US 6,637,007 B1 · System to limit memory access when calculating network data checksums

Abstract

The invention provides a method and process for transmitting data without using additional CPU cycles and memory accesses to calculate checksums. The transmitting device obtains data from an internal or external data source and stores that data in memory. The data is then divided into zones and checksums are calculated for each zone. The checksums are recorded on a checksum array. A data pointer containing an address for the data stored in memory, a description of the data and an address for the checksum array is transferred through data transfer protocol to network and transmission layers. The network and transmission layers are then able to access and send the data without having to either copy the data through data transfer protocol to network and transfer layers or read all of the data to calculate the checksums. This method and process uses fewer CPU cycles and memory accesses to transmit data and is, therefore, more efficient than the prior art.

Claims21

Dependent claims

A method, including steps of

determining a set of zones within a block of data;
calculating a zone checksum value for each zone within said set of zones;
recording said zone checksum value for each zone in association with said block of data;
determining a block portion checksum value for a portion of said block in response to at least one of said zone checksum values for each zone;
and
sending said block and a result of said steps of determining to a Network Interface Card (NIC).

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

System to limit memory access when calculating network data checksums

Life of this patent

System to limit memory access when calculating network data checksums

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims21