US 6,185,607 B2 · Method for managing network data transfers with minimal host processor involvement

Abstract

A method for managing data transfers with minimal host processor involvement. Data is transferred between a peripheral device coupled to a host computer and a network device over a high performance bus. In one exemplary embodiment, data is transferred over a bus utilizing the IEEE 1394 communication protocol and a network utilizing the Ethernet communication protocol. The novel data transfer method advantageously minimizes the involvement of the host computer's processor in the management of data transfers, thus maximizing the host processor's availability for performing other computations. Specifically, to transfer data from the peripheral device to the network, the host processor generates a data pointer table and sends it to the network device. A processor in the network device then takes over data transfer management, using information in the data pointer table to locate and transmit the designated block of data from the peripheral device to the network. In another embodiment, the present invention determines whether the size of a data block to be transferred exceeds the maximum packet size for the relevant communication protocol used by the bus or the network. If such a limit exists and is exceeded, the data pending transfer is divided into multiple packets, such that each packet conforms to the maximum packet size of the limiting protocol. Then, the smaller packets are transmitted iteratively until the entire data block is transferred. As such, the present invention eliminates the incompatibility problem posed by the differences in packet sizes among different communication protocols.

Claims28

Dependent claims

In a computer network, a method for transferring information, said method comprising the computer implemented steps of:

a) establishing a connection between a host computer and a network device via a first bus of a first communication protocol, wherein said network device is coupled to said computer network of a second communication protocol;
b) generating a data pointer table with a first processor of said host computer, said data pointer table comprising memory address information identifying a first data block residing in a peripheral device coupled to said host computer;
c) transmitting said data pointer table from said host computer to said network device via said first bus;
and
d) transferring said first data block from said peripheral device to said computer network with a second processor of said network device, wherein said transfer is accomplished by using said memory address information in said data pointer table as a reference.

2 more elements

A network device coupled between a host computer and a computer network, wherein said host computer comprises a first processor and said network device comprises a second processor coupled to a memory unit, said memory unit containing instructions that when executed implement a method for transferring information, said method comprising the computer implemented steps of:

a) establishing a connection between said host computer and said network device via a first bus of a first communication protocol, wherein said computer network is of a second communication protocol;
b) generating a data pointer table with said first processor of said host computer, said data pointer table comprising memory address information identifying a first data block residing in a peripheral device coupled to said host computer;
c) transmitting said data pointer table from said host computer to said network device via said first bus;
and
d) transferring said first data block from said peripheral device to said computer network with said second processor of said network device, wherein said transfer is accomplished by using said memory address information in said data pointer table as a reference.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Method for managing network data transfers with minimal host processor involvement

Life of this patent

Method for managing network data transfers with minimal host processor involvement

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims28