Abstract: A method and an apparatus for timely and accurate processing of data in a network computing environment controlled by a running program and having a queuing mechanism established in a main storage. The main storage is in processing communication with an interface element having one or more adapters. At least one set of queues in the queuing mechanism is designated for input and another set for output. A signal adapter instruction can be issued to provide initiative to check content of any or all queues in the mechanism. With the help of the signal adapter an initiate-output can be specified when appropriate and the associated adapter can then asynchronously process the input or the output queues. A synchronize option is also available to signal the associated data queues to update all entries in order to render them current as observed by both the adapter and the controlling running program.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for exchanging data in a network computing system having a main storage capable of connecting to at least one application server and an interface element with at least one adapter capable of establishing processing communication with at least one application user(s). A state change signalling protocol is used for transfer of data between the main storage and said adapter. In addition a queuing mechanism is established in the main storage having a plurality of queues each with a plurality of buffers. Some of these queues are dedicated to be input and others as output queues. By applying the protocol each input and output data buffer is associated with each of the active input and output queues. In this manner the input and output buffers are managed by placing the buffers into various states which are maintained in a special location that is set aside and is associated with each buffer.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for providing concurrent patch in a computing network environment using microcode and having a queued direct I/O and a main memory in processing communication with an adapter. First it is allowed for a new level of microcode to be installed to an adapter without interrupting any running applications and/or services. It is then determined if the affected adapter is a network or a channel adapter. If the adapter is a channel adapter, applications using the channel adapter are to run without requiring any connection type information to be kept across any code updates. If the adapter is determined to be a network adapter, all adapter sessions are kept alive and activated while accessing information about any client station connected to a LAN and each present in said environment.

Abstract: A computer program product in a network environment having a main storage in processing communication with an interface element having adapters for storing data in a queuing mechanism in the main storage. The program product comprises a data storage device including a computer usable medium having computer readable program means for ensuring proper and timely processing of data and computer readable code means for providing a plurality of queue sets; for dedicating one or more queues in each set as input or output queues; for providing the ability to said queues to share access to a plurality of devices in said network across a plurality of communication stacks; for mapping various resources to said queues to facilitate resource allocation and dynamic configuration by providing initialization of a plurality of configuration parameters; and for providing dynamic expanding and contracting of the number of queues in each set as dictated by traffic patterns and feedback indicators.

Abstract: In a mainframe class data processing system having multiple logical partitions and a port to a network, a host-network interface is established for reducing network overhead at the multiple partitions. The host-network interface includes, for example, a host channel connection coupling the multiple partitions of the host system to a communications adapter having a network device driver for each network coupled to the adapter. The adapter also includes an address resolution protocol (ARP) cache designed to hold predetermined media headers for the clients coupled to the network(s) for use in forwarding an internet protocol (IP) datagram across the network to one of the clients from a partition of the host system. If not predetermined, the adapter is provided with a capability to dynamically determine the needed media header for transmission of the IP datagram across the network to the client. In Ethernet format, this dynamically determining includes forwarding an Ethernet 802.

Abstract: A queuing method and apparatus for receipt and transfer of incoming and outgoing data inn a network environment having a main storage. The mechanism includes at least one set of dedicated input queues and at least another set of dedicated output queues. In addition a plurality of queuing components is also provided that include attributes of devices to and from which data is to be transferred or received, and information about the queuing mechanism itself. The input and output queues also comprise an information block containing address of all input and output queues, a storage information block providing information about the queuing mechanism and storage list information blocks that defined for each queue containing specific information about that queue itself.

Abstract: In a mainframe class data processing system having multiple logical partitions and a port to a network, a host-network interface is established for reducing network overhead at the multiple partitions. The host-network interface includes, for example, a host channel connection coupling the multiple partitions of the host system to a communications adapter having a network device driver for each network coupled to the adapter. The adapter also includes an address resolution protocol (ARP) cache designed to hold predetermined media headers for the clients coupled to the network(s) for use in forwarding an internet protocol (IP) datagram across the network to one of the clients from a partition of the host system. If not predetermined, the adapter is provided with a capability to dynamically determine the needed media header for transmission of the IP datagram across the network to the client. In Ethernet format, this dynamically determining includes forwarding an Ethernet 802.

