Method and apparatus for transmitting and receiving network protocol compliant signal packets over a platform bus

Abstract

Briefly, in accordance with one embodiment of the invention, a platform bus interface unit includes circuitry to divide a received network protocol compliant signal packet into signal packets of a smaller size for transmission over a platform bus of at least a portion of the data provided by the network protocol compliant signal packet. Briefly, in accordance with another embodiment of the invention, an integrated circuit includes circuitry to transmit over a platform bus at least a portion of the data provided by a network protocol compliant signal packet as signal packets of a smaller size. Briefly, in accordance with still another embodiment of the invention, a method of transmitting at least a portion of the data provided by a network protocol compliant signal packet over a platform bus includes the following. At least a portion of the data provided by the network protocol compliant signal packet is divided into smaller data subsets. The smaller data subsets are transmitted over the platform bus as platform bus protocol compliant signal packets. The maximum amount of data capable of being provided by a network protocol compliant signal packet exceeds the maximum amount of data capable of being provided by a platform bus protocol compliant signal packet. Briefly, in accordance with still yet another embodiment of the invention, a method of combining into a network protocol compliant signal packet at least a portion of the data provided by separate signal packets received over a platform signal bus includes the following. At least a portion of the data provided by the signal packets received is extracted. The extracted data is assembled into a single network protocol compliant signal packet.

1 - 34 . Cancelled.  
     
     
         35 . A method comprising: 
 dividing a received network protocol compliant signal packet into signal packets of a smaller size for transmission over a platform bus of at least a portion of the data provided by the network protocol compliant signal packet; and    transmitting the smaller-sized signal packets over the platform bus as platform bus protocol compliant signal packets, the platform bus protocol compliant signal packets being transmitted as a fragmented signaling stream.    
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein the platform bus protocol compliant signal packets include a first bit to provide signaling indicating a first block of the fragmented signaling stream, and a last bit to provide signaling indicating a last block of the fragmented signaling stream.  
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 35 , additionally comprising: 
 transmitting a signal packet indicating the start of the fragmented signaling stream; and    transmitting a signal packet indicating the end of the fragmented signaling stream.    
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 37 , wherein a plurality of write block commands are used to transmit the smaller-sized signal packets over the platform bus as platform bus protocol compliant signal packets.  
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein the platform bus protocol compliant signal packets are interleaved over the platform bus.  
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein an execution of independent operations are interleaved with data provided by the platform bus protocol compliant signal packets.  
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein the network protocol compliant signal packet complies with a legacy network protocol, and the platform bus protocol compliant signal packet complies with a legacy platform bus interface protocol.  
     
     
         42 . The method of  claim 41 , wherein the legacy platform bus interface protocol comprises the SM (System Management) bus protocol.  
     
     
         43 . The method of  claim 35 , additionally comprising assembling at least a portion of the data provided by the smaller-sized signal packets into the network protocol compliant signal packet.  
     
     
         44 . The method of  claim 35 , additionally comprising asserting an alert, the alert to indicate that the network protocol compliant signal packet has been received, and that a read command should be initiated.  
     
     
         45 . An apparatus comprising: 
 circuitry to:    divide a received network protocol compliant signal packet into signal packets of a smaller size for transmission over a platform bus of at least a portion of the data provided by the network protocol compliant signal packet; and    transmit the smaller-sized signal packets over the platform bus as platform bus protocol compliant signal packets, the platform bus protocol compliant signal packets being transmitted as a fragmented signaling stream.    
     
     
         46 . The apparatus of  claim 45 , wherein the platform bus protocol compliant signal packets include a first bit to provide signaling indicating a first block of the fragmented signaling stream, and a last bit to provide signaling indicating a last block of the fragmented signaling stream.  
     
     
         47 . The apparatus of  claim 45 , the circuitry to additionally: 
 transmit a signal packet indicating the start of the fragmented signaling stream; and    transmit a signal packet indicating the end of the fragmented signaling stream.    
     
     
         48 . The apparatus of  claim 47 , wherein the circuitry employs a plurality of write block commands to transmit the smaller-sized signal packets over the platform bus as platform bus protocol compliant signal packets.  
     
     
         49 . The apparatus of  claim 45 , wherein the network protocol compliant signal packet complies with a legacy network protocol, and the platform bus protocol compliant signal packet complies with a legacy platform bus interface protocol.  
     
