System and method for vertical perimeter protection

• US 20050169309A1
• Filed: 10/10/2003
• Published: 08/04/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/23/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle America, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Oracle America, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Curtis, Bruce, Tripathi, Sunay
• Granted Patent: US 8,539,089 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/469
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/621 Individual queue per connection or flow, e.g. per VC
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/12 Protocol engines
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/162 involving adaptations of sockets based mechanisms secure socket layer H04L63/168
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/321 Interlayer communication protocols or service data unit [SDU] definitions; Interfaces between layers

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention include a method for processing packets through a plurality of protocol layers comprising accessing a packet associated with a connection and processing the packet through the plurality of protocol layers using a single thread wherein connection state information used by the plurality of protocol layers is preserved by mutual exclusion of other threads processing packets for the connection through the plurality of protocol layers.

Claims

1. ) A method for processing packets through a plurality of protocol layers comprising:

accessing a packet associated with a connection; and

processing said packet through said plurality of protocol layers using a single thread wherein connection state information used by said plurality of protocol layers is preserved by mutual exclusion of other threads processing packets for said connection through said plurality of protocol layers.

2. ) The method as described in claim 1 wherein said single thread is uninterrupted while processing said packet through said plurality of protocol layers.

3. ) The method as described in claim 1 further comprising assigning said packet to a processing queue wherein said processing queue provides single threaded processing of said packet through said plurality of protocol layers.

4. ) The method as described in claim 3 wherein said processing queue provides single threaded processing of said packet through said plurality of protocol layers by assigning only one packet to be processed by said plurality of protocol layers at a time.

5. ) The method as described in claim 4 wherein said packet is assigned to said processing queue based on address information of said connection.

6. ) The method as described in claim 1 further comprising generating a connection data structure specific to said connection based on address information of said connection.

7. ) The method as described in claim 6 wherein said address information comprises a local IP address and a remote IP address.

8. ) The method as described in claim 7 wherein said address information further comprises a remote port address and a local port address.

9. ) The method as described in claim 1 further comprising assigning said connection to a single processor of a multi-processor computer system wherein packets associated with said connection are directed to said single processor for processing by said single thread.

10. ) A method for processing data packets comprising:

accessing a data packet associated with a connection; and

assigning said connection for processing to a single processor of a multiprocessor server system wherein said single processor services all data packets associated with said connection.

11. ) The method as described in claim 10 further comprising processing said data packet through said plurality of protocol layers using a single thread wherein connection state information used by said plurality of protocol layers is preserved by mutual exclusion from other threads processing packets for said connection through said plurality of protocol layers.

12. ) The method as described in claim 11 wherein said single thread is uninterrupted while processing said data packet through said plurality of protocol layers.

13. ) The method as described in claim 11 further comprising assigning said data packet to a processing queue associated with said single processor wherein said processing queue provides single threaded processing of said data packet through said plurality of protocol layers.

14. ) The method as described in claim 13 wherein said processing queue is an squeue.

15. ) The method as described in claim 13 wherein said processing queue provides single threaded processing of said packet through said plurality of protocol layers by assigning only one packet to be processed by said plurality of protocol layers at a time.

16. ) The method as described in claim 10 further comprising generating a connection structure entry specific to said connection based on address information of said connection.

17. ) The method as described in claim 16 wherein said address information comprises a local IP address and a remote IP address.

18. ) The method as described in claim 17 wherein said address information further comprises a remote port address and a local port address.

19. ) The method as described in claim 16 wherein subsequent data packets of said connection, are assigned to said single processor based on said connection structure.

20. ) A method for processing packets comprising:

accessing a packet associated with a connection; and

assigning said packet to a processing queue wherein said processing queue provides uninterrupted single threaded processing of said data packet through a plurality of protocol layers.

21. ) The method as described in claim 20 wherein said processing queue provides mutual exclusion of same-connection packet processing through said plurality of protocol layers.

22. ) The method as described in claim 20 wherein said processing queue is associated with a single processor of a multiprocessor server system and wherein all packets associated with said connection are processed by said single processor.

23. ) The method as described in claim 20 further comprising generating a connection structure associated with said connection based on address information of said connection.

24. ) The method as described in claim 23 wherein said address information comprises a local IP address and a remote IP address.

25. ) The method as described in claim 24 wherein said address information further comprises a remote port address and a local port address.

26. ) The method as described in claim 25 wherein said connection structure is used to assign subsequent packets associated with said connection to said processing queue.

27. ) The method as described in claim 20 wherein said plurality of protocol layers includes a TCP protocol layer.

28. ) The method as described in claim 20 wherein said plurality of protocol layers includes an IP protocol layer.

29. ) A method of processing packets comprising:

processing packets of a same connection through a plurality of protocol layers of a communication system, wherein state information of any given packet is preserved because said packets are individually mutually excluded from said protocol layers.

