System and method for providing pooling or dynamic allocation of connection context data

• US 20050105531A1
• Filed: 12/17/2004
• Published: 05/19/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Fan, Kan Frankie, McDaniel, Scott S., Lindsay, Steven B., Zur, Uri El
• Granted Patent: US 7,852,856 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/395.500
• 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 69/326 in the transport layer [OSI layer 4] H04L69/16 takes precedence

Abstract

A method and system for providing pooling or dynamic allocation of connection context data may comprise receiving data associated with a first network protocol and receiving data associated with a second network protocol. A single shared context memory may be utilized for processing at least some of the data associated with the first network protocol and at least some of the data associated with the second network protocol. At least a portion of the received data associated with the first and/or second network protocols may be offloaded for processing in the single context memory. The received data associated with a first and/or second network protocols may comprise traffic data and control data. Portions of the shared single context memory may be dynamically allocated and/or reallocated for processing received data associated with the first and second network protocols.

Claims

1. A method for network interfacing and processing of packetized data, the method comprising:

receiving data associated with a first network protocol;

receiving data associated with a second network protocol; and

sharing a single context memory for processing at least a portion of said data associated with said first network protocol and at least a portion of said data associated with said second network protocol.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising offloading at least a portion of said received data associated with said first network protocol for said processing within the single memory.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising offloading at least a portion of said received data associated with said second network protocol for said processing within the single memory.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein said received data associated with said first network protocol and said received data associated with said second network protocol comprises traffic data and control data.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising dynamically allocating portions of said shared single context memory for said processing.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising partitioning said single context memory into a plurality of partitions.

7. The method according to claim 6, further comprising allocating at least one of said plurality of partitions for handling data for each of said first network protocol and said second network protocol.

8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising dynamically reallocating at least one of said plurality of allocated partitions that handles said first network protocol to handle said second network protocol.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein said first network protocol and said second network protocol comprises at least one of L2, L4, L5, RDMA and ISCSI data.

10. The method according to claim 8, wherein a size of said single context memory is less than a combined size of separate memories required for separately processing each of said first network protocol and said second network protocol.

11. A machine-readable storage having stored thereon, a computer program having at least one code section for network interfacing and processing of packetized data, the at least one code section being executable by a machine for causing the machine to perform steps comprising:

receiving data associated with a first network protocol;

receiving data associated with a second network protocol; and

sharing a single context memory for processing at least a portion of said data associated with said first network protocol and at least a portion of said data associated with said second network protocol.

12. The machine-readable storage according to claim 11, further comprising code for offloading at least a portion of said received data associated with said first network protocol for said processing within the single memory.

13. The machine-readable storage according to claim 11, further comprising code for offloading at least a portion of said received data associated with said second network protocol for said processing within the single memory.

14. The machine-readable storage according to claim 11, wherein said received data associated with said first network protocol and said received data associated with said second network protocol comprises traffic data and control data.

15. The machine-readable storage according to claim 11, further comprising code for dynamically allocating portions of said shared single context memory for said processing.

16. The machine-readable storage according to claim 11, further comprising code for partitioning said single context memory into a plurality of partitions.

17. The machine-readable storage according to claim 16, further comprising code for allocating at least one of said plurality of partitions for handling data for each of said first network protocol and said second network protocol.

18. The machine-readable storage according to claim 11, further comprising dynamically reallocating at least one of said plurality of allocated partitions that handles said first network protocol to handle said second network protocol.

19. The machine-readable storage according to claim 18, wherein said first network protocol and said second network protocol comprises at least one of L2, L4, L5, RDMA and ISCSI data.

20. The machine-readable storage according to claim 18, wherein a size of said single context memory is less than a combined size of separate memories required for separately processing each of said first network protocol and said second network protocol.

21. A system for network interfacing and processing of packetized data, the system comprising:

at least one processor that receives data associated with a first network protocol;

said at least one processor receives data associated with a second network protocol; and

a shared single context memory utilized by said at least one processor for processing at least a portion of said data associated with said first network protocol and at least a portion of said data associated with said second network protocol.

22. The system according to claim 21, wherein said at least one processor offloads at least a portion of said received data associated with said first network protocol for said processing within the single memory.

23. The system according to claim 21, wherein said at least one processor offloads at least a portion of said received data associated with said second network protocol for said processing within the single memory.

24. The system according to claim 21, wherein said received data associated with said first network protocol and said received data associated with said second network protocol comprises traffic data and control data.

25. The system according to claim 21, wherein said at least one processor dynamically allocates portions of said shared single context memory for said processing.

26. The system according to claim 21, wherein said at least one processor partitions said single context memory into a plurality of partitions.

27. The system according to claim 26, wherein said at least one processor allocates at least one of said plurality of partitions for handling data for each of said first network protocol and said second network protocol.

28. The system according to claim 21, wherein said at least one processor dynamically reallocates at least one of said plurality of allocated partitions that handles said first network protocol to handle said second network protocol.

29. The system according to claim 28, wherein said first network protocol and said second network protocol comprises at least one of L2, L4, L5, RDMA and ISCSI data.

30. The system according to claim 28, wherein a size of said single context memory is less than a combined size of separate memories required for separately processing each of said first network protocol and said second network protocol.

31. The system according to claim 28, wherein said at least one processor comprises a host processor and a NIC processor.

32. A method for processing of packetized data, the method comprising:

allocating a first partition of a single context memory for handling data for a first network protocol connection;

allocating a second partition of said single context memory for handling data for a second network protocol connection;

processing data for said first network protocol connection utilizing said first partition of said single context memory; and

processing data for said second network protocol connection utilizing said second partition of said single context memory.

33. The method according to claim 32, further comprising de-allocating said first partition of said single context memory when said first network protocol connection is terminated.

34. The method according to claim 33, further comprising reallocating at least a portion of said de-allocated first partition of said single context memory to process data for a third network protocol connection.

35. The method according to claim 34, further comprising allocating an unallocated portion of said single context memory to process data for a third network protocol connection.

36. The method according to claim 32, further comprising de-allocating said second partition of said single context memory when said second network protocol connection is terminated.

37. The method according to claim 36, further comprising reallocating at least a portion of said de-allocated second partition of said single context memory to process data for a fourth network protocol connection.

38. The method according to claim 34, further comprising allocating an unallocated portion of said single context memory to process data for a fourth network protocol connection.