Abstract: In a mainframe class data processing system having multiple logical partitions and a port to a network, a host-network interface is established for reducing network overhead at the multiple partitions. The host-network interface includes, for example, a host channel connection coupling the multiple partitions of the host system to a communications adapter having a network device driver for each network coupled to the adapter. The adapter also includes an address resolution protocol (ARP) cache designed to hold predetermined media headers for the clients coupled to the network(s) for use in forwarding an internet protocol (IP) datagram across the network to one of the clients from a partition of the host system. If not predetermined, the adapter is provided with a capability to dynamically determine the needed media header for transmission of the IP datagram across the network to the client. In Ethernet format, this dynamically determining includes forwarding an Ethernet 802.

Abstract: A method in a computing network environment for host partition computers to share a multicast communication adapter connected to a local area network. Each host partition sends information identifying the host application as well as a multicast addressing protocol to the shared multicast communication adapter. The communication adapter registers the information and directs inbound multicast packets from the LAN to the appropriate host partition application. In a preferred embodiment, the communication adapter registers the information according to the IP multicast address. In a preferred embodiment, a counter is employed in the communication adapter to maintain a count of the number of host applications that are registered. The invention further provides a method for un-registering a host partition application.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for error detection in a network computing system having a main storage capable of connecting to at least one application server and an interface element with at least one adapter capable of establishing processing communication with at least one application user(s). Data is transferred across the interface element to and from the main storage. The main storage includes a queuing mechanism providing a plurality of queuing components having attributes of devices to and from which data is to be transferred or received as well as information about the queuing mechanism itself. As part of the queuing component, providing a Storage-List-State Block (SLSB) having state indicators that provide state information about a plurality of buffers that make up each queue. A plurality of Error States is defined for by the SLSB Status Block. These Error States are set in the SLSB each time the interface element detects errors in the data stream.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for establishing communication between a first initiating host and a second communicating host in a computing environment having a gateway device. The gateway device is electronically connected from one side to a plurality of initiating hosts and on another side to at least one local area network, further connecting a plurality of receiving hosts to said gateway device. During an initialization step, all connected hosts and the local area network(s) is identified and their addresses and information obtained and stored in a port-sharing table in a memory location accessible to the gateway device. Upon receipt of a special command for establishing communication between a first initiating host and a second receiving host, all information required for establishing of a successful communication between the two hosts is then obtained from the port-sharing table.

Abstract: An apparatus for allowing any initiating host to establish communications with any receiving host in a computing network using a Multi-path channel communication protocol. The computing environment also having a gateway device that is electronically connected from one end to at least one initiating host and at the other end to at least one local area network through which a plurality of hosts are connected to the gateway device. The apparatus comprises a special function table for storing all possibly available functions that can be provided for all available commercial communication platforms as well as a memory location accessible by said gateway device for storing said special function table. Determining means then will obtain a list of all supported functions provided by said particularly associated communication platform and through the use of a comparison component provides information about all supported functions in the same special function table.

Abstract: In a computing network environment having a gateway device that is electronically connected on one side to at least one local area network and on other side to a plurality of initiating hosts, an apparatus for establishing direct communication between a first initiating host and a second initiating host through the gateway device without necessity of involving the local area network in the communication and its related data transmission. The apparatus comprises of an initialization component for obtaining all information about all connected hosts and storing it in a port-sharing table in a memory location accessible to the gateway device. The gateway device controls all communications through a controller component. Upon receiving of a request for establishing communication between two initiating hosts, retrieving means is used for obtaining all information for establishing of a successful communication from said port-sharing table.

