Patent Document

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED PATENT APPLICATION 
       [0001]    The present application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/975,803 filed on Oct. 28, 2004, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,447,810, the contents of which are fully incorporated by reference herein in their entirety. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present embodiments of the invention relate generally to input/output (I/O) processors and, more specifically, relate to direct memory access (DMA) controllers. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0003]    Many storage, networking, and embedded applications require fast input/output (I/O) throughput for optimal performance. I/O processors allow servers, workstations, and storage subsystems to transfer data faster, reduce communication bottlenecks, and improve overall system performance by offloading I/O processing functions from a host central processing unit (CPU). 
         [0004]    Typically, the CPU(s) in the I/O processors program direct memory access (DMA) controller(s) to move data between specified sources and destinations, such as between local memory and host memory. Once the DMA controller is programmed, it will generate a read command to the source&#39;s interface or controller. This controller or interface will generate the read command for the source, and once it obtains the read data will place that data on the bus to the DMA controller. Typical DMA controllers include buffers to temporarily store data when the data is moved between sources and destinations, such as between host and local memories. The DMA controller will accept the read data and store it in the DMA controller data buffers. At this time, the DMA controller will generate a write command to the destination&#39;s interface or controller. The destination interface or controller will accept this write command. Finally, the DMA controller provides the write data being stored in the DMA controller data buffers to the destination interface or controller in order to be written to the destination. 
         [0005]    The use of DMA controller data buffers can lead to increased area requirements, increased power requirements, and added complexity to the I/O processor. The use of DMA controller data buffers also slows down performance and increases costs for I/O processors. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0006]    The present invention will be understood more fully from the detailed description given below and from the accompanying drawings of various embodiments of the invention. The drawings, however, should not be taken to limit the invention to the specific embodiments, but are for explanation and understanding only. 
           [0007]      FIG. 1  illustrates a block diagram of one embodiment of a computer system; 
           [0008]      FIG. 2  illustrates a flow diagram of one embodiment for implementing bufferless DMA controllers; 
           [0009]      FIG. 3  illustrates a flow diagram of another embodiment for implementing bufferless DMA controllers; 
           [0010]      FIG. 4  illustrates a flow diagram of another embodiment for implementing bufferless DMA controllers; and 
           [0011]      FIG. 5  illustrates a flow diagram of another embodiment for implementing bufferless DMA controllers. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0012]    A method and apparatus to implement bufferless direct memory access (DMA) controllers using split transactions are described. Reference in the specification to “one embodiment” or “an embodiment” means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the invention. The appearances of the phrase “in one embodiment” in various places in the specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment. 
         [0013]    In the following description, numerous details are set forth. It will be apparent, however, to one skilled in the art, that the embodiments of the invention may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known structures and devices are shown in block diagram form, rather than in detail, in order to avoid obscuring the present invention. 
         [0014]      FIG. 1  is a block diagram of one embodiment of a computer system  100  to implement bufferless DMA controllers using split transactions. The system  100  includes a local memory  110 , an I/O processor  120 , an external bus  132 , a host system  140 , and a host memory  145 . Embodiments of the invention are not limited to being implemented with local and host memories, but may generally be implemented between any source and destination units accessed by an I/O processor. 
         [0015]    The I/O processor  120  further includes a memory controller  122 , a split transaction bus  124 , a CPU  126 , a DMA controller  128 , and an external bus interface  130 . Although embodiments of the invention reference the use of DMA controllers, alternatively other disk controllers may be used. The I/O processor  120  provides for intelligent I/O with the help of the CPU  126  and memory controller  122  coupled to the split transaction bus  124 . In one embodiment, CPU  126  is a processor in the Pentium® family of processors including the Pentium® II processor family, Pentium® III processors, and Pentium® IV processors available from Intel Corporation of Santa Clara, Calif. Alternatively, other CPUs may be used. 
         [0016]    The memory controller interfaces the local memory  110 , and that local memory  110  may include random access memory (RAM) such as Synchronous Dynamic RAM (SDRAM). The local memory  154  includes the instructions and data for execution and use by the CPU  126 . 
         [0017]    The split transaction bus  124  is a bus that is capable of supporting explicit split transactions of both read and write commands. In one embodiment, split transaction bus  124  is a XSI on-chip-bus. Alternatively, other split-transaction-capable buses may be used. 
