Method and apparatus for enabling communication between dissimilar protocol stacks

Apparatus for interconnecting two protocol stacks executing different protocols in a single processing node for data communication between the stacks, comprising

• a virtual input/output device implemented in software,
• means for establishing a first connection object as part of the virtual input/output device representing part of an end-to-end connection to a first one of the stacks,
• means for establishing a second connection object as part of the virtual input/output device representing another part of the end-to-end connection to a second one of the stacks,
• means for establishing in a lower layer of the first stack a third connection object,
• means for establishing in a lower layer of the second stack a fourth connection object,
• means in the first stack for associating the third connection object with the first connection object,
• means in the virtual input/output device for associating the first connection object with the third connection object,
• means in the virtual input/output device for associating the first connection object with the second connection object,
• means in the virtual input/output device for associating the second connection object with the fourth connection object, and
• means in the second stack for associating the fourth connection object with the second connection object,
• thereby establishing a complete virtual data communications path between lower layers of the first and second stacks via the first, second, third and fourth connection objects.

A method of interconnecting multiple protocol stacks executing different protocols in a single processing node for data communication between a first of the stacks and a second of the stacks, comprising steps of

• activating a virtual input/output device implemented in software,
• establishing a first connection object in the virtual input/output device in association with a lower layer of the first stack,
• establishing a second connection object in the virtual input/output device in association with a lower layer of the second stack,
• establishing an association in the virtual input/output device between the first connection object and the second connection object, and
• transmitting data packets between the lower layers of the first and second stacks via the first connection object and the second connection object.

A computer program embodied on a computer-readable medium for enabling data communication between two protocol stacks of a single processing node in which both a first of the stacks and a second of the stacks are executing different protocols comprising,

• a first code segment comprising code for activating a virtual input/output device implemented in software,
• a second code segment for establishing a first connection object in the virtual input/output device in association with a lower layer of the first stack,
• a third code segment for establishing a second connection object in the virtual input/output device in association with a lower layer of the second stack,
• a fourth code segment for establishing an association in the virtual input/output device between the first connection object and the second connection object, and
• a fifth code segment for transmitting data packets from the first stack to the second stack via the first connection object and the second connection object.

A computer data signal embodied in a carrier wave for enabling data communication between two protocol stacks of a single processing node in which both a first of the stacks and a second of the stacks are executing different protocols, comprising

• a first code segment comprising code for activating a virtual input/output device implemented in software,
• a second code segment for establishing a first connection object in the virtual input/output device in association with a lower layer of the first stack,
• a third code segment for establishing a second connection object in the virtual input/output device in association with a lower layer of the second stack,
• a fourth code segment for establishing an association in the virtual input/output device between the first connection object and the second connection object, and
• a fifth code segment for transmitting data packets from the first stack to the second stack via the first connection object and the second connection object.

A method of enabling communication between two protocol stacks of in which both a first of the protocol stacks and a second of the protocol stacks are executing different protocols, comprising steps of:

• storing, by a virtual input/output device implemented in software, information about the first protocol stack and the second protocol stack,
• generating, by the virtual input/output device, a plurality of tokens to identify the stored information,
• passing selected ones of the generated tokens from the virtual input/output device to the first and second protocol stacks, for use in subsequent messages, and
• establishing, upon receiving a connection request message from the first protocol stack, a logical end-to-end connection between the first protocol stack and the second protocol stack, wherein a first selected one of the passed tokens is returned to the virtual input/output device with the connection request message, and wherein receipt of the connection request message causes the virtual input/output device to send a second selected one of the generated tokens to the second protocol stack along with a connection notification message, the second selected one of the generated tokens being associated with the returned token.