Adaptive priority determination for servicing transmit and receive in network controllers
US5933413A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jan 13, 1997 |
| Grant date | Aug 3, 1999 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jan 13, 2017 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04L49/901
- WIPO fieldDigital communication
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A network interface stores data frames between a host computer and a network in a buffer memory. The network interface stores data frames received from the host computer via a peripheral component interconnect (PCI) bus in a transmit buffer for transmission on the network. The network interface also stores data from the network in a receive buffer for transfer to a host computer memory via the PCI bus. A priority control selectively allocates host computer resources based on network transmission and network reception by the network interface, and based on available space in the receive buffer, available data in the transmit buffer, and the estimated length of data packets received from the network. The selective allocation of host computer resources minimizes transmit buffer underflow and receive buffer overflow.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.