         [0018]    Generally, split transactions split the address and data information phases of a data transfer. Splitting these phases is implemented by using an identifier, for example a Sequence ID. The address and data phases of the split transaction are coupled using the identifier. During the address phase, the requesting unit provides an identifier with command and attributes. 
         [0019]    During the data transfer phase, the unit supplying data uses the same identifier in order to tie the commands together at each unit. During reads, the agent which claimed the read command will supply data, while during writes the agent that generated the write command provides data. Additionally, a byte count may be used, along with the identifier, to couple the address and data phases of a split transaction. 
         [0020]    In one embodiment, the DMA controller  128  moves data from local memory  110  to host memory  145 , or alternatively, from host memory  145  to local memory  110 . The data transfer may take place without the use of data buffers in the DMA controller. 
         [0021]    For example, to perform a data transfer from the host memory  145  to the local memory  110 , the CPU  126  first programs the DMA controller  128  to perform the data transfer. The DMA controller  128  will then generate a write command to the memory controller  122 . This write command includes an Identifier (ID) and, in some embodiments, a Byte Count. The DMA controller  128  then generates a read command to the external interface  130  with the same ID and Byte Count information. 
         [0022]    The external interface  130  will then claim the read command and generate the read command on the external bus  132 . Once the external interface  130  receives the read data from host system  140 , it places the read data, with the corresponding ID and Byte Count, on the split transaction bus  124 . Finally, memory controller  122  will accept the read data because the ID and Byte Count of the read data match the ID and Byte Count of the write command the memory controller  122  previously received from the DMA controller  128 . 
         [0023]    In another embodiment, to perform a data transfer from the local memory  110  to host memory  145 , the CPU  126  first programs the DMA controller  128  to perform the data transfer. The DMA controller  128  will then generate a write command to the external bus interface  130 . This write command includes an Identifier (ID) and, in some embodiments, a Byte Count. The DMA controller  128  then generates a read command to the memory controller  122  with the same ID and Byte Count information. 
         [0024]    The memory controller  122  will then claim the read command and place the read data from local memory  110 , with corresponding ID and Byte Count, on to the split transaction bus  124 . Finally, external bus interface  130  accepts the read data on the split transaction bus  124  because the ID and Byte Count match the ID and Byte Count of the write command the external bus interface  130  previously received from the DMA controller  128 . 
         [0025]    In another embodiment, to perform a data transfer from one local memory location  110  to another local memory location  110 , the CPU  126  first programs the DMA controller  128  to perform the data transfer. The DMA controller  128  will then generate a write command to the memory controller  122 . This write command includes an Identifier (ID) and, in some embodiments, a Byte Count. The DMA controller  128  then generates a read command to the memory controller  122  with the same ID and Byte Count information. 
         [0026]    The memory controller  122  will then claim the read command and place the read data from local memory  110 , with corresponding ID and Byte Count, on to the split transaction bus  124 . Finally, the memory controller  122  accepts the read data on the split transaction bus  124  because the ID and Byte Count match the ID and Byte Count of the write command the memory controller  122  previously received from the DMA controller  128 . 
         [0027]    In another embodiment, to perform a data transfer from one host memory location  145  to another host memory location  145 , the CPU  126  first programs the DMA controller  128  to perform the data transfer. The DMA controller  128  will then generate a write command to the external bus interface  130 . This write command includes an Identifier (ID) and, in some embodiments, a Byte Count. The DMA controller  128  then generates a read command to the external bus interface  130  with the same ID and Byte Count information. 
         [0028]    The external interface  130  will then claim the read command and generate the read command on the external bus  132 . Once the external interface  130  receives the read data from host system  140 , it places the read data, with the corresponding ID and Byte Count, on the split transaction bus  124 . Finally, external bus interface  130  accepts the read data on the split transaction bus  124  because the ID and Byte Count match the ID and Byte Count of the write command the external bus interface  130  previously received from the DMA controller  128 . 
         [0029]      FIG. 2  depicts a flow diagram of one embodiment of implementing bufferless DMA controllers using split transactions. More specifically, the flow diagram depicts a data transfer from a host memory to a local memory, under one embodiment of the invention. At processing block  210 , the CPU programs the DMA controller to perform a data transfer. Using the split transaction functionality of the bus the DMA controller generates a write command to the memory controller with a unique ID and a Byte Count at processing block  220 . 
