METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR CONFIGURING A PLURALITY OF NETWORK INTERFACES THAT SHARE A PHYSICAL INTERFACE

• US 20080270599A1
• Filed: 04/29/2008
• Published: 10/30/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Mizrachi, Shay, Tal, Uri, Tamir, Eliezer
• Granted Patent: US 7,925,795 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2005 using redundant communication controllers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0803 Configuration setting

Abstract

Certain aspects of a method and system for configuring a plurality of network interfaces that share a physical interface (PHY) may include a system comprising one or more physical network interface controllers (NICs) and two or more virtual NICs. One or more drivers associated with each of the virtual NICs that share one or more Ethernet ports associated with the physical NICs may be synchronized based on controlling one or more parameters associated with one or more Ethernet ports. One or more wake on LAN (WoL) patterns associated with each of the drivers may be detected at one or more Ethernet ports. A wake up signal may be communicated to one or more drivers associated with the detected WoL patterns. One of the drivers may be appointed to be a port master driver. If a failure of the appointed port master driver is detected, another driver may be appointed to be the port master driver.

Claims

1. A method for processing data, the method comprising:

in a system comprising one or more physical network interface controllers (NICs) and two or more virtual NICs;

synchronizing one or more drivers associated with each of said two or more virtual NICs that share one or more Ethernet ports associated with said one or more physical NICs, based on controlling one or more parameters associated with said one or more Ethernet ports.

2. The method according to claim 1, comprising receiving one or more host system interface (HSI) commands from said one or more drivers.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein said one or more HSI commands comprises one or more of:

a driver load request, a driver unload request, a driver reset request, a driver heart-beat request and/or a driver diagnostic mode request.

4. The method according to claim 3, comprising authorizing said one or more drivers to process said received one or more HSI commands when no other said one or more HSI commands are being processed.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein said authorizing of said one or more drivers comprises one or more of:

a common authorization, an Ethernet port authorization, and/or a Peripheral Component Interconnect-Express (PCIe) root complex authorization.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein said common authorization comprises authorizing one or more of:

common resources of said one or more physical NICs, resources of said one or more Ethernet ports, and/or said PCIe root complex.

7. The method according to claim 6, comprising controlling network traffic between said one or more physical NICs based on monitoring of said common resources of said one or more physical NICs.

8. The method according to claim 4, comprising receiving a driver completion notification from said one or more drivers when said one or more drivers completes processing of said received one or more HSI commands.

9. The method according to claim 8, comprising communicating a processor completion notification to said one or more drivers based on said received driver completion notification from said one or more drivers.

10. The method according to claim 9, comprising authorizing one or more other drivers to process said received one or more HSI commands after said communicating of said processor completion notification to said one or more drivers.

11. The method according to claim 1, comprising:

detecting one or more wake on LAN (WoL) patterns associated with each of said one or more drivers at said one or more Ethernet ports; and

communicating a signal to said one or more drivers associated with said detected one or more WoL patterns.

12. The method according to claim 11, comprising configuring each of said one or more drivers to wake up a particular Peripheral Component Interconnect-Express (PCIe) root complex based on said detected one or more WoL patterns.

13. The method according to claim 1, comprising appointing one of said one or more drivers to be a port master driver.

14. The method according to claim 13, comprising detecting failure of said appointed port master driver based on one or more of:

an expiry of a master driver timer, an unload notification by said appointed port master driver and/or a failure of an acknowledgement by said appointed port master driver.

15. The method according to claim 14, comprising appointing one other driver as said port master driver based on said detection of said failure of said appointed port master driver.

16. A system for processing data, the system comprising:

in a system comprising one or more physical network interface controllers (NICs) and two or more virtual NICs, one or more processors that enables synchronization of one or more drivers associated with each of said two or more virtual NICs that share one or more Ethernet ports associated with said one or more physical NICs, based on controlling one or more parameters associated with said one or more Ethernet ports.

17. The system according to claim 16, wherein said one or more processors enables receipt of one or more host system interface (HSI) commands from said one or more drivers.

18. The system according to claim 17, wherein said one or more HSI commands comprises one or more of:

a driver load request, a driver unload request, a driver reset request, a driver heart-beat request and/or a driver diagnostic mode request.

19. The system according to claim 18, wherein said one or more processors enables authorization of said one or more drivers to process said received one or more HSI commands when no other said one or more HSI commands are being processed.

20. The system according to claim 19, wherein said authorizing of said one or more drivers comprises one or more of:

a common authorization, an Ethernet port authorization, and/or a Peripheral Component Interconnect-Express (PCIe) root complex authorization.

21. The system according to claim 20, wherein said common authorization comprises authorizing one or more of:

common resources of said one or more physical NICs, resources of said one or more Ethernet ports, and/or said PCIe root complex.

22. The system according to claim 21, wherein said one or more processors enables controlling of network traffic between said one or more physical NICs based on monitoring of said common resources of said one or more physical NICs.

23. The system according to claim 19, wherein said one or more processors enables receipt of a driver completion notification from said one or more drivers when said one or more drivers completes processing of said received one or more HSI commands.

24. The system according to claim 23, wherein said one or more processors enables communication of a processor completion notification to said one or more drivers based on said received driver completion notification from said one or more drivers.

25. The system according to claim 24, wherein said one or more processors enables authorization of one or more other drivers to process said received one or more HSI commands after said communicating of said processor completion notification to said one or more drivers.

26. The system according to claim 16, wherein

said one or more processors enables detection of one or more wake on LAN (WoL) patterns associated with each of said one or more drivers at said one or more Ethernet ports;

and

said one or more processors enables communication of a signal to said one or more drivers associated with said detected one or more WoL patterns.

27. The system according to claim 26, wherein said one or more processors enables configuring each of said one or more drivers to wake up a particular Peripheral Component Interconnect-Express (PCIe) root complex based on said detected one or more WoL patterns.

28. The system according to claim 16, wherein said one or more processors enables appointing of one of said one or more drivers to be a port master driver.

29. The system according to claim 28, wherein said one or more processors enables detection of a failure of said appointed port master driver based on one or more of:

an expiry of a master driver timer, an unload notification by said appointed port master driver and/or a failure of an acknowledgement by said appointed port master driver.

30. The system according to claim 29, wherein said one or more processors enables appointing of one other driver as said port master driver based on said detection of said failure of said appointed port master driver.