Patent ID: 7769919
Filing Date: 2010-08-03
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
1. A method of accessing a memory resource of a computing system using a group of direct memory access (DMA) devices, the method comprising: designating a first DMA device from the group of DMA devices as a primary DMA device by associating the first DMA device with an active translation table; designating a plurality of DMA devices from the group of DMA devices as backup DMA devices by associating the plurality of backup DMA devices with an inactive translation table; entering a translation into the active translation table for the first DMA device while the first DMA device is associated with the active translation table such that the first DMA device is permitted to perform a DMA operation using the active translation table; inhibiting a translation from being entered into the inactive translation table for a second DMA device from among the plurality of backup DMA devices while the second DMA device is associated with the inactive translation table such that the second DMA device is inhibited from performing a DMA operation using the inactive translation table; and in response to a failover from the first DMA device to the second DMA device, associating the second DMA device with the active translation table to designate the second DMA device as a primary DMA device such that the second DMA device is permitted to perform a DMA operation using the active translation table.