         [0030]    At processing block  230 , the DMA controller generates a read command to the external interface (using the source address) with the same ID and Byte Count as the write command that was previously given to the memory controller. The external interface claims the read command at processing block  240  and generates the read command on the external bus at processing block  250 . Once the external interface receives the read data from the host system at processing block  260 , it places this data on the split transaction bus at processing block  270 . Finally, at processing block  280 , the memory controller accepts the read data found on the split transaction bus that matches the ID and Byte Count of the write command earlier given to it by the DMA controller. 
         [0031]      FIG. 3  depicts a flow diagram of one embodiment of implementing bufferless DMA controllers using split transactions. More specifically, the flow diagram depicts a data transfer from a local memory to a host memory, under one embodiment of the invention. At processing block  310 , the CPU programs the DMA controller to perform a data transfer. The DMA then generates a write command (using the destination address) to the external interface with a unique ID and Byte Count at processing block  320 . 
         [0032]    The DMA controller generates a read command (using the source address) to the memory controller with the same ID and Byte Count found in the write command at processing block  330 . At processing block  340 , the memory controller claims the read command, and, at processing block  350 , returns the read data onto the split transaction bus. At processing block  360 , the external interface accepts the read data found on the split transaction bus that matches the ID and Byte Count of the write command it accepted previously. 
         [0033]      FIG. 4  depicts a flow diagram of one embodiment of implementing bufferless DMA controllers using split transactions. More specifically, the flow diagram depicts a data transfer from one location in local memory to another location in local memory, under one embodiment of the invention. At processing block  410 , the CPU programs the DMA controller to perform a data transfer. Using the split transaction functionality of the bus, the DMA controller generates a write command to the memory controller with a unique ID and a Byte Count at processing block  420 . 
         [0034]    The DMA controller then generates a read command to the memory controller with the same ID and Byte Count found in the write command at processing block  430 . At processing block  440 , the memory controller claims the read command, and, at processing block  450 , returns the read data onto the split transaction bus. At processing block  460 , the memory controller accepts the read data found on the split transaction bus that matches the ID and Byte Count of the write command it accepted previously. 
         [0035]      FIG. 5  depicts a flow diagram of one embodiment of implementing bufferless DMA controllers using split transactions. More specifically, the flow diagram depicts a data transfer from one location in host memory to another location in host memory, under one embodiment of the invention. At processing block  510 , the CPU programs the DMA controller to perform a data transfer. Using the split transaction functionality of the bus, the DMA controller generates a write command to the external interface with a unique ID and a Byte Count at processing block  520 . 
         [0036]    At processing block  530 , the DMA controller generates a read command to the external interface with the same ID and Byte Count as the write command that was previously given to the external interface. The external interface claims the read command at processing block  540  and generates the read command on the external bus at processing block  550 . Once the external interface receives the read data from the host system at processing block  560 , it places this data on the split transaction bus at processing block  570 . Finally, at processing block  580 , the external interface accepts the read data found on the split transaction bus that matches the ID and Byte Count of the write command earlier given to it by the DMA controller. 
         [0037]    Although  FIGS. 2 through 5  present implementing bufferless DMA controllers using split transactions in the context of data transfers between and within host and local memories, other embodiments may be implemented, such as transferring data between a peripheral and the host memory. Generally the apparatus and methods presented can be implemented between any source and destination units between which an I/O processor transfers data. 
         [0038]    Embodiments of the invention use split transaction functionality provided by split-transaction-capable buses to implement DMA controllers without data buffers. Removing data buffers from the DMA controller may result in increased performance and lower costs, as data is moved directly from one memory to the other memory, instead of being intermediately stored in the DMA data buffer. 
         [0039]    Whereas many alterations and modifications of the present invention will no doubt become apparent to a person of ordinary skill in the art after having read the foregoing description, it is to be understood that any particular embodiment shown and described by way of illustration is in no way intended to be considered limiting. Therefore, references to details of various embodiments are not intended to limit the scope of the claims, which in themselves recite only those features regarded as the invention.

Technology Category: y