Appeal No. 97-2982 Page 9
Application No. 08/219,554
employs Queue Descriptors to store data being transferred
between the processors and devices. No more than one Queue
Descriptor is allocated to each device. Col. 5, ll. 36-37.
Because there is no more than a single Queue Descriptor for
each device, the first processor of Fischer that clears
certain data clears it for all the processors. Thus, a
processor in Fischer cannot clear ATTENTION DATA without
disturbing the same ATTENTION DATA for any other processor as
claimed.
ANSI does not remedy this defect. The reference defines
the Small Computer Interface Standard (SCSI) for attaching
small computers together and to intelligent peripherals. Abs.
A multiple initiator, multiple target configuration depicted
in the reference interfaces a plurality of host computers to a
plurality of targets via a plurality of controllers, i.e.,
initiators. Fig. 4-7. The appellants explained operations
under ANSI as follows.
[O]nce a target's status is reported from the target
through the initiator to the processor, that status
information, normally stored in the target's
controller, is cleared. If another processor were
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