Patent ID: 6810470
Filing Date: 2004-10-26
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
A method for controlling execution of read and write requests to a memory in a computer system, each read request is used to execute a read of an associated memory address, each write request is used to execute a write to an associated memory address, the method comprising:providing a buffer for holding read and write requests; receiving and holding read and write requests within the buffer; determining for a selected read or write request within the buffer, prior received requests out of a set of the received read and write requests; determining matched prior received requests based on in part comparing the associated memory addresses of the determined prior received requests with the selected request's associated memory address; and preventing the selected request from memory execution until the determined matched requests are memory executed; and wherein the step of determining for the selected read request comprises: providing a read pointer, the read pointer indicating a buffer location of a next write request to be memory executed; providing a write pointer, the write pointer indicating a buffer location of a next write request to be received by the buffer; determining for the selected read request prior received write requests based on in part the write pointer and the read pointer location; and providing a lock pointer, the lock pointer indicating a buffer location associated with the write pointer when the selected read request is received; and the determining of prior received write requests is based on in part the write pointer, the read pointer and lock pointer location.