Separable transport layer in cache coherent multiple component microelectronic systems

Abstract

A separable Transport Layer is described in the context of cache coherent multiple component micro-electronic systems. In one example, a packet is received from a source component, the packet containing a Protocol Layer. A Transport Layer is attached to the packet and the packet is sent across a component communications interface to a second component, the packet containing the Transport Layer and the Protocol Layer.

1 . A method comprising:
 receiving a packet from a source component, the packet containing Protocol Layer;   attaching a Transport Layer to the packet; and   sending the packet across a component communications interface to a second component, the packet containing the Transport :Layer and the Protocol Layer.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 waiting to receive an acknowledgment of the sent packet across the component communications interface Transport Layer; and   if no acknowledgment is received after a specific time interval, then resending the packet.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising if a negative acknowledgment is received across the component communications interface Transport Layer, then resending the packet. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising, after resending the packet, repeating waiting to receive an acknowledgment of the resent packet and resending the packet until either an acknowledgement is received or the packet has been resent a specific number of times. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein attaching a Transport Layer comprises attaching an identifier of the source of the packet. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein attaching a Transport Layer comprises attaching a sequence number for the packet. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the sequence number is based on the sequence of packets received from the source component. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising buffering the received packet. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising receiving an acknowledgement of the sent packet and then removing the packet from the buffer without resending, 
     
     
         10 . A machine-readable medium comprising data that when operated on by the machine cause the machine to perform operations comprising:
 receiving a packet from a source component, the packet having destination address;   determining if there is a Transport Layer enabled component in as path to the destination address;   if there is a Transport Layer enabled component, then attaching a Transport Layer to the packet; and   sending the packet to the destination address on the path through the Transport Layer enabled component.   
     
     
         11 . The medium of  claim 10 , wherein the operations further comprise buffering the packet until an acknowledgment is received from the Transport. Layer-enabled device. 
     
     
         12 . The medium of  claim 10 , wherein the Transport Layer comprises a sequence number and an identification of the source component. 
     
     
         13 . A method comprising:
 receiving a packet across a component communications interface, the packet containing Transport Layer and a Protocol Layer;   determining whether the packet is valid;   if the packet is valid, then using the Transport Layer, sending an acknowledgment to the sender, the acknowledgment being in a Transport Layer of the acknowledgement;   if the packet is valid, then removing the Transport Layer and forwarding the packet to a destination component.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising the packet is not valid, then sending a negative acknowledgement to the sender, the negative acknowledgment being in a Transport layer of the acknowledgment. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising checking a sequence number of the packet Transport Layer to determine if the packet is a duplicate and if the packet is duplicate, then dropping the packet. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein using the Transport Layer comprises determining an address for the sender using the Transport Layer. 
     
     
         17 - 20 . (canceled)