Host computer virtual memory within a network interface adapter
US6842790B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Apr 30, 2004 |
| Grant date | Jan 11, 2005 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Apr 30, 2024 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG06F12/1081
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A system and method of mapping a host computer address space into a network interface adapter (NIA) address space. A network interface processor within the NIA requests a memory allocation from the host computer. The host computer responds with an assigned base address in the host computer address space, and a length defining the contiguous addresses within the host computer address space equal to the allocation requested by the NIA processor. A hardware trap is set such that an interrupt to the NIA processor is generated when the host computer attempts to access data at an address within the allocated address range of host computer contiguous addresses. The network interface processor translates the received host address to a physical address within the NIA address space, reads the data at the respective NIA physical address, and transfers the data to the host computer.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.