Stack bypass application programming interface

• US 20060280185A1
• Filed: 06/09/2005
• Published: 12/14/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Digi International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Digi International Inc.
• Inventors: Schiller, Olaf, Jacobson, Paul, Ravalski, Julia
• Granted Patent: US 7,551,618 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/395.520
• 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 69/325 in the network layer [OSI layer 3], e.g. X.25 H04L69/16 takes precedence

Abstract

Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, for a stack bypass application programming interface (API). A stack bypass API for receipt of a packet includes a registration function that registers an application selectable filter function and a receive function that are used during operation by an Ethernet driver.

Claims

1. A stack bypass application programming interface (API) for receipt of a packet comprising a registration function that registers an application selectable filter function and a receive function that are used during operation by an Ethernet driver.

2. The API of claim 1 wherein the filter function is user-customizable.

3. The API of claim 2 wherein the filter function returns a response.

4. The API of claim 3 wherein the response causes the packet to be discarded.

5. The API of claim 3 wherein the response causes the packet to be forwarded to an Internet Protocol (IP) stack.

6. The API of claim 3 wherein the response causes the packet to be removed from a direct memory access (DMA) ring in the Ethernet driver and sent to the receive function.

7. The API of claim 1 wherein the receive function processes the packet.

8. The API of claim 1 wherein the receive function passes the packet on to a thread.

9. The API of claim 1 wherein the receive function places the packet in a queue for future processing.

10. A method of receiving a network packet comprising:

enabling a registration function that registers an application selectable filter function and receive function with an Ethernet driver;

calling a filter function, the filter function returning a state;

discarding the packet if the returned state is discard;

forwarding the packet to an Internet Protocol (IP) stack if the returned state is forward; and

removing the packet and calling a receive function if the returned state is remove.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the receive function processes the packet.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein the receive function passes the packet on to a thread.

13. The method of claim 10 wherein the receive function places the packet in a queue for future processing.