Patent ID: 6463498
Filing Date: 2002-10-08
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
An interface controller that operates along with a host processor and a host memory within a target node to implement a number of network communications protocol layers, the interface controller coupled to a receiver and transmitter that are, in turn, coupled to a communications network transport medium through which the receiver receives a read command sequence from an initiator node and through which the transmitter returns a data sequence and a response sequence to the initiator node, the data sequence composed of a number of data frames that contain data, the interface controller comprising:an interrupt facility by which the interface controller notifies the host processor that the interface controller has received a read command sequence and placed the received read command sequence in the host memory; a control register that notifies the interface controller that the host processor has prepared a data structure in the host memory, in response to reception of the read command sequence, that represents the data sequence and the response sequence prepared by the host for return to the initiator node; and a logic component that processes the data structure by transmitting the data sequence and response sequence described by the data structure to the initiator node.