An accessory device for an electronic protection relay comprising: a first communication port for communication with one or more electronic devices of the electronic protection relay or operatively connected with the electronic protection relay; a second communication port for communication with one or more computerized units through the Internet; a first processing means to manage the operation of the accessory device, the first processing means being operatively coupled with the first and second communication ports. The accessory device is configured to execute a data-gathering procedure (DGP), in which the accessory device polls one or more electronic devices, which are in communication with the accessory device through the first communication port, and receives grid data (D), which are related to the operation of an electric power distribution grid including the electronic protection relay, from the electronic devices in response to the polling. The accessory device is configured to execute a data-publishing procedure (DPP), in which the accessory device transmits the grid data (D) to a publishing computerized unit, which is in communication with the accessory device through the second communication port.

The present disclosure includes apparatuses and methods related to accessing status information. One example apparatus comprises a host and a memory device coupled to the host. The memory device includes a controller configured to provide, to a status arbiter, a status signal indicating whether a status register of the controller contains generated status information. Responsive to the status signal indicating that the status register contains the generated status information, the controller can also provide the status information from the controller to the status arbiter via a status intermediary.

The present disclosure includes apparatuses and methods related to accessing status information. One example apparatus comprises a host and a memory device coupled to the host. The memory device includes a controller configured to provide, to a status arbiter, a status signal indicating whether a status register of the controller contains generated status information. Responsive to the status signal indicating that the status register contains the generated status information, the controller can also provide the status information from the controller to the status arbiter via a status intermediary.

A polling device driver is partitioned into a plurality of driver threads for controlling a device of a computer system. The device has a first device state of an unscouted state and a scouted state, and a second device state of an inactive state and an active state. A driver thread of the plurality of driver threads determines that the first device state of the device state is in the unscouted state, and changes the first state of the device to the scouted state. The driver thread further determines that the second device state of the device is in the inactive state and changes the second device state of the device to the active state. The driver thread executes an operation on the device during a pre-determined time slot configured for the driver thread.

A polling device driver is partitioned into a plurality of driver threads for controlling a device of a computer system. The device has a first device state of an unscouted state and a scouted state, and a second device state of an inactive state and an active state. A driver thread of the plurality of driver threads determines that the first device state of the device state is in the unscouted state, and changes the first state of the device to the scouted state. The driver thread further determines that the second device state of the device is in the inactive state and changes the second device state of the device to the active state. The driver thread executes an operation on the device during a pre-determined time slot configured for the driver thread.

An interconnect interface is provided to enable communication with an off-package device over a link including a plurality of lanes. Logic of the interconnect interface includes receiver logic to receive a valid signal from the off-package device on a dedicated valid lane of the link indicating that data is to arrive on a plurality of dedicated data lanes in the plurality of lanes, receive the data on the data lanes from the off-package device sampled based on arrival of the valid signal, and receive a stream signal from the off-package device on a dedicated stream lane in the plurality of lanes. The stream signal corresponds to the data and indicates a particular data type of the data. The particular data type can be one of a plurality of different data types capable of being received on the plurality of data lanes of the link.

Access to devices can be controlled dynamically. A device control driver can function as an upper filter driver so that it can intercept I/O requests that target a particular device. The device control driver can be configured to communicate with a device control server to dynamically determine whether the current user is allowed to access the particular device. The device control server can employ policy or administrator input to determine whether access should be allowed and can then notify the device control driver accordingly. When access is granted, the device control driver can pass I/O requests down the device driver stack. Otherwise, the device control driver can block the I/O requests. Also, when access is granted, the device control server can specify a permission expiration time after which the device control driver should again resume blocking I/O requests.

Access to devices can be controlled dynamically. A device control driver can function as an upper filter driver so that it can intercept I/O requests that target a particular device. The device control driver can be configured to communicate with a device control server to dynamically determine whether the current user is allowed to access the particular device. The device control server can employ policy or administrator input to determine whether access should be allowed and can then notify the device control driver accordingly. When access is granted, the device control driver can pass I/O requests down the device driver stack. Otherwise, the device control driver can block the I/O requests. Also, when access is granted, the device control server can specify a permission expiration time after which the device control driver should again resume blocking I/O requests.

The present invention provides a scheduling method for a peripheral component interconnect express (PCIe) switch of an electronic system. The PCIe switch is utilized for handling input/output requests of a host of the electronic system. The scheduling method includes the PCIe switch determining a scheduling sequence of message signal interrupts (MSIs) and read/write requests corresponding to the input/output requests according to amount of the message signal interrupts corresponding to the input/output requests; and the PCIe switch handling the message signal interrupts and the read/write requests according to the scheduling sequence.

The present invention provides a scheduling method for a peripheral component interconnect express (PCIe) switch of an electronic system. The PCIe switch is utilized for handling input/output requests of a host of the electronic system. The scheduling method includes the PCIe switch determining a scheduling sequence of message signal interrupts (MSIs) and read/write requests corresponding to the input/output requests according to amount of the message signal interrupts corresponding to the input/output requests; and the PCIe switch handling the message signal interrupts and the read/write requests according to the scheduling sequence.