Abstract: A method and system within a data processing system are disclosed for receiving information from a communications network. The data processing system includes a communications adapter, having an adapter memory, and a host memory. The communications adapter is coupled to the communications network, which transmits information to the data processing system in packets including a packet header and packet data. According to the present invention, a portion of a packet of information is received from the communications network at the adapter memory within the communications adapter. The portion of the packet of information includes at least a packet header that specifies a length of the packet of information and a destination address within the host memory. In response to receipt of the portion of the packet of information, a transfer of the packet of information from the adapter memory to the host memory is prepared prior to receipt of a final portion of the packet of information at the adapter memory.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are disclosed for providing an inline data service within a data processing system coupled to a communications network. The data processing system includes a host memory. According to the present invention, the apparatus comprises an adapter memory for temporarily storing data communicated between the data processing system and the communications network and a memory access controller, which controls transfers of data between the adapter memory and the host memory. The apparatus further includes means for selectively performing a data transformation on data transferred between the adapter memory and the host memory, wherein the data transformation is performed during a transfer of the data such that data communication latency is reduced. In a second preferred embodiment of the present invention, a multibus data processing system has a processor and a first memory coupled to a first bus and a second memory coupled to a second bus.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for implementing virtual memory having multiple selected page sizes are provided. A virtual address includes a map index and a frame offset. A selector mechanism receives the virtual address frame offset and generates an offset and index. A frame map table indexes the virtual address map index and the selector generated index and generates a base address. The frame map table generated base address and the selector generated offset are combined to provide a physical address.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for scheduling the transmission of a number of data streams over a common communications link, where each of the data streams conforms to a corresponding set of flow control parameters. Each of the data streams to be transmitted on the communications link is stored in a corresponding queue. The status of each queue is maintained, and a target transmission time is calculated for each queue. Signals are then generated for each queue at a time at least after the target transmission time, and these signals are used to indicate to a corresponding queue that is can transmit a cell on the link. Upon reception of a corresponding signal, a queue then transmits at least one cell onto the communications link.

Abstract: Method and apparatus are provided for transmitting a stream of multimedia digital data over a distribution communications network. A multimedia stream server segments the multimedia digital data stream into data blocks on a first boundary and a second boundary. The first boundary is a set number of transport system data packets and the second boundary is a transport system data packet including a timestamp. A scheduler schedules the segmented data blocks for transmission. The multimedia stream server decodes the segmented data blocks to locate the timestamps and matches the transmission of the located timestamp data block with a time value indicated by the timestamp. The set number of transport system data packets can be determined at connection setup and is not a predetermined value for all sessions. At the receiver, batch processing of received multimedia data can be provided.