Abstract: In a computing network environment having a gateway device that is connected on one side to at least one local area network and on other side to a plurality of initiating hosts, a method of establishing direct communication between a first initiating host and a second initiating host through the gateway device without necessity of involving the local area network in this communication and its related data transmission. The method comprising the steps of first obtaining the addresses and information of all connected hosts needed for establishing communication and storing it in a memory location accessible to said gateway device in form of a port-sharing table. The gateway device will be handling all requests for communication setups between hosts.

Abstract: An apparatus for dynamically providing a host information about all functions supported by a communication platform provided in a computing network environment is presented. The computing network environment is also provided with a gateway device that is electronically connected at least to one initiating host and at least one receiving host, besides the associated communication platform. The apparatus comprises of a handshaking component for determining address and other information about all hosts to be inputted in a port-sharing table. Means is also provided for checking all host connections at preselected intervals to ensure their connection status availability and all necessary changes are made in the port-sharing table in case any host connection becomes unavailable. A receiving component obtains IP datagrams related to a particular initiating host after a special IP address command has been issued relating to that initiating host.

Abstract: An apparatus for dynamically providing a host information about all functions supported by a communication platform provided in a computing network environment. The computing network environment also has a gateway device besides the associated communication platform which can be of any specific type, as well as at least having an initiating host and at least one receiving host that are electronically connected to the gateway device. The apparatus comprises a special function table for storing all possibly available functions that can be provided for all available commercial communication platforms as well as a memory location accessible by said gateway device for storing said special function table. Determining means then will obtain a list of all supported functions provided by said particularly associated communication platform and through the use of a comparison component provides information about all supported functions in the same special function table.

Abstract: A method of allowing any initiating host to establish communications with any receiving host in a computing network using a Multi-path channel communication protocol. The computing environment also having a gateway device that is electronically connected from one end to at least one initiating host and at the other end to at least one local area network through which a plurality of hosts are connected to the gateway device. The method comprise the steps of first performing an initialization step during information and addresses of all present hosts are determined and stored in a port-sharing table which is kept up to date by regular monitoring of availability status. All host communications is performed entirely through the gateway device. Upon the receipt of a special IP address certain information is obtained from the datagram. Then the address and information of the initiating host is compared to the entries in the portsharing table and if no match is found a new entry is made.

Abstract: An apparatus for allowing any initiating host to establish communications with any receiving host in a computing network using a Multi-path channel communication protocol. The computing environment also having a gateway device that is electronically connected from one end to at least one initiating host and at the other end to at least one local area network through which a plurality of hosts are connected to the gateway device. The apparatus comprises means for first performing an initialization step during information and addresses of all present hosts are determined and stored in a port-sharing table which is kept up to date by regular monitoring of availability status. All host communications is performed entirely through the gateway device. Upon the receipt of a special IP address certain information is obtained from the datagram. Then the address and information of the initiating host is compared to the entries in the portsharing table and if no match is found a new entry is made.

Abstract: In a computing network system environment having a gateway device that is electronically connected from one side to a plurality of initiating hosts and on another side to at least one local area network, in turn connecting a plurality of hosts are connected to the gateway device, a method and apparatus for eliminating any need for building a separate and special protocol data unit element for each header. The computer network environment uses a Multi-path channel communication protocol as well as protocol data units to point to various portions of data. An interface layer is provided between a plurality of protocol stacks and the multi-path channel protocol. The interface layer has a timer which will wait for data from the protocol stack. A list of all buffers are assembled as received comprising of one entry for each data buffer. This buffer list is then transferred to the multi-path channel protocol layer upon expiration of the timer, which is in turn sent to any channel attached processor as one block.

Abstract: A method of dynamically configuring and monitoring every host connected to a gateway device, where at least one initiating host and one receiving host is at least connected to the gateway device in a computing network environment. All information about all connected hosts and their addresses are first determined and stored in a port-sharing table in a memory location accessible to the gateway device. The availability of each host connection is monitored and checked at preselected intervals and if any host becomes unavailable, a change in status is made in the portsharing table. When a special IP address command is issued for a particular initiating host, such as a SET IP address command, all IP datagrams for that particular host is received and in turn compared to the entries in the portsharing table.