Method and apparatus for regulating input/output traffic of a data processing system

Claim 2

In a data processing system, wherein communication between a plurality of peripheral devices and the central processing system is controlled by a plurality of input/output control multiplexers, some of said peripheral devices being connected to more than one of said input/output control multiplexers, a separate traffic regulator connected to each of said input/output control multiplexers for regulating the flow of data between said system and said peripheral devices through said input/output control multiplexers, said traffic regulator comprising: means, receiving a I/O begin signal, an I/O end signal, and a type of peripheral signal from the input/output control multiplexer said traffic regulator is connected to, for generating an up-count signal or a down-count signal; means responsive to said up-count and down-count signals for generating a traffic variable represented by a binary number that is the instantaneous sum of the binary number within said up count, down-count responsive means and the binary number indicated by said up-count signal and down-count signal; means for receiving and storing a threshold variable represented by a binary number; and means for continuously comparing said traffic variable binary number and said threshold variable binary number and generating a binary signal whenever said traffic variable binary number is equal to or greater than said threshold variable binary number, whereby on indication is given to said input/output control multiplexer that a data transfer operation may not be initiated at this time.

Claim 3

The traffic regulator of claim 1 wherein said up-count, down-count signal generating means generates an upcount signal whenever an I/O begin signal is received, the magnitude of said up-count signal depending on the type of peripheral signal received with said I/O begin signal.

Claim 4

The traffic regulator of claim 1 wherein said up-count, down-count signal generating means generates a down-count signal whenever an I/O end signal is received, the magnitude of said down-Count signal depending on the type of peripheral signal received with said I/O end signal.

Claim 5

In a data processing system, wherein communication between a plurality of peripheral devices and a central processing system is controlled by a plurality of input/output control multiplexers, a method of regulating the flow of data between said system and said peripheral devices through said input/output control multiplexers by utilizing combinatorial logic operating in combination with traffic counter apparatus and comparison logic, said method comprising: generating a binary up-count or down-count signal in response to receiving an I/O begin signal, an I/O end signal, and a type of peripheral signal from one of said input/output control multiplexers; generating a traffic variable that is the instantaneous sum of previously generated binary up-count signals that are the result of presently active data transfer operations and the binary number indicated by said up-count and down-count signal; determining a threshold variable binary signal indicative of a desired ceiling on said data transfer operation; continuously comparing said traffic variable binary signal and said threshold variable binary signal; and generating a binary signal for inhibiting the institution of further data transfer operations between said system and a peripheral device, through a particular input/output control multiplexer, whenever said traffic variable signal becomes equal to or greater than said threshold variable signal.

Claim 6

In a data processing system, wherein communication between a plurality of peripheral devices and a central processing system is controlled by a plurality of input/output control multiplexers, a method of regulating the flow of data between said system and said peripheral devices through said input/output control multiplexers by utilizing combinatorial logic operating in combination with traffic counter apparatus and comparison logic, said method comprising: generating a binary up-count or down-count signal in response to receiving an I/O begin signal, an I/O end signal, and a type of peripheral signal from one of said input/output control multiplexers; generating a traffic variable that is the instantaneous sum of previously generated binary up-count signals that are the result of presently active data transfer operations and the binary number indicated by said up-count and down-count signal; determining a threshold variable binary signal indicative of a desired ceiling on said data transfer operation; continuously comparing said traffic variable binary signal and said threshold variable binary signal; and generating a binary signal for inhibiting the institution of further data transfer operations between said system and a peripheral device, through a particular input/output control multiplexer, whenever said traffic variable signal becomes equal to or greater than said threshold variable signal.

Claim 7

In a data processing system, wherein communication between a plurality of peripheral devices and a central processing system is controlled by a plurality of input/output control multiplexers, some of said peripheral devices being connected to more than one of said input/output control multiplexers, a method of distributing the data transfer operations between said plurality of input/output control multiplexers by utilizing combinatorial logic operating in combination with traffic counter apparatus and comparison logic, said method comprising: for a first input/output control multiplexer, generating a binary up-count signal or a binary down-count signal in response to receiving an I/O begin signal, an I/O end signal and a type of peripheral signal from said first input/output control multiplexer; generating a traffic variable that is the instantaneous sum of previously generated binary up-count signals that are the result of presently on-going data transfer operations and the binary number indicated by said up-count and down-count signal; determining a threshold variable binary signal indicative of a desired ceiling on said data transfer operations for said input/output control multiplexer; continuously comparing said traffic variable binary signal and said threshold variable binary signal; generating a binary signal for inhibiting the institution of further data transfer operations between said system and a peripheral device, through said input/output control multiplexer, whenever said traffic variable signal becomes equal to or greater than said threshold variable signal; and simultaneously carrying out the above steps for each input/output control multiplexer in said data processing system.

Claim 8

In a data processing system, wherein communication between a plurality of peripheral devices and a central processing system is controlled by a plurality of input/output control multiplexers, some of said peripheral devices being connected to more than one of said input/output control multiplexers, a method of distributing the data transfer operations between said plurality of input/output control multiplexers by utilizing combinatorial logic operating in combination with traffic counter apparatus and comparison logic, said method comprising: for a first input/output control multiplexer, generating a binary up-count signal or a binary down-count signal in response to receiving an I/O begin signal, an I/O end signal and a type of peripheral signal from said first input/output control multiplexer; generating a traffic variable that is the instantaneous sum of previously generated binary up-count signals that are the result of presently on-going data transfer operations and the binary number indicated by said up-count and down-count signal; determining a threshold variable binary signal indicative of a desired ceiling on said data transfer operations for said input/output control multiplexer; continuously comparing said traffic variable binary signal and said threshold variable binary signal; generating a binary signal for inhibiting the institution of further data transfer operations between said system and a peripheral device, through said input/output control multiplexer, whenever said traffic variable signal becomes equal to or greater than said threshold variable signal; and simultaneously carrying out the above steps for each input/output control multiplexer in said data processing system.