1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to an improved data processing system and in particular to a method and apparatus for transmitting data. Still more particularly, the present invention relates to a method and apparatus for managing transmission of data from a source to a destination.
2. Description of the Related Art
Two basic types of communications connections are employed between processors and between a processor and a peripheral. These types of connections are known as channels and networks. A channel provides a direct or switched point-to-point connection between communicating devices. This type of connection is typically employed between a processor and a peripheral device. The primary task of the channel is to transport data at the highest possible speed with the least delay. In contrast, a network is an aggregation of distributed nodes, such as workstations, file servers, and peripherals. Typically, in a network a node contends for the transmission medium and each node must be kept free of error conditions on the network. A traditional channel is hardware intensive and typically has lower overhead than a network. Conversely, networks tend to have relatively high overhead because they are software intensive. Networks, however, are expected to handle a more extensive range of tasks as compared to channels. In a closed system, every device addressed is known to the operating system either by assignment or pre-definition. This configuration knowledge is important to the performance levels of channels. Fibre Channel is a channel-network hybrid containing network features to provide the needed connectivity, distance, and protocol multiplexing along with enough traditional channel features to retain simplicity, repeatable performance, and guaranteed delivery. Fibre Channel has an architecture that represents a true channel/network integration. Fibre Channel allows for an active intelligent interconnections scheme, called a fabric, to connect devices. A Fibre Channel port manages simple point-to-point connection between itself and the fabric. A xe2x80x9cportxe2x80x9d is a hardware entity on a xe2x80x9cnodexe2x80x9d with a node being a device connected to a network that is capable of communicating with other network devices. Transmission is isolated from control protocol. As a result, different topologies may be implemented. Fibre Channel supports both large and small data transfers.
The demand for flexible, high performance, fault-tolerant storage subsystems caused host adapter, disk storage, and high-capacity drive manufacturers to adopt Fibre Channel (FC) as a standard. This serial standard cuts cabling costs, increases data rates, and overcomes distance limitations commonly associated with a Small Computer System Interface (SCSI). Fibre Channel can carry SCSI protocols, and as a result offers an ideal upgrade for work stations, servers, and other systems requiring high availability and/or high bandwidth. Fibre Channel has become increasingly important as companies are seeking to provide faster and easier access to data for various clients. The Fibre Channel Standard (FCS) as adopted by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), provides a low cost, high speed interconnect standard for workstations, mass storage devices, printers, and displays.
Current Fibre Channel data transfer rates exceed 100 megabytes (Mbytes) per second in each direction. Fibre Channel data transfer rates also may be scaled to lower speed, such as 50 Mbytes per second and 25 Mbytes per second. This technology provides an interface that supports both channel and network connections for both switched and shared mediums. Fibre Channel simplifies device interconnections and reduces hardware cost because each device requires only a single Fibre Channel port for both channel and network interfaces. Network, port to port, and peripheral interfaces can be accessed though the same hardware connection with the transfer of data of any format.
In sending data from a source node to a destination node, the source transmits data from a bus, such as a Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) bus, to a buffer for transfer onto a Fibre Channel system, which is connected to the destination node. Data is sent serially on Fibre Channel systems. As a result, data currently in a buffer must be sent before additional data may be loaded. Currently, if data cannot be sent because the destination is not accepting additional data, then this data must be removed to send data to another destination. This loading and dumping of data increases the overhead in transferring data between various nodes on a Fibre Channel system. Thus, it would be advantageous to have an improved method and apparatus for transferring data between nodes in which the overhead of acquiring the dumping and reloading of new data is eliminated.
The present invention provides a method and apparatus for transmitting data in a node having a buffer. A first set of data is received in a buffer for transmission to a target node. The first set of data is sent to the target node. Responsive to an indication that the target node is unable to receive data, a second set of data is loaded into the buffer for transmission to another target node, while the first set of data is retained in the buffer.