Patent ID: 6526451
Filing Date: 2003-02-25
Classification: G06F,H04L

Abstract:
A method of creating one or more buffer structures in a shared memory that exists between a host and network device comprising the steps of:allocating in a system memory by the host an administration block, descriptor rings and frame data buffers and storing within a block of shared memory from the system memory an administration block having a base address and a descriptor ring parameter, which includes information relating to a descriptor ring formed as a circular queue comprising descriptors, each describing a frame data buffer and frame data buffer sizes; writing into the network device the base address of the administration block; issuing an initialization command from the host to the network device; reading by the network device the administration block from shared memory; constructing within the network device one or more descriptors each pointing to a frame data buffer within shared memory, wherein the administration block and descriptor transfer size are determined by the network device on an as-needed basis, each descriptor having an ownership bit in a first word indicating whether a host or controller owns an associated frame data buffer, and precluding the alteration of a descriptor and associated buffer once ownership of a descriptor has been relinquished to a respective other device; and storing the descriptors.