Method and apparatus for preserving loop fairness with dynamic half-duplex
US6553036B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | May 8, 2000 |
| Grant date | Apr 22, 2003 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | May 8, 2020 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04L12/433
- WIPO fieldDigital communication
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A method and apparatus for preserving loop fairness. Some embodiments include a dynamic half-duplex feature. One aspect includes a communications channel system and method for preserving loop fairness that includes a first channel node having one or more ports, each port supporting and attached to a fibre-channel arbitrated-loop serial communications channel. One of the ports will arbitrate for control of that port's attached channel, wherein control of the channel loop, once arbitration is won, a fairness-preserving apparatus causes control of the communications channel to be released based at least in part on whether a predetermined amount of use has occurred between the first port and the communications channel. In some embodiments, the predetermined amount of use includes a transfer of a first predetermined amount of data. In some embodiments, release of control of the channel is inhibited if less than a second predetermined amount of data remains to be transferred.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.