Dynamic request priority arbitration

A computing system comprising:

• a resource;
• a plurality of agents that make priority requests for access to the resource, each request having an assigned priority level, wherein each agent comprises:
• a configuration register having a priority field for storing a plurality of different priority selections corresponding to the plurality levels which may be assigned to the priority requests, wherein at least one of the plurality of different priority selections is a dynamic priority level, and wherein at least one of the agents assigns a first priority level to the dynamic priority level, and
• a work request queue for storing pending work requests, wherein the agent increases the dynamic priority level of the priority request to a second priority level if the number of pending work requests in the work request queue rises above a first threshold value;
• and
• an arbiter, in communication with the plurality of agents and the resource, that receives priority requests for access from the agents and selectively grants the agents access to the resource based on the priority levels of the priority requests.

An agent for determining the priority of requests for access to a resource comprising:

• a configuration register for storing a set of priority levels, each of the priority levels corresponding to one of a plurality of different priority selections, wherein at least one of the plurality of different priority selections is dynamic;
• a selector for selecting one of the priority levels from the configuration register to include in a priority request to an arbiter for access to the resource, wherein the selector selects a first priority level to correspond to the dynamic priority level;
• and
• a work request queue for storing pending work requests;
• wherein the selector changes the priority request to a second priority level if the number of pending work requests in the work request queue rises above a first threshold value, wherein the second priority level is higher than the first priority level.