Memory resource allocation in an end-point device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11038749-B2
Application number	US-201816231807-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 24, 2018
Priority date	Dec 24, 2018
Publication date	Jun 15, 2021
Grant date	Jun 15, 2021

Abstract

A handshake communication mechanism between a host and an end-point device permits multiple Base Address Registers (BAR registers) to be configured to size or resize the mapped address spaces associated with each BAR register. In one embodiment, the handshake communication mechanism includes a single address space reconfiguration request which may be transmitted in a single transaction layer packet, to request the configuration of multiple BAR registers of an end-point device. Other features and advantages may be realized, depending upon the particular application.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for use with a host having a host address space, comprising:
an end-point device having at least one base address register, and memory resource allocation logic configured to:
receive a request from a host requesting address space mapping configuration of an address space of the end-point device wherein the request includes at least one address space resize parameter defining a changed size of a requested address space mapping resizing;
in association with the request, configure mapping of the address space of the end-point device to the host address space; and
in response to the request, issue a completion notice to a requesting host upon completion of a requested address space mapping configuration;
wherein the request includes a multi-protocol layer (MPL) stack write request issued by the host to the end-point device, wherein the end-point device has a Vendor-Specific Extended Capability (VSEC) data structure and wherein the memory resource allocation logic is configured to populate the VSEC data structure with the at least one address space resize parameter in response to the MPL stack write request, wherein the completion notice includes a completion field of the VSEC data structure, and wherein the memory resource allocation logic is configured to populate the completion field upon completion of a requested address space configuration, for reading by the host with an MPL stack read request.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the request is a multi-protocol layer (MPL) stack request message generated by a Vendor Defined Message (VDM) generator of the host, and wherein the memory resource allocation logic includes a VDM receiver configured to receive and decode the MPL stack request message including the at least one address space resize parameter, and further includes a VDM generator configured to generate the completion notice as a multi-protocol layer (MPL) stack completion message for receipt by a VDM receiver of the host.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the request requests the end-point device to configure the at least one base address register to resize mapping an address space of the end-point device, and includes at least one address space resize parameter including a changed size value defining a changed size of a requested address space mapping resizing.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein a single request requests the end-point device to configure a plurality of base address registers to resize mapping of a plurality of address spaces of the end-point device, and includes a plurality of address space resize parameters including for each of the plurality of base address registers, a changed size value defining a changed size of a requested address space mapping resizing for an associated base address register.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the memory resource allocation logic includes a resizing enable register and the memory resource allocation logic is configured to populate the address space resizing enable register to enable address space mapping resizing as a function of the request.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the request includes at least one address space resize parameter which has been encrypted, and wherein the memory resource allocation logic is further configured to decrypt an encrypted address space resize parameter of a received request.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein a single request requests the end-point device to configure a plurality of base address registers to resize mapping of a plurality of address spaces of the end-point device, and includes at least one address space resize parameter which includes a data structure containing a plurality of address space resize parameters including for each of a plurality of base address registers, a changed size value defining a changed size of a requested address space mapping resizing for an associated base address register.

8. A method, comprising:
an end-point device receiving a request from a host requesting address space mapping configuration of an address space of the end-point device wherein the request includes at least one address space resize parameter defining a changed size of a requested address space mapping resizing;
in association with the request, configuring mapping of the address space of the end-point device to a host address space; and
the end-point device in response to the request, issuing a completion notice to a requesting host upon completion of a requested address space mapping configuration;
wherein the request includes a multi-protocol layer (MPL) stack write request issued by the host to the end-point device which upon execution, causes population of a Vendor-Specific Extended Capability (VSEC) data structure in the end-point device with the at least one address space resize parameter, and the completion notice includes a completion field of the VSEC data structure, populated by the end-point device upon completion of a requested address space configuration and read by the host with an MPL stack read request.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the request is a multi-protocol layer (MPL) stack request message generated by a Vendor Defined Message (VDM) generator of the host, the MPL stack request message including the at least one address space resize parameter is received and decoded by a VDM receiver of the end-point device, the completion notice is a multi-protocol layer (MPL) stack completion message generated by a VDM generator of the end-point device, and the MPL stack completion message is received by a VDM receiver of the host.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein the request requests the end-point device to configure a base address register to resize mapping an address space of the end-point device, and includes at least one address space resize parameter including a changed size value defining a changed size of a requested address space mapping resizing.

11. The method of claim 8 wherein a single request requests the end-point device to configure a plurality of base address registers to resize mapping of a plurality of address spaces of the end-point device, and includes a plurality of address space resize parameters including for each of the plurality of base address registers, a changed size value defining a changed size of a requested address space mapping resizing for an associated base address register.

12. The method of claim 8 wherein the request is configured to populate an address space resizing enable register of the end-point device to enable address space mapping resizing as a function of the request.

13. The method of claim 8 wherein the request includes at least one address space resize parameter which has been encrypted, the method further comprising the end-point device decrypting an encrypted address space resize parameter of a received request.

14. The method of claim 8 wherein a single request requests the end-point device to configure a plurality of base address registers to resize mapping of a plurality of address spaces of the end-point device, and includes at least one address space resize parameter which includes a data structure containing a plurality of address space resize parameters including for each of a plurality of base address registers, a changed size value defining a changed size of a requested address space mapping resizing for an associated base address register.

15. A system, comprising:
host including a central processing unit and having a host address space; and
an end-point device coupled to the host and having at least one base address register, wherein the host has memory resource allocation logic config

Assignees

• Intel Corp

Inventors

• Li Ang
• Ooi Eng Hun
• Tan Kuan Hua

Classifications

• G06F12/023

  Free address space management · CPC title

• H04L63/0428

  wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload · CPC title

• G06F9/3013

  according to data content, e.g. floating-point registers, address registers · CPC title

• H04L41/0803 Primary

  Configuration setting · CPC title

• G06F9/30134

  Register stacks; shift registers · CPC title