US 6,453,360 B1 · High performance network interface

Abstract

A high performance network interface is provided for receiving a packet from a network and transferring it to a host computer system. A header portion of a received packet is parsed by a parser module to determine the packet's compatibility with, or conformance to, one or more pre-selected protocols. If compatible, a number of processing functions may be performed to increase the efficiency with which the packet is handled. In one function, a re-assembly engine re-assembles, in a re-assembly buffer, data portions of multiple packets in a single communication flow or connection. Header portions of such packets are stored in a header buffer. An incompatible packet may be stored in another buffer. In another function, a packet batching module determines when multiple packets in one flow are transferred to the host computer system, so that their header portions are processed collectively rather than being interspersed with headers of other flows' packets. In yet another function, the processing of packets through their protocol stacks is distributed among multiple processors by a load distributor, based on their communication flows. A flow database is maintained by a flow database manager to reflect the creation, termination and activity of flows. A packet queue stores packets to await transfer to the host computer system, and a control queue stores information concerning the waiting packets. If the packet queue becomes saturated with packets, a random packet may be discarded. An interrupt modulator may modulate the rate at which interrupts associated with packet arrival events are issued to the host computer system.

Claims62

Dependent claims

A method of transferring a packet to a computer system, wherein the packet is received at a communication device from a network, comprising:

parsing a header portion of a first packet received at a communication device to determine if said first packet conforms to a pre-selected protocol;
generating a flow key to identify a first communication flow that includes said first packet;
transferring said first packet to a host computer system for processing in accordance with said pre-selected protocol;
and
associating an operation code with said first packet, wherein said operation code indicates a status of said first packet.

2 more elements

An apparatus for transferring a packet from a network to a host computer system, comprising:

a parser module configured to:
parse a header portion of a first packet received from a network to extract an identifier of a source of said first packet and an identifier of a destination of said first packet;
generate a flow key from said source identifier and said destination identifier to identify a communication flow comprising said first packet;
and
determine whether a header in said header portion conforms to a pre-selected
protocol;
a flow database configured to store said flow key;
a flow database manager configured to associate an operation code with said first packet, wherein said operation code identifies a status of said first packet;
a packet memory configured to store said first packet;
and
a transfer module configured to:
if said header conforms to said pre-selected protocol:
store a data portion of said first packet in a re-assembly buffer;
and
store said header portion in a header buffer;
and
if said header conforms to a protocol other than said pre-selected protocol,
store said packet in a non-re-assembly buffer.

15 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

High performance network interface

Life of this patent

High performance network interface

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims62