US 6,148,350 A · System for allocating an integer unit of memory greater than a requested size and filling the extra space due to difference in sizes with extraneous data

Abstract

A method and system for efficiently transferring data between a host computer and a peripheral component which is removably coupled to the host computer. In one embodiment of the present invention, a peripheral component driver such as, for example, a network interface card driver receives a request from a peripheral component, such as, for example, a network interface card, to transfer data from the peripheral component to memory of the host computer. The data to be transferred requires a first block of memory in the host computer wherein the first block of the memory has a first size. The present embodiment then allocates a second block of memory in the host computer to receive the data from the peripheral component. In the present invention, the second block of memory has a second size which is greater than the first size. Additionally, the second block of memory comprises an integer unit of the memory. In so doing, the present invention minimizes CPU overhead associated with data transfers between a peripheral component and the memory of a host computer. The present invention also reduces latency associated with data transfers between a peripheral component and the memory of a host computer.

Claims18

Dependent claims

A computer system comprising:

a processor;
an address/data bus coupled to said processor;
a computer readable memory coupled to communicate with said processor, said processor for performing a method of efficiently transferring data between a host computer and a peripheral component removably coupled to said host computer, said method comprising the steps of:
a) receiving a request, from said peripheral component removably coupled to said host computer, to transfer data from said peripheral component to memory of said host computer, said data requiring a first block of said memory in said host computer wherein said first block of said memory has a first size;
b) allocating a second block of said memory in said host computer to receive said data from said peripheral component, said second block of said memory comprising an integer unit of said memory, said integer unit of said memory having a second size which is greater than said first size;
c) receiving said data from said peripheral component in said second block of said memory;
and
d) filling extra memory space present in said second block of said memory, due to the difference in size between said first size and said second size, with extraneous data.

5 more elements

A computer-usable medium having computer-readable program code embodied therein for causing a computer system to perform the steps of:

a) receiving a request, from a peripheral component removably coupled to a host computer, to transfer data from said peripheral component to memory of a host computer, said data requiring a first block of said memory in said host computer wherein said first block of said memory has a first size;
b) allocating a second block of said memory in said host computer to receive said data from said peripheral component, said second block of said memory comprising an integer unit of said memory, said integer unit of said memory having a second size which is greater than said first size;
c) receiving said data from said peripheral component in said second block of said memory;
and
d) filling unused memory space present in said second block of said memory, due to the difference in size between said first size and said second size, with extraneous data.

2 more elements

A computer implemented method of efficiently transferring data between a host computer and a peripheral component removably coupled to said host computer, said method comprising the steps of:

a) receiving a request, from said peripheral component removably coupled to said host computer, to transfer data from said peripheral component to memory of said host computer, said data requiring a first block of said memory in said host computer wherein said first block of said memory has a first size;
b) allocating a second block of said memory in said host computer to receive said data from said peripheral component, said second block of said memory comprising an integer unit of said memory, said integer unit of said memory having a second size which is greater than said first size;
c) receiving said data from said peripheral component in said second block of said memory;
and
d) filling unused memory space present in said second block of said memory, due to the difference in size between said first size and said second size, with extraneous data.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

System for allocating an integer unit of memory greater than a requested size and filling the extra space due to difference in sizes with extraneous data

Life of this patent

System for allocating an integer unit of memory greater than a requested size and filling the extra space due to difference in sizes with extraneous data

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims18