Distributing tasks in data communications

• US 20030161327A1
• Filed: 02/25/2002
• Published: 08/28/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Eldar, Avigdor, Valenci, Moshe, Vlodavsky, Zvi, Trumper, Fabian, Rosenblatt, Ariel
• Granted Patent: US 7,644,188 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/395.52
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/164 at the network layer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1001 for accessing one among a plurality of replicated servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/303 Terminal profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A capability of a device may be registered to an adapter. This capability may characterize the device in terms of tasks performing abilities that may be available or associated therewith. When a packet of data including a task to be handled is received at the adapter, based on the capability registered earlier for the device, the adapter may determine whether to assign the task to the device. An indication, such as packet processing information may be derived from the packet to assist in distribution of the task. By comparing the indication with the capability, the task may be offloaded to the device based on the comparison. Using the device for a networked device, in one embodiment, one or more network communication tasks associated with data communications may be distributed and optionally performed within an adapter. In this way, the networked device may be spared of undertaking network communication tasks that are conventionally performed within the networked device.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

registering a capability of a first device;

receiving a packet of data including a task to be handled; and

determining whether to assign the task to the first device based on the capability.

2. The method of claim I including:

providing an indication in said packet to assist in distribution of the task; and

comparing the indication with the capability to selectively offload the task to said first device based on the comparison.

3. The method of claim 2 including:

populating a field in the packet to carry communication information including at least two packet attributes; and

enabling a flow for the packet across a stack of a first and a second layers of a network protocol based on said communication information.

4. The method of claim 3 including:

selecting in the packet said field that holds a relatively less used data based on a predetermined criterion; and

associating a buffer with said field to hold said communication information.

5. The method of claim 4 including:

transferring from said field the relatively less used data to said buffer;

providing in said field data to enable at least one of intra-layer communications and intra-component communications for a networking stack; and

selectively retrieving from the buffer the relatively less used data.

6. The method of claim 3 including:

extracting said at least two packet attributes from said communication information when communicating the packet to the first layer of the network protocol;

combining said at least two packet attributes to form a unique packet identifying indication;

using said unique packet identifying indication to store said at least two packet attributes in a database; and

using said unique packet identifying indication to retrieve said at least two packet attributes from the database to identify the packet for the second layer of the network protocol.

7. The method of claim 3 including:

providing at least two modules in the first device, said each module including a task handling capability; and

selecting one module over the other module to assign the task based on the task handling capability associated with each module.

8. The method of claim 7 including:

performing inline cryptographic operations in the one of said at least two modules; and

performing asynchronous cryptographic operations in the other module of said at least two modules.

9. A method comprising:

providing an interface capable of interacting with a program and registering a capability of a device for said program;

registering said program to the interface to cooperate with the device;

receiving a data packet including data to enable a flow for the data packet across a stack of a first and a second layers of a network protocol based on said data;

deriving from said data one or more protocol tasks for the data packet;

in response to the capability of the device, issuing a request to the interface to determine whether to assign said one or more protocol tasks to the device;

in response to said request, comparing said one or more protocol tasks derived from the data packet to the capability of the device to selectively offload at least one protocol task of said one or more protocol tasks to the device; and

supporting an inline offloading of said at least one protocol task to the device.

10. The method of claim 9 including supporting an asynchronous offloading of said at least one protocol task to another device if the device is determined to be incapable of handling said one or more protocol tasks.

11. An apparatus comprising:

a first device including a capability; and

an interface operably coupled to said first device to receive a packet of data including a task to be handled and determine whether to assign the task to the first device based on the capability.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the interface comprising a storage device storing:

a program to assist in distribution of the task; and

a module to compare the task with the capability and selectively offload the task to said first device based on the comparison.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the packet comprising a field to carry communication information including at least two packet attributes.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the interface further comprising:

a buffer associated with said field to hold said communication information.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein said at least two packet attributes to enable a flow for the packet across a stack of a first and a second layers of a network protocol.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the interface to:

extract said at least two packet attributes from said communication information when communicating the packet to the first layer of the network protocol;

combine said at least two packet attributes to form a unique packet identifying indication;

use said unique packet identifying indication to store said at least two packet attributes in a database; and

use said unique packet identifying indication to retrieve said at least two packet attributes from the database to identify the packet for the second layer of the network protocol.

17. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the first device comprising at least two modules, each said module including a task handling capability.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein one of said at least two modules to perform inline cryptographic operations and the other module to perform asynchronous cryptographic operations.

19. A processor-based system comprising:

a first device including a first capability to perform inline cryptographic tasks;

a second device including a second capability to perform asynchronous cryptographic tasks; and

a storage device storing a program and a module, said storage device operably coupled to said first and second devices wherein said program to receive a packet of data including a task to be handled for said program, and said module to interface with said program and said first and second devices to determine whether to assign the task to said first device over said second device based on the first and second capabilities.

20. The processor-based system of claim 19, wherein the task to be derived from a field of the packet of data, said field comprising data to enable a flow for the packet of data across a stack of a first and a second layers of a network protocol.

21. An article comprising a medium storing instructions that, if executed, enable a processor-based system to perform steps comprising:

registering a capability of a first device;

receiving a packet of data including a task to be handled;

determining whether to assign the task to the first device based on the capability;

providing an indication in said packet to assist in distribution of the task; and

comparing the indication with the capability to selectively offload the task to said first device based on the comparison.

22. The article of claim 21, comprising a medium storing instructions that, if executed, enable a processor-based system to perform steps comprising:

populating a field in the packet to carry a communication information including at least two packet attributes;

determining a flow for the packet across a stack of a first and a second layers of a network protocol based on said communication information;

selecting in the packet said field that holds a relatively less used data based on a predetermined criterion; and

associating a buffer with said field to hold said communication information.

23. The article of claim 22, comprising a medium storing instructions that, if executed, enable a processor-based system to perform steps comprising:

transferring from said field the relatively less used data to said buffer;

providing in said field data to enable at least one of intra-layer communications and intra-component communications for a networking stack;

selectively retrieving from the buffer the relatively less used data;

extracting said at least two packet attributes from said communication information when communicating the packet to the first layer of the network protocol;

combining said at least two packet attributes to form a unique packet identifying indication;

using said unique packet identifying indication to store said at least two packet attributes in a database; and

using said unique packet identifying indication to retrieve said at least two packet attributes from the database to identify the packet for the second layer of the network protocol.

24. The article of claim 23, comprising a medium storing instructions that, if executed, enable a processor-based system to perform steps comprising:

providing at least two modules in the first device, said each module including a task handling capability; and

selecting one module over the other module to assign the task based on the task handling capability associated with each module.

25. The article of claim 24, comprising a medium storing instructions that, if executed, enable a processor-based system to perform steps comprising:

performing inline cryptographic operations in the one of said at least two modules; and

performing asynchronous cryptographic operations in the other module of said at least two modules.

26. A method comprising:

receiving a packet including a first data indicating that the packet belongs to a group of packets and a second data indicating a sequence number for the packet; and

uniquely identifying the packet among the group of packets based on said first and second data.

27. The method of claim 26 including forming a packet identifier based on a combination of said first and second data.

28. The method of claim 27 including:

providing at least two packet attributes in the packet to enable communication between a first and a second layer across a network protocol stack;

extracting from the packet said at least two packet attributes; and

storing said at least two packet attributes in a database based on the packet identifier.

29. The method of claim 28 including processing the packet in the first layer of the network protocol stack based on said at least two packet attributes.

30. The method of claim 29 including:

indexing said at least two packet attributes in said database based on the packet identifier; and

retrieving said at least two packet attributes from the database based on the packet identifier to process the packet in the second layer of the network protocol stack.

31. A method comprising:

providing a packet of data including a field to communicate a first data;

populating said field with a second data to enable a flow of the packet from a first to a second layer within a network protocol stack.

32. The method of claim 31 including temporarily overwriting said first data in said field with said second data.

33. The method of claim 32 including selecting from the packet said filed that to carry a relatively less used data.

34. The method of claim 33 including:

associating a buffer with said field; and

transferring from said field said first data to the buffer before overwriting said second data.

35. The method of claim 34 including selectively retrieving from the buffer said first data during the flow of the packet from said first to said second layer within said network protocol stack.