Information handling system network communication with through link aggregation

• US 10,313,228 B1
• Filed: 02/02/2018
• Issued: 06/04/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/02/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Koshy, Kamal J., Samant, Sagar S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Jangbahadur, Lakeram
• Application Number:
  US15/887,169
• Time in Patent Office: 487 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/245 Link aggregation, e.g. trunking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/3009 Header conversion, routing tables or routing tags
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/602 Multilayer or multiprotocol switching, e.g. IP switching
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/50 in wire-line communication networks, e.g. low power modes or reduced link rate

Abstract

A client information handling system application selectively communicates network packets simultaneously through plural network interfaces by leveraging network address translation at the network layer of the network packets. Network packets are distributed across the plural network interfaces to achieve desired network communication goals, such as bandwidth, data rates, quality of service, reliability and SAR requirements.

Claims

1. A system for communicating between a client information handling system and an external network, the system comprising:

at least one application executing on the client information handling system, the application having an Internet protocol address inserted into network packets communicated from the application towards the external network;

first and second network interfaces integrated in the client information handling system, the first network interface operable to communicate with the external network through a first network medium, the second network interface operable to communicate with the external network through a second network medium;

a link aggregation module interfaced with the first and second network interfaces; and

a link aggregation table stored at the client information handling system;

wherein the link aggregation module captures partially complete packets from the at least one application, modifies the partially complete packets into complete packets having an aggregate internet protocol address, and communicates the complete packets through the first and second network interface with the aggregate internet protocol address, the link aggregation module tracking the aggregate internet protocol address and application in the link aggregation table; and

wherein the link aggregation table tracks the application and aggregate internet protocol address with a port number.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein:

the link aggregation module captures incoming packets and compares the incoming packet internet protocol address and port to the link aggregation table to forward matching packets to an associated application.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the link aggregation module forwards matching packets to the associated application by inserting a destination internet protocol address into the packet and adapting the internet protocol checksum.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the link aggregation module inserts the aggregate internet protocol address into the incomplete packet and adapts the internet protocol checksum for the incomplete packet.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein the aggregate internet protocol address comprises an internet protocol address associated with one of the first or second network interfaces, the link aggregation table associates an internet protocol address of the other of the first and second network interfaces to the application with a port number.

6. The system of claim 4 wherein the first network interface comprises Ethernet and the second network interface comprises a wireless local area network.

7. The system of claim 4 wherein the first network interface comprises a first access point interfaced with the external network and the second network interface comprises a second access point interfaced with the external network.

8. The system of claim 4 wherein at least one of the first and second network interfaces comprises a peer-to-peer network interface.

9. The system of claim 4 wherein at least one of the first and second network interfaces comprises a mesh network interface.