EP0442716A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
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Buffer queue management for multiple processes
Assignee: International Business Machines Corp
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Filing: 1991-02-13
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2011-02-13
Abstract
Abstract In a data processing system that includes several ongoing processes that produce words such as commands for temporary storage in a buffer, a buffer manager that controls the words input by the processes to the buffer. The manager includes apparatus for regulating the number of words from an executing first process for loading into the buffer, for loading a synchronisation word when a second process is to be executed and for halting the loading of words from a first process and providing for loading words from a second process when the synchronisation word is accessed by the subsequently executing processor.
Inventors
- 👤 John Andrew Cook
- 👤 Gregory Alan Flurry
- 👤 Larry William Henson
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-08 06:59
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06F; G06F9/00; G06F9/06; G06F9/46; G06F9/52; G06F13/00; G06F13/10; G06F13/12; G06F13/124; G06F13/126
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 9
Claim 1
Independent Claim
141 words
A data processing system comprising a plurality of processors each for executing a process, at least one of which processors includes a buffer, and means for transferring information between processors characterised by a buffer manager in at least one of said processors for regulating process access and controlling words input by an executing one of the processes to said buffer, said buffer manager including a regulator for regulating a number of words from an executing first process for loading into the buffer, means for loading the number of words, means for loading a synchronisation word when a change in access to a second process is to occur, and means for halting the loading of words from the first process and providing for the loading of words from the second process when said synchronisation word is accessed by the independently executing processor.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
55 words
A system as claimed in claim 1 wherein said regulator further includes means for storing a number of loadable locations in the buffer, means for computing the number of words to be loaded from said first process, and means for recomputing the number of loadable locations based upon the number of words to be loaded.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
33 words
A system as claimed in claim 2 wherein said regulator further includes means for determining if the computed number of words to be loaded is greater than the stored number of loadable locations.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
47 words
A system as claimed in claim 2 or claim 3 wherein said means for recomputing includes means for determining from the buffer if a threshold number of loadable locations is available and means for altering the stored number of loadable locations if the threshold number is available.
Claim 5
Independent Claim
48 words
A system as claimed in any of claims 2 to 4 wherein said regulator includes means for repetitively processing an available number of loadable words if an initial computation of the number of words to be loaded by said first process exceeds the stored number of loadable locations.
Claim 6
Independent Claim
33 words
A system as claimed in any of claims 2 to 5 wherein said regulator includes means for periodically accessing said first process when a threshold number of buffer locations becomes available for loading.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
121 words
In a data processing system having a plurality of processors, and a buffer for storing words such as commands requiring temporary storage during execution of a process, a method for buffer management for controlling process access and controlling words input by an executing one of the processors to a buffer of an independently executing processor, characterised by the steps of loading words into said buffer as they are produced by the executing processor, loading a synchronisation word when a change in process access is to occur, and halting the loading of the words from the current executing processor and providing for the loading of words produced by the new process when said synchronisation word is accessed by the subsequently executing processor.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
50 words
A method as claimed in claim 7 further including the steps of storing a number of loadable locations in the buffer, computing the number of words to be loaded from the currently executing process, and recomputing the number of loadable locations based upon the number of words to be loaded.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
60 words
A method as claimed in claim 8 wherein the recomputing step includes the steps of determining from the buffer if a threshold number of loadable locations is available if the computed number of words to be loaded is greater than the stored number of loadable locations, and altering the stored number of loadable locations if the threshold number is available.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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