System for signaling serialized interrupts using message signaled interrupts

A method of signaling serialized interrupts within a PCI-Express environment, the method comprising the steps of:

• providing a PCI environment interfaced with a PCI-Express environment;
• providing a PCI to PCI-Express bridge device;
• communicatively linking the PCI and PCI-Express environments to the PCI to PCI-Express bridge device;
• providing a translation function within the PCI to PCI-Express bridge device;
• communicatively linking the PCI and PCI-Express environments to the translation function;
• signaling a serialized interrupt from the PCI environment;
• utilizing the translation function to generate a message signaled interrupt within the PCI-Express environment based on the serialized interrupt;
• and
• a plurality of data storage elements within the PCI to PCI-Express bridge device communicatively interfaced with the translation function, wherein the data storage elements comprise data registers each having a plurality of data fields, and
• wherein the step of signaling a serialized interrupt further comprises the bridge device receiving an interrupt signal via its communicative link with the PCI environment and updating a field corresponding to the interrupt signal within a first data register.