International Business Machines Corporation

Yves J Huchet

Edward Stanely Suffern

Jean L Calvignac

Arthur James Stagg

Kenneth James Barker

Jeffrey James Lynch

Jean Claude Dispensa

Rene R Castel

George M Calhoun

James Harold Ragsdale

Vicki Gentry Horton

Ralph J Potok, Ii

George Allen Deaton, Jr

Claude Richard Pond

Charles E Williford

Ruggero Ulivastro

Robert M Teague

The connection capability of a communication controller is extended. The communication controller includes a central control unit CCU, running a network control program NCP stored in a memory having a direct memory access facility through a DMA bus. The input/output bus of the communication controller and DMA bus are connected to line adapters, and channel adapters and a controller extension through a coupler which allows additional adapters to be connected to the controller. At initialization, a table is built into a coupler memory, which is then used in steady state mode for controlling the transmission of the messages to the additional users and the reception of the messages from the additional users, by improving the buffer unchaining and chaining processes into the NCP memory.

Coupling apparatus and method for increasing the connection capability

A method and arrangement for providing a layered communications environment for the routing of information blocks between layers to layer entities forming a logical group based on information block type and the function provided by the individual entities of the group. When an access point (AP) between layers, is first activated, it is given a group classification. As other APs between the layers are activated, they too are given group classifications. All APs between the layers having the same group classification are considered to form a single logical grouping of APs. Each of these APs can be attached to different entities in the adjacent upper layer. This logical grouping allows for information block routing from a lower layer to the adjacent upper layer based on both logical group and block type. The entities in the upper layer that are within one logical group may include separate entities for control and management functions and separate entities for data transport purposes.

Logical grouping of layer entities in a layered communication

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Nice, France

Yves J Huchet