Protocol stack that offloads a TCP connection from a host computer to a network interface device

• US 20050141561A1
• Filed: 12/30/2004
• Published: 06/30/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/1997
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Alacritech, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Alacritech, Inc.
• Inventors: Higgen, David A., Philbrick, Clive M., Boucher, Laurence B., Craft, Peter K.
• Application Number:
  US11/027,842
• Publication Number:
  US 20050141561A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/474
• 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 computer-executable instructions stored on a computer-readable medium, the set of instructions comprising:

a protocol processing stack including code to establish a Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) connection for a host having a local Internet Protocol (IP) address and a local TCP port, the TCP connection being at least in part identified by the local IP address, the local TCP port, a remote IP address and a remote TCP port, the protocol processing stack including directions to transfer control of the TCP connection to an intelligent network interface.

2. The set of instructions of claim 1, wherein the intelligent network interface includes a network interface device and a device driver for the network interface device, and the directions to transfer control of the TCP connection include an instruction to transfer state information of the TCP connection from the stack to the device driver.

3. The set of instructions of claim 1, wherein the intelligent network interface includes a network interface device and a device driver for the network interface device, and the directions to transfer control of the TCP connection include means for transferring a state of the TCP connection from the stack to the device driver.

4. The set of instructions of claim 1, wherein the intelligent network interface includes a network interface device and a device driver for the network interface device, and the directions to transfer control of the TCP connection include an instruction to transfer a data structure including state information of the TCP connection from the stack to the device driver.

5. The set of instructions of claim 1, further comprising directions to receive control of the TCP connection from the intelligent network interface.

6. The set of instructions of claim 1, further comprising directions to receive state information of the TCP connection from the intelligent network interface.

7. The set of instructions of claim 1, further comprising directions to choose whether to transfer control of the TCP connection to the intelligent network interface.

8. A set of computer-executable instructions stored on a computer-readable medium, the set of instructions comprising:

protocol processing code to establish a Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) connection for a host having a local Internet Protocol (IP) address and a local TCP port, the TCP connection being at least in part identified by the local IP address, the local TCP port, a remote IP address and a remote TCP port; and

directions to transfer the TCP connection to an intelligent network interface.

9. The set of instructions of claim 8, wherein the intelligent network interface includes a network interface device and a device driver for the network interface device, and the directions to transfer the TCP connection include an instruction to pass state information of the TCP connection to the device driver.

10. The set of instructions of claim 8, wherein the intelligent network interface includes a network interface device and a device driver for the network interface device, and the directions to transfer the TCP connection include an instruction to pass a data structure regarding the TCP connection to the device driver.

11. The set of instructions of claim 8, wherein the intelligent network interface includes a network interface device and a device driver for the network interface device, and the directions to transfer the TCP connection include an instruction to pass a data structure including state information of the TCP connection to the device driver.

12. The set of instructions of claim 8, further comprising directions to receive a state of the TCP connection from the intelligent network interface.

13. The set of instructions of claim 8, further comprising directions to receive control of the TCP connection from the intelligent network interface.

14. The set of instructions of claim 8, further comprising directions to choose whether to transfer control of the TCP connection to the intelligent network interface.

15. A set of computer-executable instructions stored on a computer-readable medium, the set of instructions comprising:

means for establishing a Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) connection for a host having a local Internet Protocol (IP) address and a local TCP port, the TCP connection including the local IP address, the local TCP port, a remote IP address and a remote TCP port; and

directions to transfer control of the TCP connection to an intelligent network interface.

16. The set of instructions of claim 15, wherein the intelligent network interface includes a network interface card, and the directions to transfer control of the TCP connection include means for transferring the TCP connection to the network interface card.

17. The set of instructions of claim 15, wherein the intelligent network interface includes a network interface device and a device driver for the network interface device, and the directions to transfer control of the TCP connection include an instruction to pass state information of the TCP connection to the device driver.

18. The set of instructions of claim 15, wherein the intelligent network interface includes a network interface device and a device driver for the network interface device, and the directions to transfer control of the TCP connection include an instruction to pass a data structure regarding the TCP connection to the device driver.

19. The set of instructions of claim 15, further comprising directions to receive control of the TCP connection from the intelligent network interface.

20. The set of instructions of claim 15, further comprising directions to receive a state of the TCP connection from the intelligent network interface.

21. The set of instructions of claim 15, further comprising directions to choose whether to transfer control of the TCP connection to the intelligent network interface.