Protocol processing stack for use with intelligent network interface device

• US 20040117509A1
• Filed: 11/12/2003
• Published: 06/17/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/1997
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alacritech, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Alacritech, Inc.
• Inventors: Higgen, David A., Philbrick, Clive M., Boucher, Laurence B., Craft, Peter K.
• Granted Patent: US 6,941,386 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/250
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 7/36 using image sharpness techniques , e.g. image processing techniques for generating autofocus signals image data processing per se G06T; in cameras having a solid state image sensor H04N23/67
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/90 Buffering arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/9042 Separate storage for different parts of the packet, e.g. header and payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/9063 Intermediate storage in different physical parts of a node or terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/00 Network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/10 of different types
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/62 Establishing a time schedule for servicing the requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/63 Routing a service request depending on the request content or context
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/08 Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/12 Protocol engines
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/16 Implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/161 Implementation details of TCP/IP or UDP/IP stack architecture; Specification of modified or new header fields
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/163 In-band adaptation of TCP data exchange; In-band control procedures
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/166 IP fragmentation; TCP segmentation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/22 Parsing or analysis of headers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/32 Architecture of open systems interconnection [OSI] 7-layer type protocol stacks, e.g. the interfaces between the data link level and the physical level
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A host CPU runs a network protocol processing stack that provides instructions not only to process network messages but also to allocate processing of certain network messages to a specialized network communication device, offloading some of the most time consuming protocol processing from the host CPU to the network communication device. By allocating common and time consuming network processes to the device, while retaining the ability to handle less time intensive and more varied processing on the host stack, the network communication device can be relatively simple and cost effective. The host CPU, operating according to instructions from the stack, and the network communication device together determine whether and to what extent a given message is processed by the host CPU or by the network communication device.

Claims

1. A set of instructions executable on a host processor, the set of instructions being at least in part for interacting with a TCP offload device, wherein the TCP offload device receives data from a remote device across a TCP connection and places the data free of TCP headers into a memory accessible by the host processor, the set of instructions being for performing steps comprising:

(a) identifying a location in the memory; and

(b) passing a handle to the TCP offload device, the handle corresponding to the TCP network connection, wherein the TCP offload device uses the handle to place the data free of TCP headers into the memory at the location identified in step (a).

2. The set of instructions of claim 1, wherein the TCP offload device sends ACKs back to the remote device to acknowledge receipt of the data as the data is being placed into the memory.

3. The set of instructions of claim 1, wherein the data is placed into the memory without the data being touched by the host processor.

4. The set of instructions of claim 1, wherein the host processor is part of a host computer, and wherein the TCP offload device and the memory are parts of the host computer, and wherein the data passes over the TCP connection from the remote device to the host computer.

5. The set of instructions of claim 1, wherein the set of instructions includes a driver, and wherein the handle passes from the driver to the TCP offload device.

6. The set of instructions of claim 5, wherein the set of instructions further includes a stack, and wherein the handle is opaque to the stack.

7. The set of instructions of claim 1, wherein the stack uses a heuristic method to determine a characteristic of the TCP connection.

8. The set of instructions of claim 1, wherein the set of instructions is also for performing steps comprising:

(c) sending a flush command to the TCP offload device.

9. The set of instructions of claim 1, wherein the set of instructions is also for performing steps comprising:

(c) identifying a second location in the memory; and

(d) passing a second handle to the TCP offload device, wherein the handle is passed along with an indication of a length of a message to be sent from the TCP offload device.

10. The set of instructions of claim 1, wherein the remote device is an adapter, wherein the remote device has a TCP task offload capability, wherein the set of instructions includes a stack, and wherein the set of instructions is also for performing steps comprising:

(c) querying the adapter to determine whether the adapter has the TCP task offload capability.

11. The set of instructions of claim 10, wherein the set of instructions includes a structure that represents the adapter, and wherein the set of instructions is also for performing steps comprising:

(d) setting information in the structure depending on results of the querying in step (c).

12. The set of instructions of claim 11, wherein the set of instructions is also for performing steps comprising:

(e) monitoring statistics associated with the TCP connection.

13. The set of instructions of claim 1, wherein the set of instructions includes a stack that interacts with an application, and wherein the application accepts data for the TCP connection, and wherein the stack maintains a count indicative of an amount of data accepted by the application for the TCP connection.

14. The set of instructions of claim 1, wherein the TCP offload device is a specialized network communication device, and wherein the set of instructions is also for performing steps comprising:

(c) allocating processing of certain types of network messages to the specialized network communication device.

15. The set of instructions of claim 1, wherein an application program executing on the host processor identifies the location in memory to an operating system executing on the host processor.

16. An operating system that passes control of a TCP connection from a host computer to a TCP off load device coupled to the host computer, wherein after said control of the TCP connection is passed to the TCP offload device the TCP offload device performs all or substantially all TCP protocol processing on a network frame received onto the TCP offload device for the TCP connection such that operating system performs no or substantially no TCP protocol processing on the network frame.

17. The operating system of claim 16, wherein the operating system executes on a host computer, wherein the host computer includes a memory, wherein the operating system receives an indication of a destination in the memory from an application program, wherein the operating system communicates the indication of the destination to the TCP offload device, and wherein the TCP offload device uses the indication to place a data payload of the network frame into the destination.

18. The operating system of claim 17, wherein the operating system communicates a handle to the TCP offload device along with the indication of the destination, the handle being associated with the TCP connection.

19. The operating system of claim 18, wherein the operating system queries the TCP offload device whether the TCP offload device has a TCP offload capability.

20. The operating system of claim 19, wherein a communication control block (CCB) exists for the TCP connection, and wherein control of the CCB is passed from the operating system to the TCP offload device.