Abstract: A system and method are provided for tracking connections in a network bundle including a plurality of network links. The method comprises: receiving packet fragments in a plurality of sampling rounds; for a current sampling round, recording which links have supplied a packet fragment; and, advancing a record of the received packet fragments in response a packet fragment on each link. Typically, the packet fragments are received with a corresponding first plurality of sequence numbers. Then, the lowest sequence number in the completed current sampling round is recorded. Some aspects of the method additionally comprise: for the current sampling round, establishing a flag register with a flag for each link; establishing a next lowest sequence number (Mn) register; and, establishing a current lowest sequence number (Mc) register. Then, a flag register flag is toggled in response to receiving a packet fragment on a corresponding link.

Abstract: A system and method for controlling a communications adapter interface such that supplemental data can be interleaved with data being transferred. The interleaving is performed in a manner such that the supplemental data is transparent to the data mover portion of the communications adapter. The supplemental data can be transferred in either read or write cycles that are interleaved at the beginning, in the middle, or at the end of data bursts or block data transfers. As a result of the interleaving, the slave interface bus is more fully utilized because arbitration and bus ownership changes do not create unused cycles. The interleaving is accomplished by temporarily halting an existing transfer of data and transferring the requested supplemental data while the data transfer is halted. After the supplemental data is transferred, the transfer of the balance of the data block is then allowed to continue.