Patent ID: 7603490

Claim:
A method in a direct memory access engine in a direct memory access device for performing a direct memory access block move, the method comprising: receiving a direct memory access block move descriptor, wherein the direct memory access block move descriptor indicates a source and a target and wherein the direct memory access block move descriptor is identified as a barrier descriptor; converting the direct memory access block move descriptor into one or more direct memory access requests for the direct memory access block move descriptor; identifying a last direct memory access request within the one or more direct memory access requests; setting a barrier attribute for the last direct memory access request to mark a barrier; and for each given direct memory access request in the one or more direct memory access requests: determining whether the barrier attribute is set for the given direct memory access request; responsive to a determination that the barrier attribute is set, determining whether a barrier is pending for a channel of the given direct memory access request; and responsive to a determination that a barrier is not pending for the channel of the given direct memory access request, issuing the given direct memory access request to a bus engine in the direct memory access device.