Port adapter for high-bandwidth bus

• US 20060277346A1
• Filed: 08/11/2006
• Published: 12/07/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: David Doak, Garry P. Epps, Guy Fedorkow, John P. Prokopik, Mark A. Gustlin, Michael J. Taylor, Mohammed I. Tatar, Promode Nedungadi, Randall A. Johnson, Steven P. Holmes
• Original Assignee: David Doak, Garry P. Epps, Guy Fedorkow, John P. Prokopik, Mark A. Gustlin, Michael J. Taylor, Mohammed I. Tatar, Promode Nedungadi, Randall A. Johnson, Steven P. Holmes
• Inventors: Tatar, Mohammed I., Epps, Garry P., Prokopik, John P., Taylor, Michael J., Fedorkow, Guy, Doak, David, Holmes, Steven P., Nedungadi, Promode, Johnson, Randall A., Gustlin, Mark A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,310,695 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 710/305
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/387 for adaptation of different data processing systems to different peripheral devices, e.g. protocol converters for incompatible systems, open system
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 3/1617 carrying packets or ATM cells
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/5692 Selection among different networks
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 370/912 Packet communications

Abstract

A port adapter for connecting zero or more network interfaces to a host system having a SPI-4 bus is disclosed. The port adapter comprises zero or more network interfaces; a SPI-4 bus coupled to a host system to provide a communication channel between the host and the network interfaces; a control bus coupled to the host system for controlling and monitoring the port adapter; and interface logic that interfaces the SPI-4 bus and the control bus to the network interfaces. Methods are provided for selecting and using one of a small plurality of different packet formats for various networking technologies, so that the port adapter can hide details of the technology that it handles from the host system, and for operating the host system'"'"'s SPI-4 bus at one of several speeds based on bandwidth requirements of the port adapter.

Claims

1. A port adapter for coupling zero or more network interfaces to a host system having a SPI-4 bus, the port adapter comprising:

zero or more network interfaces;

a SPI-4 bus coupled to a host system to provide a communication channel between the host and the network interfaces;

a control bus coupled to the host system for controlling and monitoring the port adapter;

interface logic that interfaces the SPI-4 bus and the control bus to the network interfaces; and

packet processing logic for pre-processing packets received on the interfaces by performing the steps of;

receiving a first packet on an ingress interface of the port adapter;

creating a second packet that conforms to a selected one of internal packet formats;

transforming data from one or more fields of the first packet to one or more corresponding fields of the second packet;

providing the second packet to a host system.

2. A port adapter as recited in claim 1, wherein the packet processing logic further performs the steps of moving a remainder of a packet header and packet body from the first packet into the second packet.

3. A port adapter as recited in claim 2, wherein the packet processing logic is configured to perform the step of selecting one of a plurality of internal packet formats.

4. A port adapter as recited in claim 3, wherein the ingress interface is an Ethernet interface, ATM interface, frame relay, serial interface, highly channelized interface, RPR interface, or POS interface.

5. A port adapter as recited in claim 2, wherein the ingress interface is an Ethernet interface, ATM interface, frame relay, serial interface, highly channelized interface, RPR interface, or POS interface.

6. A port adapter as recited in claim 1, wherein the adapter comprises zero interfaces, and wherein the interface logic is configured to receive one or more packets from the host system, transform the packets according to a specified function, and send the transformed packets to the host system.

7. A port adapter as recited in claim 6, wherein the specified function comprises encryption, decryption, compression, or decompression.

8. A port adapter as recited in claim 1, further comprising an identification repository that stores a unique identifier of a type of the port adapter.

9. A port adapter as recited in claim 8, wherein the identification repository further stores one or more configuration parameter values associated with the port adapter.

10. A port adapter as recited in claim 8, wherein the identification repository stores values that allow the host to determine one or more data formats used by the port adaptor to send data on the SPI-4 bus.

11. A port adapter as recited in claim 8, wherein the identification repository comprises a non-volatile memory.

12. A port adapter as recited in claim 8, wherein the identification repository stores values that allow the host to determine whether the port adapter can be supported by the host system.

13. A port adapter as recited in claim 1, further comprising an identity bus coupled to the host system to allow identification of the port adapter by the host system.

