Patent ID: 6877047
Filing Date: 2005-04-05
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
1. A method for operating an I/O coupling channel of a computer system, comprising the steps of: providing a plurality of modes for said coupling channel having a first new high function mode and a second old compatibility mode for intersystem coupling of computer systems which is addapted to be used with a collection of computer systems some of which have new high function mode channels and other of which computer systems which have old compatability mode channels, wherein is included: said first new high function mode for said coupling channel and enabling said first new function mode for operating as a new peer mode with respect to its attached channel at the opposite end of a link; and said second old compatibility mode for said coupling channel and enabling said second old compatibility mode operating through a converter having multiple sink ports to multiple sender and/or receiver channels connected at the opposite end of the converter's multiple sink ports, and then operating said coupling channel when said new peer mode is directly connected to another identical channel operating in the same said new peer mode, and providing when said first high function mode is operating the first high function mode a peer operation with many times more message passing facilities than said second old compatibility mode.