Cisco Technology, Inc.

M Salim Olime

John Gary Waclawsky

Steven Howard Berl

Saravanan Agasaveeran

Satish Gannu

Aniruddha Khare

James Balestriere

Gordon Cox

Rajesh Agrawal

The invention is directed to techniques for transferring data using a device driver that is arranged to prevent improper operation of a non-primary routine (e.g., an administrative operation) from causing improper operation of a primary routine (e.g., a data transfer operation). Accordingly, the primary routine can continue to operate properly after a failure of the non-primary routine. In one arrangement, a data communications device transfers data. The data communications device includes a port that couples to a network, and a processor coupled to the port. The data communications device further includes memory, coupled to the processor, that stores a device driver. The device driver has a first set of instructions that directs the processor to perform a data transfer routine that moves data between memory and the port, and a second set of instructions that directs the processor to perform an administrative routine. The second set of instructions is arranged to prevent improper operation of the administrative routine from causing improper operation of the data transfer routine. In particular, execution and communication mechanisms enable the primary and administrative routines to operate in such a fault-tolerant manner.

Methods and apparatus for transferring data using a device driver

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Plumpton, Australia

M Salim Olime