Patent ID: 6308228
Filing Date: 2001-10-23
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
On a network interface card, a data movement device having an incoming side and an outgoing side, said data movement device for implementing a management policy to decrease latency and maximize data throughput based on the characteristics of data paths connected to the data movement device, said data movement device comprising:(a) a plurality of data paths;(b) a plurality of data buffers for storing data received from said plurality of data paths; and(c) a plurality of data path controllers for initiating transfers of data to and from said plurality of data paths,whereinone of said data path controllers initiates a transfer of a frame of data from an incoming data path to a data buffer on said data movement device,determines the amount of data within the frame of data that has already been received in the data buffer, andif the entire frame of data has been received, transfers the rest of the frame of data to an outgoing data path while simultaneously readying the data movement device for reception of another data frame from an incoming data path, otherwise,the data movement device waits until the amount of the frame's data that has already been received into the data buffer meets or exceeds a threshold level, then transfers all data currently buffered to an outgoing data path, and repeats the process starting at the point where the data movement device determines the amount of data within the current frame of data that has already been received in the data buffer.