Patent ID: 6981123
Filing Date: 2005-12-27
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
1. A method for virtually increasing a size of a cache of a peripheral device that is connectable to a host, the method comprising acts of: querying the host whether memory is available in a memory space of the host; allocating additional cache memory from the memory space of the host for use by the peripheral device if memory is available in the memory space of the host; providing the peripheral device with a location of the additional cache memory assigned; managing the additional cache memory via the peripheral device; wherein the managing act comprises acts of: evaluating whether data should be transferred from the cache of the peripheral device to the additional cache memory; transferring data from the cache of the peripheral device to the additional cache memory if the data should be transferred; if the host requests requested data, evaluating whether the requested data is in the cache of the peripheral device; transferring the requested data to the host if the requested data is in the cache of the peripheral device; evaluating whether the requested data is in the additional cache memory if the requested data is not in the cache of the peripheral device; and providing the host with the location of the requested data in the memory space of the host if the requested data is in the additional cache memory.