Separation of control and data plane functions in soc virtualized i/o device

A method, comprising:

• accessing, using a first communication protocol, one or more control functions to manage access to hardware resources included in a device by one or more guest operating systems in a computing system, using a first hardware port of a communication circuit by a particular processor of a plurality of processors executing a first thread;
• accessing, using the first communication protocol, one or more data functions associated with receiving or relaying data payloads by the device, using a second hardware port of the communication circuit by the particular processor of the plurality of processors executing a second thread;
• and
• accessing a communication link by the device based on the one or more control functions included in the device and the one or more data functions of the device, wherein the communication link employs a second communication protocol.

A system, comprising:

• a plurality of processors, wherein a first processor of the plurality of processors is configured to execute a first plurality of software instructions included in a first guest operating system instance, and wherein a second processor of the plurality of processors is configured to execute a second plurality of software instructions included in a second guest operating system instance;
• a first device configured to perform a plurality of control functions and a plurality of virtual functions, wherein the first device includes at least one hardware resource configured to be shared by two or more virtual functions of the plurality of virtual functions;
• a second device;
• and
• a communication unit including a first port and a second port, wherein the first port is coupled to the first device via a first link and the second port is coupled to the second device via a second link;
• wherein the first port is configured to:
• transmit at least a first command via the first link using a first communication protocol to the first device in response to an execution of at least a first instruction included in a first subset of the first plurality of software instructions, wherein each instruction included in the first subset controls at least one control function of the plurality of commands functions;
• and
• transmit at least a second command via the first link using the first communication protocol in response to an execution of at least a second instruction included in a second subset of the first plurality of software instructions, wherein each instruction, included in the second subset of the first plurality of software instructions, controls a first virtual function of the plurality of virtual functions.