Patent ID: 6854032

Claim:
A system for accessing a region of memory in a computer, the system comprising: a network interconnect; a first node coupled to the interconnect, wherein the first node includes: a memory configured to store data; a memory region table; a memory window table, said memory window table being in communication with the memory region table; and circuitry configured to control access to the memory; a second node coupled to the first node via the interconnect, wherein the second node is configured to convey a request for access to the memory in the first node, the request including a first virtual address and a remote access key; wherein in response to receiving the request, the first node is configured to: determine whether the request corresponds to a memory region or a memory window; if the request corresponds to a memory region: combine the first virtual address and the remote access key to form an index into a first entry of the memory region table; and if the request corresponds to a memory window: (i) use a first portion of the remote access key to index into a first entry of the memory window table; (ii) compare a second portion of the remote access key to a window table access key stored within the first entry of the memory window table; and (iii) allow processing to continue if the second portion of the remote access key matches the window table access key.