Peripheral component interface with multiple data channels and reduced latency over a system area network

A method for transmitting data in a peripheral control interconnect (PCI) for coupling a plurality of peripheral devices to end nodes in a system area network through a system fabric of routers, comprising the steps of:

• providing a bus which is shared by a plurality of peripheral devices;
• defining a plurality of virtual data channels in a local memory for use in assigned data transfers;
• providing a plurality of data channel engines for simultaneously processing data requests for reading and writing data through virtual data channels;
• assigning virtual data channels to specific system access requests;
• and
• storing requested data in a local memory.

A method for handling data transactions in a peripheral control interconnect (PCI) that couples a plurality of peripheral devices to end nodes in a system area network through a system fabric of routers, the plurality of peripheral devices being connected to a bus, comprising:

• receiving a read request from one of the peripheral devices;
• accessing a local memory to fetch requested data in response to the read request from that peripheral device;
• and
• if the requested data is not present in the local memory,
• assigning one of a plurality of virtual data channels to that peripheral device,
• instructing that peripheral device to relinquish the bus and retry the read request later so that meanwhile other peripheral devices can have access to the PCI through the bus,
• fetching the requested data from the system area network through the assigned virtual data channel, and
• storing the fetched requested data in the local memory for use by that peripheral device.

A peripheral control interconnect (PCI) for supporting data transactions between peripheral devices and end nodes in a system area network, the peripheral devices being connected to a bus, comprising:

• means for receiving the data transactions, including a read request, from the peripheral devices;
• means for accessing a local memory to fetch requested data in response to the read request from one of the peripheral devices;
• and
• if the requested data is not present in the local memory,
• means for assigning one of a plurality of virtual data channels to that peripheral device,
• means for instructing that peripheral device to relinquish the bus and retry the read request later so that meanwhile other peripheral devices can have access to the PCI through the bus,
• means for fetching the requested data from the system area network through the assigned virtual data channel, and
• means for storing the fetched requested data in the local memory for use by that peripheral device.

A peripheral control interconnect (PCI) for supporting data transfer transactions between peripheral devices and end nodes in a system area network, the peripheral devices being connected to a bus, comprising:

• a plurality of ports which the PCI is capable of using simultaneously for data transfers, each port allowing data transfer in a particular direction;
• an access validation and translation unit which, in regards to each data transfer, the PCI is capable of using for access validation and address translation;
• a block transfer mechanism for generating data transfers including read and write transactions;
• and
• data channel engines providing virtual data channels for data streams via the PCI.