Computer system

Claim 2

Process for providing data communication between a first computer and a second computer and between a third computer and said second computer, where an application on said second computer is running, and simultaneously a different but related application on said first computer is running; characterized by steps of: initiating from the application running on said first computer a write command to write data from said first computer to said second computer, said first computer initiating said write command without specific prior direction from said second computer to initiate said write command, said first computer application having a peer-to-peer relationship to said second computer application insofar as the ability of said first computer application to initiate said write command; writing said data into a buffer pool memory regulated by memory resident indicators associated with said buffer pool memory whereby no channel program is required, said second computer application subsequently reading said data from said buffer pool memory; and said application running on said second computer also controlling a data transfer between said second computer and said third computer in a master/slave relationship.

Claim 3

Process as set forth in claim 1 characterized by steps of: transmitting said write command in microcode to said second computer via a communication link to notify said second computer of said write command; and approving by said second computer in microcode of said write command and transmitting said approval onto said communication link, before said writing step is implemented.

Claim 4

Process as set forth in claim 2 characterized by step of: transmitting from said second computer onto said communication link a location in said buffer pool memory to receive said data, said transmission of said location being implemented before said write command is transmitted.

Claim 5

Process as set forth in claim 1, characterized in that said buffer pool memory is identified by a circular first-in first-out queue of addresses, and said data is written into one end of said buffer pool memory, the location of said end changing after said data is written into said buffer pool memory.

Claim 6

Process as set forth in claim 1, characterized by transmitting said data to said second computer via a communication link, said buffer pool memory residing in said second computer to receive said data during said writing step.

Claim 7

Computer system operating with a process according to one of claims 1 to 5, comprising a midrange computer including a CUP, a first buffer pool memory to which said CUP writes data, a circular buffer pool memory from which said CUP reads data, an I/O bus connected to said CUP and a third memory area; a personal computer including an internal bus, characterized by first means, coupled to said personal computer (14) internal bus, for receiving via said internal bus a write command from and initiated by an application running on said personal computer, second means, coupled to said first means and to said midrange computer CPU (13) and responsive to said write command, for initially notifying said midrange computer of said write command initiated by said personal computer application, and subsequently receiving permission from said midrange computer, based on memory resident indicators alone associated with said second buffer pool memory (7) whereby no channel program is required, to write said data into said second buffer pool memory via said midrange computer I/O bus, said third memory area being protected from said personal computer; third means, coupled to said first means, said second means and said midrange computer I/O bus, for presenting said data to said midrange computer I/0 bus to be written into said second buffer pool memory, in response to the receipt of said permission by said second means; and a third computer having a different type of processor (13, 72)than said midrange computer (12) and coupled to said midrange computer, said midrange computer exhibiting a master/slave relationship to said third computer for data communication; said third memory area receiving dated transmitted by said third computer.

Claim 8

Computer system as set forth in claim 6, characterized in that said second means notifies said midrange computer of said write command by transmitting a notification in microcode to said midrange computer CUP (12).

Claim 9

Computer system as set forth in claim 7, characterized in that said midrange computer includes an operating system run by said midrange computer CPU (12), and said microcode notification is processed by said midrange computer CPU by stealing cycles from said CPU without interrupting said midrange computer operating system.

Claim 10

Computer system as set forth in claim 8, characterized in that said first, second and third means are operable to transmit said data from said personal computer (14) to said midrange computer (16) while said midrange computer runs a first application and said personal computer runs a second application, said first and second applications being run simultaneously.

Claim 11

Computer system as set forth in claim 9, characterized in that said personal computer includes memory, and said first means shares a portion of said personal computer memory, and further comprising device driver means, coupled to said personal computer internal bus and said personal computer memory, for transferring data from a location inside said personal computer memory outside of said shared portion to said shared portion before transmission to said midrange computer I/O bus, and that said shared memory stores a pointer indicating the location of a writing end of said second buffer pool memory.

Claim 12

Computer system as set forth in claim 7, characterized in that said first means also receives via said personal computer internal bus a read command from and initiated by said personal computer application, said second means notifies said midrange computer of said read request and subsequently receives permission from said midrange computer to read said data from said first buffer pool memory via said midrange computer I/O bus; and said third means reads said data from said midrange computer I/O bus.

Claim 13

Computer system as set forth in claim 7, characterized by an application running on said midrange computer and an application running on said personal computer, said applications running simultaneously, and wherein said personal computer application initiates said write command without prior approval from said midrange application, said applications having a peer-to-peer relationship to each other insofar as the ability of each application to initiate a read or write operation from or to the respective buffer pool memories.

Claim 14

Computer system as set forth in claim 7, characterized by an application running on said midrange computer and an application running on said personal computer, said applications running simultaneously, and wherein said personal computer application initiates said write command without prior approval from said midrange application, said applications having a peer-to-peer relationship to each other insofar as the ability of each application to initiate a read or write operation from or to the respective buffer pool memories.

Claim 15

Computer system comprising a first computer, a second, different type of computer, a first private memory dedicated and connected to said first computer, a second private memory dedicated and connected to said second computer, characterized by a shared memory for and connected to both said first and second computers, said first computer including means for directly accessing said shared memory, and said second computer including means fir directly accessing said shared memory, whereby either of said computers can transfer data to the other computer by transferring data to said shared memory; a first application running on said first computer; and a second application running simultaneously on said second computer; and wherein said second application can initiate a data transfer to said memory without prior specific approval from said first computer to make said data transfer; and further comprising a third, different type of computer; and channel and control unit means for coupling said first computer to said third computer for data communication; and wherein said first computer exhibits a master/slave relationship to said third computer for data communication.

Claim 16

Computer system comprising a first computer, a second, different type of computer, a first private memory dedicated and connected to said first computer, a second private memory dedicated and connected to said second computer, characterized by a shared memory for and connected to both said first and second computers, said first computer including means for directly accessing said shared memory, and said second computer including means fir directly accessing said shared memory, whereby either of said computers can transfer data to the other computer by transferring data to said shared memory; a first application running on said first computer; and a second application running simultaneously on said second computer; and wherein said second application can initiate a data transfer to said memory without prior specific approval from said first computer to make said data transfer; and further comprising a third, different type of computer; and channel and control unit means for coupling said first computer to said third computer for data communication; and wherein said first computer exhibits a master/slave relationship to said third computer for data communication.

Claim 17

Computer system as set forth in claim 14, characterized in that said second application includes means for transferring said data to said shared memory both directly from said second private memory and directly from said second application.

Claim 18

Computer system as set forth in claim 15, characterized in that said shared memory comprises a circular buffer pool memory, said second computer writing data into said buffer pool memory and said first computer reading data from said buffer pool memory in first-in first-out order, and that said shared memory comprises a list of pointers corresponding to each location in said buffer pool memory, and a control word associated with each location indicating which of said computers presently has control of said location to access said location.