Method and means for enabling virtual addressing control by software users over a hardware page transfer control entity

Claim 1

A method of controlling a hardware data move facility (ADMF) by user programs in a data processing system containing a main memory and an extended memory, both memories being made of electronic technology media, said system including one or more central processors (CPUs), and said ADMF containing one or more ADMF processors, said method handling multiple concurrent requests from independent user programs to an operating system (OS) for services of said ADMF comprising the steps of providing ADMF requests in user programs to said OS, each ADMF request, including: a page move table containing one or more data move specifications for moving data between two virtual address spaces, each data move specification containing a source virtual address and a destination virtual address for specifying locations of data to be moved for said ADMF request, and a parameter control list containing a backing indicator for signalling whether said virtual address spaces are backed by data on said same or different media, and a direction indicator for signalling a direction of data transfer relative to one of said address spaces, processing each user request by: building an ADMF operation control block (AOB) by encapsulating said parameter control list and said page move table into a predetermined format of fields to provide an application-software-to-ADMF interface for each user program ADMF request, assigning an ADM request element (ARE) to said ADMF request and writing in said ARE an AOB pointer for locating said AOB in main memory to associate said ARE with said AOB, and chaining said ARE in an ARE queue containing currently uncompleted ADMF/OS requests, providing an ADMF unit control block (UCB) containing a subchannel identifier for identifying a subchannel associated with said ADMF and writing an ARE pointer in said ADMF UCB for with said UCB to locate said ARE and for associating said UCB with said ARE and with said AOB located by said AOB pointer written in said ARE, said UCB representing said ADMF request to said ADMF subchannel identified therein without associating said subchannel with a particular ADMF processor, chaining said UCB and ARE into an ADMF/OS queue containing an ADMF/OS queue header in said main memory by addressing said UCB and ARE through said ADMF/OS queue header, executing said method on a CPU to provide said application-to-ADMF interface utilizing said ADMF/OS queue for receiving and holding user program requests for ADM work and for transmitting said ADMF work requests from said ADMF/OS queue to an ADMF work queue in said ADMF, in which said OS is: issuing each ADMF work request from said ADMF/OS queue by taking a UCB and an ARE addressed by said UCB from said ADMF/OS queue, and performing the step of: forming an operation request block (ORB) as an operand of a start subchannel (SSCH) instruction and writing in said ORB said address of said AOB, executing said SSCH instruction by said OS to put said subchannel identified in said operand of said SSCH instruction on said ADMF work queue in said ADMF for providing an OS-to-ADMF interface for said ADMF request, and moving data for said ADMF request by said ADMF using any available ADMF co-processor to access said AOB for obtaining said data move specifications for identifying source and destination virtual address spaces and locating source and destination virtual addresses in said virtual address spaces to control movement of data between said locations.

Claim 2

A method of controlling a hardware data move facility (ADMF) by user programs in a data processing system containing a main memory and an extended memory, both memories being made of electronic technology media, said system including one or more central processors (CPUs), and said ADMF containing one or more ADMF processors, said method handling multiple concurrent requests from independent user programs to an operating system (OS) for services of said ADMF comprising the steps of providing ADMF requests in user programs to said OS, each ADMF request, including: a page move table containing one or more data move specifications for moving data between two virtual address spaces, each data move specification containing a source virtual address and a destination virtual address for specifying locations of data to be moved for said ADMF request, and a parameter control list containing a backing indicator for signalling whether said virtual address spaces are backed by data on said same or different media, and a direction indicator for signalling a direction of data transfer relative to one of said address spaces, processing each user request by: building an ADMF operation control block (AOB) by encapsulating said parameter control list and said page move table into a predetermined format of fields to provide an application-software-to-ADMF interface for each user program ADMF request, assigning an ADM request element (ARE) to said ADMF request and writing in said ARE an AOB pointer for locating said AOB in main memory to associate said ARE with said AOB, and chaining said ARE in an ARE queue containing currently uncompleted ADMF/OS requests, providing an ADMF unit control block (UCB) containing a subchannel identifier for identifying a subchannel associated with said ADMF and writing an ARE pointer in said ADMF UCB for with said UCB to locate said ARE and for associating said UCB with said ARE and with said AOB located by said AOB pointer written in said ARE, said UCB representing said ADMF request to said ADMF subchannel identified therein without associating said subchannel with a particular ADMF processor, chaining said UCB and ARE into an ADMF/OS queue containing an ADMF/OS queue header in said main memory by addressing said UCB and ARE through said ADMF/OS queue header, executing said method on a CPU to provide said application-to-ADMF interface utilizing said ADMF/OS queue for receiving and holding user program requests for ADM work and for transmitting said ADMF work requests from said ADMF/OS queue to an ADMF work queue in said ADMF, in which said OS is: issuing each ADMF work request from said ADMF/OS queue by taking a UCB and an ARE addressed by said UCB from said ADMF/OS queue, and performing the step of: forming an operation request block (ORB) as an operand of a start subchannel (SSCH) instruction and writing in said ORB said address of said AOB, executing said SSCH instruction by said OS to put said subchannel identified in said operand of said SSCH instruction on said ADMF work queue in said ADMF for providing an OS-to-ADMF interface for said ADMF request, and moving data for said ADMF request by said ADMF using any available ADMF co-processor to access said AOB for obtaining said data move specifications for identifying source and destination virtual address spaces and locating source and destination virtual addresses in said virtual address spaces to control movement of data between said locations.