Patent ID: 6115775
Filing Date: 2000-09-05
Classification: G06F,H04L

Abstract:
A method of requesting an interrupt from a host system to service an adapter, the adapter forwarding to the host system incoming data belonging to protocol data units reassembled from cells received from a network during a receive operation, comprising:maintaining receive holdoff event counter, the receive holdoff event counter being programmed to count a number of receive interrupt-or-completion events;maintaining a receive holdoff timer, the receive holdoff timer being programmed to time a receive holdoff interval representing the time period to elapse before the generation of an interrupt request to the host system can occur;servicing a data transfer request associated with the transfer of incoming data to be transferred to the host system;determining if a receive interrupt-on-completion event has occurred, the receive interrupt-on-completion event being defined as the direct memory access transfer of a status report for data belonging to an ATM adaptation layer 5 protocol data unit, the data containing the last byte in a protocol data unit, the last byte in the protocol data unit being used to permit the interrupt to the host system;if a receive interrupt-on-completion event has occurred, performing the steps of;setting a receive interrupt-on-completion bit in an interrupt status register, the receive interrupt-on-completion bit corresponding to a receive interrupt-on-completion interrupt request;modifying by one the receive holdoff event counter;determining if the receive holdoff event counter or the receive holdoff timer has expired;if either the receive holdoff event counter or the receive holdoff timer has expired and the receive interrupt-on-completion interrupt is enabled, causing the assertion of an interrupt request to the host system;processing the receive interrupt-on-completion interrupt request by the host system;clearing the receive interrupt-on-completion bit once the receive interrupt-on-completion interrupt request has been processed by the host system; andretriggering the receive holdoff event counter and the receive holdoff timer.