Patent ID: 7219183
Filing Date: 2007-05-15
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A switching apparatus for sharing input/output endpoints, the switching apparatus comprising: a first plurality of I/O ports, coupled to a plurality of operating system domains through a load-store fabric, each configured to route transactions between said plurality of operating system domains and the switching apparatus; a second I/O port, coupled to a first shared input/output endpoint, wherein said first shared input/output endpoint is configured to request/complete said transactions for each of said plurality of operating system domains; and core logic, coupled to said first plurality of I/O ports and said second I/O port, configured to route said transactions between said first plurality of I/O ports and said second I/O port, and configured to associate each of said transactions with a corresponding one of said plurality of operating system domains (OSDs), said corresponding one of said plurality of OSDs corresponding to one or more root complexes, wherein said core logic designates said corresponding one of said plurality of OSDs according to a variant of a protocol that otherwise provides for routing of said transactions only for a single operating system domain, and wherein said variant comprises encapsulating an OS domain header within a transaction layer packet that otherwise comports with said protocol.