities;
• means for using the current priority scheme to select a highest priority requesting entity from the set of currently requesting entities and designating the selected highest priority requesting entity as the next requesting entity to be serviced;
• and
• means for newly selecting one of the priority schemes as the current priority scheme for use in selecting a subsequent highest priority requesting entity, wherein the newly selected priority scheme corresponds to the highest priority requesting entity.