Credit synchronization by sending a value for a local credit in a message sender from a message receiver to the message sender in response to a synchronization trigger
View Patent ↗A synchronization trigger associated with synchronizing credit is obtained at a message receiver in a System On Chip (SOC). In response to receiving the synchronization trigger, a value for a local credit in the message sender is sent from the message receiver to a message sender in the SOC. At the message sender, the local credit is updated with the value for the credit that is received from the message receiver, wherein a requirement to send a message from the message sender to the message receiver is that the local credit has a non-zero value.
1. A system, comprising:
a message receiver in a System On Chip (SOC), wherein the message receiver:
obtains a synchronization trigger associated with synchronizing credit; and
in response to receiving the synchronization trigger, sends, from the message receiver to a message sender in the SOC, a value for a local credit in the message sender; and
the message sender, wherein:
the message sender updates the local credit with the value for the credit that is received from the message receiver;
a requirement to send a message from the message sender to the message receiver is that the local credit has a non-zero value;
obtaining the synchronization trigger includes enabling, at the message receiver, the synchronization trigger during initialization of the message receiver; and
the message receiver is included in a hardware functional module in the SOC.
2. The system of claim 1 , wherein:
obtaining the synchronization trigger includes receiving, from the message sender, a signal that is used to enable the synchronization trigger during a loss of synchronization; and
the message receiver is included in a hardware functional module in the SOC.
3. The system of claim 1 , wherein:
sending the value includes sending a message from the message receiver to the message sender; and
updating the local credit with the value includes performing, at the message sender, an instruction associated with the message.
4. A system, comprising:
a message receiver in a System On Chip (SOC), wherein the message receiver:
obtains a synchronization trigger associated with synchronizing credit; and
in response to receiving the synchronization trigger, sends, from the message receiver to a message sender in the SOC, a value for a local credit in the message sender; and
the message sender, wherein:
the message sender updates the local credit with the value for the credit that is received from the message receiver;
a requirement to send a message from the message sender to the message receiver is that the local credit has a non-zero value;
the SOC is associated with a storage controller; and
the storage controller further includes a plurality of channel interface modules, wherein each of the plurality of channel interface modules independently acts as a message receiver.
5. The system of claim 4 , wherein:
the buffer module acts as the message sender.
6. The system of claim 4 , wherein:
obtaining the synchronization trigger includes receiving, from the message sender, a signal that is used to enable the synchronization trigger during a loss of synchronization; and
the message receiver is included in a hardware functional module in the SOC.
7. The system of claim 4 , wherein:
sending the value includes sending a message from the message receiver to the message sender; and
updating the local credit with the value includes performing, at the message sender, an instruction associated with the message.
8. A system, comprising:
a message receiver in a System On Chip (SOC), wherein the message receiver:
obtains a synchronization trigger associated with synchronizing credit; and
in response to receiving the synchronization trigger, sends, from the message receiver to a message sender in the SOC, a value for a local credit in the message sender; and
the message sender, wherein:
the message sender updates the local credit with the value for the credit that is received from the message receiver;
a requirement to send a message from the message sender to the message receiver is that the local credit has a non-zero value;
the SOC is associated with a storage controller;
the storage controller includes a firmware complex which in turn includes a processor module and firmware; and
the storage controller further includes a plurality of hardware functional modules that access a buffer, wherein each of the plurality of hardware functional modules independently acts as a message receiver with the firmware complex as the message sender.
9. A method, comprising:
obtaining, at a message receiver in a System On Chip (SOC), a synchronization trigger associated with synchronizing credit;
in response to receiving the synchronization trigger, sending, from the message receiver to a message sender in the SOC, a value for a local credit in the message sender; and
updating, at the message sender, the local credit with the value for the credit that is received from the message receiver, wherein a requirement to send a message from the message sender to the message receiver is that the local credit has a non-zero value, wherein:
obtaining the synchronization trigger includes enabling, at the message receiver, the synchronization trigger during initialization of the message receiver; and
the message receiver is included in a hardware functional module in the SOC.
10. The system of claim 8 , wherein:
obtaining the synchronization trigger includes receiving, from the message sender, a signal that is used to enable the synchronization trigger during a loss of synchronization; and
the message receiver is included in a hardware functional module in the SOC.
11. The system of claim 8 , wherein:
sending the value includes sending a message from the message receiver to the message sender; and
updating the local credit with the value includes performing, at the message sender, an instruction associated with the message.
12. The method of claim 9 , wherein:
obtaining the synchronization trigger includes receiving, from the message sender, a signal that is used to enable the synchronization trigger during a loss of synchronization; and
the message receiver is included in a hardware functional module in the SOC.
13. The method of claim 9 , wherein:
sending the value includes sending a message from the message receiver to the message sender; and
updating the local credit with the value includes performing, at the message sender, an instruction associated with the message.
14. A method, comprising:
obtaining, at a message receiver in a System On Chip (SOC), a synchronization trigger associated with synchronizing credit;
in response to receiving the synchronization trigger, sending, from the message receiver to a message sender in the SOC, a value for a local credit in the message sender; and
updating, at the message sender, the local credit with the value for the credit that is received from the message receiver, wherein a requirement to send a message from the message sender to the message receiver is that the local credit has a non-zero value, wherein:
the SOC is associated with a storage controller; and
the storage controller further includes a plurality of channel interface modules, wherein each of the plurality of channel interface modules independently acts as a message receiver.
15. The method of claim 14 , wherein:
the buffer module acts as the message sender.
16. The method of claim 14 , wherein:
obtaining the synchronization trigger includes receiving, from the message sender, a signal that is used to enable the synchronization trigger during a loss of synchronization; and
the message receiver is included in a hardware functional module in the SOC.
17. The method of claim 14 , wherein:
sending the value includes sending a message from the message receiver to the message sender; and
updating the local credit with the value includes performing, at the message sender, an instruction associated with the message.
18. A method, comprising:
obtaining, at a message receiver in a System On Chip (SOC), a synchronization trigger associated with synchronizing credit;
in response to receiving the synchronization trigger, sending, from the message receiver to a message sender in the SOC, a value for a local credit in the message sender; and
updating, at the message sender, the local credit with the value for the credit that is received from the message receiver, wherein a requirement to send a message from the message sender to the message receiver is that the local credit has a non-zero value, wherein:
the SOC is associated with a storage controller;
the storage controller includes a firmware complex which in turn includes a processor module and firmware; and
the storage controller further includes a plurality of hardware functional modules that access a buffer, wherein each of the plurality of hardware functional modules independently acts as a message receiver with the firmware complex as the message sender.
19. The method of claim 18 , wherein:
obtaining the synchronization trigger includes receiving, from the message sender, a signal that is used to enable the synchronization trigger during a loss of synchronization; and
the message receiver is included in a hardware functional module in the SOC.
20. The method of claim 18 , wherein:
sending the value includes sending a message from the message receiver to the message sender; and
updating the local credit with the value includes performing, at the message sender, an instruction associated with the message.