Method and apparatus for minimizing bus contention for I/O controller write operations
AssigneeIntel Corporation
InventorPatrick L. Connor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Inform writes to inform a controller of availability of a plurality of replacement data buffers are optimally batched as a single message. Batching the inform writes lets the controller maintain control of a bus, thereby letting the controller continue with input operations with less interruption, while still allowing for timely replenishment of data buffers that can be made available to the controller. The number of available data buffers to indicate in the single message can be chosen so that the controller need not be starved of data buffers while waiting for a threshold number of available data buffers to be reached.
Claims25
A method, comprising:
- writing a plurality of sets of data to a corresponding plurality of data buffers;
- processing the sets of data written in the data buffers and making each data buffer available to receive an additional set of data subsequent to the processing of its respective written set of data;
- and
- informing of availability of data buffers among the plurality of data buffers as a single message, once a threshold number greater than two of the plurality of data buffers are available.
A method, comprising:
- waiting for availability of a threshold number greater than two of a plurality of data buffers;
- and
- if the threshold number of the plurality of data buffers becomes available, sending a single message to collectively inform of availability of data buffers among the plurality of data buffers.
A machine-readable medium having stored thereon instructions, which if executed by a processor, cause the processor to effect the following, comprising:
- monitor for availability of a threshold number greater than two of a plurality of data buffers;
- and
- if the threshold number of the plurality of data buffers becomes available, send a single message to collectively inform of availability of data buffers among the plurality of data buffers.
An apparatus, comprising:
- a controller to write data into a plurality of locations;
- and
- a driver for the controller to determine availability of a threshold number greater than two of the plurality of locations to receive data from the controller, and to send a single message to the controller to collectively inform the controller of the availability of locations among the plurality of locations in which to write data.
A system comprising:
- a plurality of data buffers;
- a controller communicatively coupled to the plurality of data buffers to write data into the plurality of data buffers;
- and
- a driver for the controller to determine availability of a threshold number greater than two of the plurality of data buffers to receive data from the controller, and to send a single message to the controller to collectively inform the controller of the availability of data buffers among the plurality of data buffers in which to write data.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.