Queuing system for buffering data from multiple input-stream, system and method

Abstract

A queuing system uses a common buffer for receiving input data from multiple-inputs, by allocating memory-elements in the common buffer to each input-stream, as the streams provide their input data. To allow for an independently controlled unloading of the individual data-items from the multiple-input common buffer, the system maintains a mapping of the memory locations of the buffer that is allocated to each data-item in each input-stream. To minimize the memory and overhead associated with maintaining a mapping of each data-item, memory locations that are allocated to each input-stream are maintained in a sequential, first-in, first-out queue. When a subsequent receiving device acknowledges that it is ready to receive a data-item from a particular input-stream, the identification of the allocated memory location is removed from the input-stream's queue, and the data-item that is at the allocated memory in the common buffer is provided to the receiving device.

Description

technical field [0001] The present invention relates to the field of computer and communication systems, and more particularly to a system that can receive multiple input streams that are routed to a common output port. Background technique [0002] Multiple input, common output systems are common in the art. For example, multiple hosts can communicate data with a shared server; multiple processors can access a shared storage device; multiple data streams can be sent to a shared transmission medium; and so on. Typically, the input to a multiple-input system is characterized by bursts of activity on one or more input streams. During these bursts of activity, the arrival rate of incoming data often exceeds the allowable data transmission rate to the underlying receiving system, so buffers must be provided to prevent data loss. [0003] Traditionally, one of two systems can be used to manage the routing of multiple input streams to a common output, depending on whether the de...

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

To put this into perspective, the number of unused memory locations in all queues at any one time is typically very high, so the memory usage of conventional multiple queue multiple input systems 100 is very inefficient

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