International Business Machines Corporation

Kulwant M Pandey

Thomas Anthony Gregg

Richard K Errickson

Peter Kenneth Szwed

Michael Peter Lyons

Leonard W Helmer, Jr

Patrick John Sugrue

Stephen R Burrow

Joseph M Hoke

Mark S Farrell

Charles Franklin Webb

Janet R Easton

Gary E Strait

Douglas G Balazich

Michael D Campbell

Embodiments are directed to a computer system for managing data transfer. The computer system includes a memory, a processor communicatively coupled to the memory, a send component and a receive component having a message queue and a controller. A single link interface communicatively couples the send component to the receive component. The single link interface includes a mainline channel and a sideband channel, and the computer system is configured to perform a method. The method includes transmitting mainline channel messages over the mainline channel from the send component to the receive component. The method further includes transmitting sideband channel messages over the sideband channel from the send component to the message queue of the receive component. The method further includes utilizing the controller to control a flow of the sideband channel messages to the message queue without relying on sending feedback to the send component about the flow.

Remotely controlled message queue

Embodiments are directed to a computer system for managing data transfer. The computer system includes a memory, a processor communicatively coupled to the memory, a send component and a receive component having a message queue and a controller. A link interface communicatively couples the send component to the receive component. The link interface includes a mainline channel and a sideband channel, and the computer system is configured to perform a method. The method includes transmitting mainline channel messages over the mainline channel from the send component to the receive component. The method further includes transmitting sideband channel messages over the sideband channel from the send component to the message queue of the receive component. The method further includes utilizing the controller to control a flow of the sideband channel messages to the message queue without relying on sending feedback to the send component about the flow.

Embodiments relate to two general purpose computers connected in a peer-to-peer mode by connecting a cable (or wireless connection) between universal ports (e.g., PCIe ports) on each computer. A timing protocol utility runs on each computer to time schedule operations performed by its respective computer. Because the system clocks on each peer computer operate independently (asynchronously), they may vary somewhat from each other. To support time synchronized peer-to-peer operations, paired clock value (one for each peer computer) are generated continually and independently by each peer system. Each peer system periodically supplies the paired clock values to its associated timing protocol utility, which uses the paired clock values to time synchronize peer-to-peer computer operations. The timing protocol utilities may also exchange the paired clock values with each other for integrity checking and other operations.

Peer-to-peer networking through universal port connections

Embodiments are directed to systems and methodologies for allowing a computer program code to efficiently respond to and process events. For events having a multiple stage completion sequence, and wherein several of the events occur within relatively close time proximity to each other, portions of the multiple stages may be coalesced without adding latency, thereby maintaining responsiveness of the computer program. The disclosed coalescing systems and methodologies include state machines and counters that in effect 'replace' certain stages of the event sequence when the frequency of events increases.

Coalescing stages in a multiple stage completion sequence

A system and process for passing messages directly between instances of Operating System (OSs) and plurality of Coupling Facilities (CFs) through Sharable InterSystem Channels (ISCs) and without polling, in one or more Computer Electronic Complexes (CECs). Primary messages and associated secondary messages are passed by a hypervisor using a hypervisor memory.

Extensions to coupling channels to support multiple coupling facility sharing, interrupts, and message passing

The setting of interruption initiatives is directly initiated by external adapters. An adapter external to the processors at which the initiative is to be made pending sends a request directly to a system controller coupled to the adapter and the processors. The system controller then broadcasts a command to the processors instructing the processors to set the interruption initiative.

Directly initiating by external adapters the setting of interruption initiatives

A method for use in a computer system for extending coupling channels through the addition of specific hardware interrupts and controls to allow 1) sharing of receiver resources among multiple Coupling Facility (CF) logical partitions (LPARs), 2) direct CEC to CEC message passing, and 3) CF interrupts.

A method and system for extensions to earlier patents dealing with the implementation of the InterSystem Channel (ISC) link architecture. First, it describes hardware state machines that handle all valid link messaging sequences without any processor involvement. These state machines also process larger commands and responses that may be divided into multiple frame segments. Finally, the missing frame detection is expanded for the multi frame segment commands and responses.

Hardware mechanism for receiving frames from a link

A method and system for scheduling multiple frames and packets that are queued for transmission over a link, and queued from a link for storing into main memory. It recognizes priorities, provides fairness, and guarantees forward progress of all users. This method and system provides a mechanism that achieves the objectives with a very small state machine. It takes advantage of the nature of the traffic to calculate priorities in parallel to frame transmission.

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Lagrangeville, NY, United States of America

Kulwant M Pandey