US 5,706,443 AGranted

Method and apparatus for enabling pipelining of buffered data

AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation

InventorsJames T. Brady, Damon W. Finney, Michael H. Hartung, Donald J. Lang, Jaishankar M. Menon, David R. Nowlen, Calvin K. Tang

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Abstract

A system that enables pipelining of data to and from a memory includes multiple control block data structures which indicate amounts of data stored in the memory. An input port device receives and stores in memory, data segments of a received data message and only updates status information in the software control blocks when determined quantities of the data segments are stored. An output port is responsive to a request for transmission of a portion of the received data and to a signal from the input port that at least a first control count of data segments of the received data are present in memory. The output port then outputs the stored data segments from memory but discontinues the action if, before the required portion of the received data is outputted, software control blocks indicate that no further stored data segments are available for outputting. The input port then updates the software control blocks when newly arrived and stored data segments reach a second control count value, the updating occurring irrespective of whether the determined quantity of the received data has been stored in memory.

Claims14

Dependent claims

A system for enabling pipelining of data to and from a memory, said system comprising:

memory status means for indicating amounts of data stored in said memory;
input means for receiving and storing data segments of received data in said memory, said input means automatically updating memory indications manifested by said memory status means when a determined quantity of said data segments are stored in said memory;
count means for manifesting control count values;
output means responsive to a requirement to output at least a required portion of said received data and to a signal from said input means that stored data segments of said received data at least equal a first control count value of said count means, for outputting said stored data segments from said memory, and for discontinuing outputting of said stored data segments if, before said required portion of received data is outputted, said memory status means indicates no further stored data segments are available for outputting, and for indicating said discontinuing action by a first signal to said input means;
said input means responding to said first signal by updating said memory status means when stored data segments reach a second control count value, said updating occurring irrespective of whether said determined quantity of received data is stored in memory, and signalling said output means to resume outputting said stored data segments.

2 more elements

A method for enabling pipelining of data to and from a memory in a processing node, said node including memory status means for indicating amounts of data stored in said memory and count means for manifesting control count values, said method comprising the steps of:

receiving and storing data segments of received data in said memory;
updating memory indications manifest by said memory status means when determined quantities of said data segments are stored in said memory;
outputting stored data segments from said memory means in response to a requirement to output at least a required portion of said received data and to a signal that stored data segments of said received data at least equal a first control count of said count means;
discontinuing outputting of said stored data segments if, before said required portion of received data is outputted, said memory status means indicates no further stored data segments are available for outputting, and indicating said discontinuing action by a first signal;
responding to said first signal by updating said memory status means when stored data segments reach a second control count value, said updating occurring irrespective of whether said determined quantities of received data are stored in memory;
and
resuming outputting of stored data segments.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.