TECHNIQUES FOR USING AN ASSIGNED SWITCH IDENTIFICATION AT AN INPUT/OUTPUT DEVICE

• US 20130262711A1
• Filed: 03/15/2013
• Published: 10/03/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Louzoun, Eliel, Hofshi, Izhar
• Granted Patent: US 8,954,620 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 710/9
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4411 Configuring for operating with peripheral devices; Loading of device drivers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44505 Configuring for program initiating, e.g. using registry, configuration files
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/45533 Hypervisors; Virtual machine monitors
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/351 for local area network [LAN], e.g. Ethernet switches
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/70 Virtual switches

Abstract

Examples are disclosed for assigning a switch identification to data received at an input/output device coupled to a host device. In some examples, the data may be associated with a virtual station interface (VSI) for a virtual machine implemented at the host device. For these examples, a switch identification may be assigned to the data based on an assigned port identifier, identification information for the data, or an originator of at least a portion of the identification information. The assigned switch identification may then be used as part of a lookup table to determine one or more actions for processing the data at the input/output device. Other examples are described and claimed.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving data at an input/output device coupled to a host device, the data associated with a virtual station interface maintained at the input/output device, the virtual station interface communicatively coupled to a virtual machine implemented at the host device, the data sent from one of the virtual machine or a network element capable of being coupled to the input/output device via a network communication link;

assigning a switch identification to the data based on an assigned port identifier for a port through which the data is received at the input/output device, identification information for the data, and an originator of at least a portion of the identification information;

using the assigned switch identification as part of a lookup table to determine one or more actions for processing the data at the input/output device.

2. The method of claim 1, the port through which the data is received to include one of a physical port capable of being coupled to the network communication link or a logical port capable of being coupled to a data channel arranged to route data from the virtual machine to another virtual machine implemented at the host device.

3. The method of claim 1, the originator of at least the portion of the identification information to be identified as local based on the identification information for the data being generated at the input/output device or the data originator to be identified as global based on the identification information for the data being generated externally to the input/output device, a local identification associated with a first identifier and a global identification associated with a second identifier, the assigned switch identification to include one of the first identifier or the second identifier based on whether the originator identified as local or global.

4. The method of claim 1, the originator of at least the portion of the identification information to be identified as local and the identification information for the data to include a data channel identification number associated with the virtual station interface communicatively coupled to the virtual machine.

5. The method of claim 1, the originator of at least the portion of the identification information to be identified as local and the identification information for the data to include a default identification number generated at the input/output device based on the data being associated with control data related to establishing a data channel between the network element and the virtual machine, the data channel routed through the virtual station interface.

6. The method of claim 1, comprising operating the input/output device in compliance with one or more Ethernet specifications to include an Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.1 Qbg Ethernet specification or an IEEE 802.1BR Ethernet specification, the originator of at least the portion of the identification information to be identified as global and the identification number to include one of a Service tag (S-tag) or a Bridge Port Extension tag (E-tag).

7. The method of claim 6, the S-tag or the E-tag related to an established data channel between the network element and the virtual machine, the established data channel routed through the virtual station interface.

8. The method of claim 1, comprising operating the I/O device in compliance with one or more Ethernet specifications to include an Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.1Qbg Ethernet specification or an IEEE 802.1BR Ethernet specification, the originator of at least the portion of the identification information to be identified as local and the identification number to include one of a Service tag (S-tag) or a Bridge Port Extension tag (E-tag).

9. The method of claim 8, the S-tag or the E-tag related to an established data channel between the virtual machine and the network element, the established data channel routed through the virtual station interface.

10. The method of claim 1, comprising storing information associated with multiple switches of the I/O device in a single switch identification table, the single switch identification table maintained in a memory at the input/output device.

11. The method of claim 10, comprising the information to include the assigned switch identification for the data.

12. The method of claim 1, using the assigned switch identification as part of a lookup table comprises the lookup table to be stored in a memory at the input/output device, the memory arranged as ternary content-addressable memory (TCAM).

13. An apparatus comprising:

a processor circuit; and

a memory unit communicatively coupled to the processor circuit, the memory unit arranged to store instructions for logic operative on the processor circuit, the logic configured to receive data at an input/output device capable of being coupled to a host device, the data having a destination associated with a virtual station interface maintained at the input/output device, the virtual station interface capable of being coupled to a virtual machine implemented at the host device, the data sent from one of the virtual machine or a network element capable of being coupled to the input/output device via a network communication link, the logic also configured to assign a switch identification to the data based on an assigned port identifier for a port through which the data is received at the input/output device, identification information for the data, and an originator of at least a portion of the identification information, the logic configured to use the assigned switch identification as part of a lookup table in order to determine one or more actions for processing the data at the input/output device.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, comprising the memory unit to include volatile memory.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, the port through which the data is received to include one of a physical port capable of being coupled to the network communication link or a logical port capable of being coupled to a data channel arranged to route data from the virtual machine to another virtual machine implemented at the host device.

16. The apparatus of claim 13, the originator of at least the portion of the identification information to be identified as local based on the identification information for the data being generated at the input/output device or the data originator to be identified as global based on the identification information for the data being generated externally to the input/output device, a local identification associated with a first identifier and a global identification associated with a second identifier, the assigned switch identification to include one of the first identifier or the second identifier based on whether the originator is identified as local or global.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, comprising the originator of at least the portion of the identification information to be identified as local and the identification information for the data to include a data channel identification number associated with the virtual station interface capable of being coupled to the virtual machine.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, comprising the originator of at least the portion of the identification information to be identified as local and the identification information for the data to include a default identification number generated at the input/output device based on the data being associated with control data related to establishing a data channel between the network element and the virtual machine, the data channel routed through the virtual station interface.

19. The apparatus of claim 13, the input/output device arranged to operate in compliance with one or more Ethernet specifications to include an Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.1Qbg Ethernet specification or an IEEE 802.1BR Ethernet specification, the originator of at least the portion of the identification information to be identified as global and the identification number to include one of a Service tag (S-tag) or a Bridge Port Extension tag (E-tag).

20. The apparatus of claim 19, the S-tag or the E-tag related to an established data channel between the network element and the virtual machine, the data channel routed through the virtual station interface.

21. The apparatus of claim 13, the input/output device arranged to operate in compliance with one or more Ethernet specifications to include an Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.1Qbg Ethernet specification or an IEEE 802.1BR Ethernet specification, the originator of at least the portion of the identification information to be identified as local and the identification number to include one of a Service tag (S-tag) or a Bridge Port Extension tag (E-tag).

22. The apparatus of claim 21, the S-tag or the E-tag related to an established data channel between the virtual machine and the network element, the established data channel routed through the virtual station interface.

23. The apparatus of claim 13, comprising the logic also configured to use the assigned switch identification as part of a lookup table stored in a memory at the input/output device, the memory arranged as ternary content-addressable memory (TCAM).