Loading patent…
AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation
InventorRichard Louis Arndt
Estimating the term…
An interrupt handling mechanism within a data processing system is used to assign interrupts among multiple interrupt presentation controllers while avoiding the use of a significant amount of signal lines. An interrupt input message from an interrupt source controller is input into an interrupt presentation controller. Fields are added to the interrupt input message to facilitate the assignment of the interrupt input message to an interrupt presentation controller. The input interrupt message is passed between the interrupt presentation controller in a sequential fashion such that the collection of controllers forms a logical ring. On the first circle of the ring, the priority of the processors capable of handling the interrupt is discovered. A second pass through the interrupt presentation controller is used to assign the first processor that is both capable of taking the interrupt and also has an equal or lower priority to that noted on the first pass as to best priority. The condition in which no acceptable processors are found for servicing the interrupt request is provided for by rejecting the interrupt.
A multi-processor system comprising:
A method for assigning interrupts among multiple interrupt presentation controllers, the method comprising the steps of:
A method for assigning interrupts among multiple interrupt presentation contollers connected to form a logical loop comprising the steps:
An interrupt presentation controller comprising:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.