14. A port adapter for coupling zero or more network interfaces to a host system having a SPI-4 bus, the port adapter comprising:

zero or more network interfaces;

a SPI-4 bus coupled to a host system to provide a communication channel between the host and the network interfaces;

control bus means coupled to the host system for controlling and monitoring the port adapter;

means for interfacing the SPI-4 bus and the control bus to the network interfaces; and

means for pre-processing packets received on the interfaces, said means for pre-processing comprising;

means for receiving a first packet on an ingress interface of the port adapter;

means for creating a second packet that conforms to a selected one of internal packet formats;

means for transforming data from one or more fields of the first packet to one or more corresponding fields of the second packet;

means for providing the second packet to a host system.

15. A port adapter as recited in claim 14, wherein the means for pre-processing packets further comprises means for moving a remainder of a packet header and packet body from the first packet into the second packet.

16. A port adapter as recited in claim 15, wherein the means for pre-processing packets further comprises means for selecting one of a plurality of internal packet formats.

17. A port adapter as recited in claim 16, wherein the ingress interface is an Ethernet interface, ATM interface, frame relay, serial interface, highly channelized interface, RPR interface, or POS interface.

18. A port adapter as recited in claim 15, wherein the ingress interface is an Ethernet interface, ATM interface, frame relay, serial interface, highly channelized interface, RPR interface, or POS interface.

19. A port adapter as recited in claim 14, wherein the adapter comprises zero interfaces, and wherein the means for interfacing the SPI-4 bus comprises means for receiving one or more packets from the host system, transforming the packets according to a specified function, and sending the transformed packets to the host system.

20. A port adapter as recited in claim 19, wherein the specified function comprises encryption, decryption, compression, or decompression.

21. A port adapter as recited in claim 14, further comprising means for storing a unique identifier of a type of the port adapter.

22. A port adapter as recited in claim 21, wherein the means for storing a unique identifier further comprises means for storing one or more configuration parameter values associated with the port adapter.

23. A port adapter as recited in claim 21, wherein the means for storing a unique identifier comprises means for storing values that allow the host to determine one or more data formats used by the port adaptor to send data on the SPI-4 bus.

24. A port adapter as recited in claim 21, wherein the means for storing a unique identifier comprises a non-volatile memory.

25. A port adapter as recited in claim 21, wherein the means for storing a unique identifier comprises means for storing values that allow the host to determine whether the port adapter can be supported by the host system.

26. A port adapter as recited in claim 14, further comprising means, coupled to the host system, for allowing identification of the port adapter by the host system.

27. A method of processing packets received at a port adaptor that comprises zero or more network interfaces, said method comprising:

receiving packets at the zero or more network interfaces, wherein the network interfaces are coupled to a host system via a SPI-4 bus to provide a communication channel between the host and the network interfaces; and

pre-processing packets received on the interfaces by performing the steps of;

receiving a first packet on an ingress interface of the port adapter;

creating a second packet that conforms to a selected one of internal packet formats;

transforming data from one or more fields of the first packet to one or more corresponding fields of the second packet; and

providing the second packet to the host system.

28. A method as recited in claim 27, further comprising the step of moving a remainder of a packet header and packet body from the first packet into the second packet.

29. A method as recited in claim 28, further comprising the step of selecting one of a plurality of internal packet formats.

30. A method as recited in claim 29, wherein the ingress interface is an Ethernet interface, ATM interface, frame relay, serial interface, highly channelized interface, RPR interface, or POS interface.

31. A method as recited in claim 28, wherein the ingress interface is an Ethernet interface, ATM interface, frame relay, serial interface, highly channelized interface, RPR interface, or POS interface.

32. A method as recited in claim 27, wherein the adapter comprises zero interfaces, and further comprising the steps of the interface logic:

receiving one or more packets from the host system;

transforming the packets according to a specified function, and

sending the transformed packets to the host system.

33. A method as recited in claim 32, wherein the specified function comprises encryption, decryption, compression, or decompression.

34. A method as recited in claim 27, further comprising the step of storing a unique identifier of a type of the port adapter.

35. A method as recited in claim 34, further comprising the step of storing one or more configuration parameter values associated with the port adapter.

36. A method as recited in claim 34, further comprising the step of storing values that allow the host to determine one or more data formats used by the port adaptor to send data on the SPI-4 bus.

37. A method as recited in claim 34, wherein the identification repository comprises a non-volatile memory.

38. A method as recited in claim 34, further comprising the step of storing values that allow the host to determine whether the port adapter can be supported by the host system.

39. A method as recited in claim 27, further comprising the step of the host system identifying the port adapter.