JPH01233541A - Peripheral controller - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To improve the throughput of a host device and a subordinate device by constituting the title controller by plural devices by adding an agent having an auxiliary role to an agent connected to the host device side. CONSTITUTION:When a host device 2 is going to execute a control of a subordinate device 9, a channel program is sent by designating a logical channel of the device 9, to an agent 3 through a connecting device 12, and the device 2 does not send a program to an agent 4 having an auxiliary role. This agent 3 sends a message to an agent 6 and becomes a communication coupled state, and after a sequence has been ended, coupling is released. Subsequently, when the agent 6 is going to execute an information transfer to the device 2, a message is sent to the agent 3, and communication coupling is tried. When this coupling is successful, a data transfer is executed to the device 2 by the agent 3. When said coupling is unsuccessful, the agent 6 sends a message to the agent 4 and tries coupling, and when it is successful, it is connected to the device by a port being different from the connecting device 12 from the connecting device 13 by the agent 4.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a peripheral control device having a plurality of lower-level devices, and particularly to speeding up the operation to improve throughput.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, this type of peripheral control device has been used when the only agent connected to a higher-level device is communicating with an agent that has an interface with a lower-level device. Unable to connect to device. In addition, there is a multiprocessor system as a technology to solve this problem, in which multiple agents are connected equally from the same channel of the upper level device, so that even if one agent among them is in a communication state, other agents respond. Can be done.

Problems to be Solved by the Invention In the conventional peripheral control device described above, when there is only one agent having an interface with a higher-level device, when one agent having an interface with a lower-level device is communicating and is in a connected state, other agents Agents that have interfaces with lower-level devices are unable to transfer information to higher-level devices, reducing throughput. In addition, a multiprocessor system that improves this has the disadvantage that because each processor is basically equal, it is difficult to exclusively control each processor, such as allowing each processor to monopolize resources such as buses and boats while avoiding contention. There is.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned conventional situation,
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a novel peripheral control device that makes it possible to eliminate the above-mentioned drawbacks inherent in the conventional technology.

Means for Solving the Problems In order to achieve the above object, a peripheral control device according to the present invention includes a plurality of agents connected to a bus with a message delivery function and having interfaces with lower-order devices, and a plurality of agents connected to a bus with a message delivery function. Communication from a first agent that is connected and has an interface with a higher-level device, and an agent that has an interface with another lower-level device when the first agent is in communication with one agent that has an interface with the lower-level device. a second agent that executes the request on behalf of the first agent.

Embodiment Next, a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be specifically explained with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing one embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 1, a peripheral control device 1 according to this system is connected via a bus 11 with a message delivery function, and a first agent 3 and a host device 2 connected via interfaces 12 and 13. The second agent 4 and the third agent 5. connected to the lower device 8.9.10 via interface +4.15.16 respectively. Fourth agent 6 and fifth agent 7
It is made up of.

Here, a state in which two agents are communicating with each other via the message delivery function bus 11 is referred to as a communication connection state, and a connection state occurs in the following two cases.

A. Sequence of communications when a channel program is transferred to one of the agents 5.6.7 connected to the lower device by activation from the agent 3 connected to the upper device 2 B. To the lower device A series of communication sequences performed with an agent connected to a higher-level device in order to exchange data with the higher-level device.In both A and B above, two agents are in a communication connection state. In this case, other agents cannot communicate with the bound agent until the bound agent is released.

When the higher-level device 2 attempts to control the lower-level device 9,
A channel program is sent to the first agent 3 via the interface 12 by specifying the logical channel of the lower device 9. The host device 2 does not send the channel program to the second agent 4. This means that the second agent 4 is of a nature that plays an auxiliary role to the first agent 3. The reason why the first agent 3 and the second agent 4 are arranged in a hierarchy rather than on an equal basis is to make it easier to implement than a general multiprocessor system.

The first agent 3 that has received the channel program transfers a message to the fourth agent 6 and enters a communication connection state. After completing the sequence for transmitting the channel program, the coupled state is released.

Next, when the fourth agent 6 attempts to transmit information to the host device 2, it first sends a message to the first agent 3 and attempts to connect the communication. If the connection is successful, the first agent 3 transmits data to the host device 2.

If the fourth agent 6 fails to combine with the first agent 3, the fourth agent 6
sends a message to Agent 4 and attempts to connect. If the connection is successful, the second agent 4 transmits data from the interface 13 to the host device 2 using a port different from the interface 12. If this fails, attempts are made to connect the first agent 3 and the second agent 4 alternately at regular intervals, and the agent that connects earlier is used to transmit data to the host device. .

Effects of the Invention As explained above, according to the present invention, the throughput of the upper and lower devices can be improved by adding agents that play an auxiliary role to the agent connected to the upper device to create a plurality of configurations. You can get the desired effect.

In addition, since the agent that sends the channel program is fixed to one among the multiple agents connected to the upper-level device, the logic for acquiring a processor (agent) for the upper-level device is the same as that for a single processor, so it can be easily realized. Effects can be obtained. Generally speaking, there are more phases for exchanging data and status with the lower side than for sending channel programs, so this simplification does not cause much of a problem in terms of performance degradation.

In addition, when an agent connected to a lower-level device attempts to connect communication with an agent connected to a higher-level device, the decision logic has the effect of being easily realized because the order of connection attempts is determined from the beginning. .

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of a peripheral control device according to the present invention. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Peripheral control device, 2... Upper device, 3... First agent, 4... Second agent, 5...
... Third agent, 6... Fourth agent, 7... Agent, 8.9.10... Lower device, 11... Bus with message delivery function, 12.13
...Upper device interface, 14, 15.16...
・Low-layer device interface patent applicant: NEC Corporation Representative: Yutabe Kumagai, patent attorney

Claims (1)

[Claims] a plurality of agents connected to a bus with a message delivery function and having an interface with a lower-level device; a first agent connected to the bus with a message-handling function and having an interface with a higher-order device; It is characterized by having one agent having an interface with a device and a second agent that executes a communication request from an agent having an interface with another lower-level device in place of the first agent when in a communication state. Peripheral control device.