30. ) A method as described in claim 29 further comprising assigning a packet of said same connection to a queue, said queue associated with said same connection and further comprising said queue assigning packets of said same connection to said plurality of protocol layers only one packet at a time.

31. ) A method as described in claim 30 further comprising generating a connection data structure unique to said same connection and identifying packets of said same connection using said connection data structure.

32. ) A method as described in claim 31 wherein said packets are identified as belonging to said same connection via address information stored in said packets.

33. ) A method as described in claim 31 wherein said queue is associated with said connection data structure.

34. ) A method as described in claim 31 wherein said packets of said same connection are processed through said plurality of protocol layers using a same processor of a multi-processor computer system.

35. ) A method as described in claim 34 wherein said packets of said same connection are processed using a single thread.

36. ) A multiprocessor server system comprising:

a plurality of processors for processing packets through a plurality of protocol layers;

a plurality of queues, each queue associated with a respective processor of said plurality of processors; and

a memory resident connection data structure for assigning packets of a same connection to a same queue of said plurality of queues for processing said packets of said same connection by a same processor of said plurality of processors.

37. ) A multiprocessor server system as described in claim 36 wherein said connections are TCP connections.

38. ) A multiprocessor server system as described in claim 37 wherein said plurality of protocol layers comprise:

IP;

TCP; and

socket layers.

39. ) A multiprocessor server system as described in claim 36 wherein a processor of said plurality of processors processes a packet of its queue without interruption through said plurality of protocol layers except for scheduling another packet on its queue.

40. ) A multiprocessor server system as described in claim 37 wherein a processor of said plurality of processors processes a packet of its queue without interruption through said plurality of protocol layers except for scheduling another packet on its queue.

41. ) A multiprocessor server system as described in claim 37 wherein said connection data structure is established for a new connection upon receiving a new connection request and wherein said connection data structure comprises an identifier of a queue to which all packets of said new connection are to be assigned.

42. ) A multiprocessor server system as described in claim 36 further comprising a plurality of cache memories, each cache associated with a respective processor of said plurality of processors.

43. ) A multiprocessor server system as described in claim 36 wherein state information of any given packet of a same connection is preserved because said packets of said same connection are individually mutually excluded from said protocol layers.

44. ) A computer system comprising a processor coupled to a bus and a memory coupled to said bus and comprising instructions that when executed implement a method for processing data packets comprising:

accessing a packet associated with a connection; and

processing said packet through said plurality of protocol layers using a single thread wherein connection state information used by said plurality of protocol layers is preserved by mutual exclusion of other threads processing packets for said connection through said plurality of protocol layers.

45. ) The computer system as described in claim 44 wherein said single thread is uninterrupted while processing said packet through said plurality of protocol layers.

46. ) The computer system as described in claim 44 wherein said packet are assigned to a processing queue wherein said processing queue provides single threaded processing of said packet through said plurality of protocol layers.

47. ) The computer system as described in claim 46 wherein said processing queue provides single threaded processing of said packet through said plurality of protocol layers by assigning only one packet to be processed by said plurality of protocol layers at a time.

48. ) The computer system as described in claim 47 wherein said packet is assigned to said processing queue based on address information of said connection.

49. ) The computer system as described in claim 44 wherein a connection data structure is generated specific to said connection based on address information of said connection.

50. ) The computer system as described in claim 49 wherein said address information comprises a local IP address and a remote IP address.

51. ) The computer system as described in claim 49 wherein said address information further comprises a remote port address and a local port address.

52. ) The computer system as described in claim 44 wherein said connection is assigned to a single processor of a multi-processor computer system wherein packets associated with said connection are directed to said single processor for processing by said single thread.

53. ) A computer system comprising a processor coupled to a bus and a memory coupled to said bus and comprising instructions that when executed implement a method for processing data packets comprising:

accessing a packet associated with a connection; and

assigning said packet to a processing queue wherein said processing queue provides uninterrupted single threaded processing of said data packet through a plurality of protocol layers.

54. ) The computer system as described in claim 53 wherein said processing queue provides mutual exclusion of same-connection packet processing through said plurality of protocol layers.

55. ) The computer system as described in claim 53 wherein said processing queue is associated with a single processor of a multiprocessor server system and wherein all packets associated with said connection are processed by said single processor.

56. ) The computer system as described in claim 53 wherein a connection structure associated with said connection is generated based on address information of said connection.

57. ) The computer system as described in claim 56 wherein said address information comprises a local IP address and a remote IP address.

58. ) The computer system as described in claim 57 wherein said address information further comprises a remote port address and a local port address.

59. ) The computer system as described in claim 58 wherein said connection structure is used to assign subsequent packets associated with said connection to said processing queue.

60. ) The computer system as described in claim 53 wherein said plurality of protocol layers includes a TCP protocol layer.

61. ) The computer system as described in claim 53 wherein said plurality of protocol layers includes an IP protocol layer.