     
         50 . The apparatus of  claim 49 , wherein the legacy platform bus interface protocol comprises the SM (System Management) bus protocol.  
     
     
         51 . The apparatus of  claim 45 , additionally comprising assembling at least a portion of the data provided by the smaller-sized signal packets into the network protocol compliant signal packet.  
     
     
         52 . The apparatus of  claim 45 , additionally comprising asserting an alert, the alert to indicate that the network protocol compliant signal packet has been received, and that a read command should be initiated.  
     
     
         53 . A system comprising: 
 a microcontroller;    a platform bus coupled to the microcontroller; and    a network controller coupled to the platform bus, the network controller having a platform bus interface unit to: 
 divide a received network protocol compliant signal packet into signal packets of a smaller size for transmission over the platform bus of at least a portion of the data provided by the network protocol compliant signal packet; and  
 transmit the smaller-sized signal packets over the platform bus as platform bus protocol compliant signal packets, the platform bus protocol compliant signal packets being transmitted as a fragmented signaling stream to the microcontroller.  
   
     
     
         54 . The system of  claim 53 , wherein the platform bus protocol compliant signal packets are interleaved over the platform bus.  
     
     
         55 . The system of  claim 53 , the platform bus interface unit to additionally assert an alert, the alert to indicate to the microcontroller that the network protocol compliant signal packet has been received, and that a read command should be initiated by the microcontroller.  
     
     
         56 . The system of  claim 53 , wherein the platform bus protocol compliant signal packets include a first bit to provide signaling indicating a first block of the fragmented signaling stream, and a last bit to provide signaling indicating a last block of the fragmented signaling stream.  
     
     
         57 . The system of  claim 53 , the platform bus interface unit to additionally: 
 transmit a signal packet indicating the start of the fragmented signaling stream; and    transmit a signal packet indicating the end of the fragmented signaling stream.    
     
     
         58 . The system of  claim 57 , wherein a plurality of write block commands are used to transmit the smaller-sized signal packets over the platform bus as platform bus protocol compliant signal packets.  
     
     
         59 . The system of  claim 53 , wherein the network protocol compliant signal packet complies with a legacy network protocol, and the platform bus protocol compliant signal packet complies with a legacy platform bus interface protocol.  
     
     
         60 . The system of  claim 59 , wherein the legacy platform bus interface protocol comprises the SM (System Management) bus protocol.  
     
     
         61 . The system of  claim 53 , additionally comprising assembling at least a portion of the data provided by the smaller-sized signal packets into the network protocol compliant signal packet.  
     
     
         62 . A machine-readable medium having stored thereon instructions, the instructions when executed by a machine, result in the following: 
 dividing a received network protocol compliant signal packet into signal packets of a smaller size for transmission over a platform bus of at least a portion of the data provided by the network protocol compliant signal packet; and    transmitting the smaller-sized signal packets over the platform bus as platform bus protocol compliant signal packets, the platform bus protocol compliant signal packets being transmitted as a fragmented signaling stream.    
     
     
         63 . The machine-readable medium of  claim 62 , wherein the platform bus protocol compliant signal packets include a first bit to provide signaling indicating a first block of the fragmented signaling stream, and a last bit to provide signaling indicating a last block of the fragmented signaling stream.  
     
     
         64 . The machine-readable medium of  claim 62 , the instructions additionally resulting in: 
 transmitting a signal packet indicating the start of the fragmented signaling stream; and    transmitting a signal packet indicating the end of the fragmented signaling stream.    
     
     
         65 . The machine-readable medium of  claim 64 , wherein a plurality of write block commands are used to transmit the smaller-sized signal packets over the platform bus as platform bus protocol compliant signal packets.  
     
     
         66 . The machine-readable medium of  claim 62 , wherein the network protocol compliant signal packet complies with a legacy network protocol, and the platform bus protocol compliant signal packet complies with a legacy platform bus interface protocol.  
     
     
         67 . The machine-readable medium of  claim 66 , wherein the legacy platform bus interface protocol comprises the SM (System Management) bus protocol.  
     
     
         68 . The machine-readable medium of  claim 62 , the instructions additionally resulting in assembling at least a portion of the data provided by the smaller-sized signal packets into the network protocol compliant signal packet.