INPUT/OUTPUT PROCESSING

• US 20140032795A1
• Filed: 04/13/2011
• Published: 01/30/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/13/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP (Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Company)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Krause, Michael R.
• Application Number:
  US14/009,761
• Publication Number:
  US 20140032795A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 710/29
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2007 using redundant communication media
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2017 where memory access, memory control or I/O control functionality is redundant redundant communication control functionality G06F11/2005; redundant storage control functionality G06F11/2089
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2025 using centralised failover control functionality
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2066 Optimisation of the communication load
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/0813 with a network or matrix configuration
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/1081 for peripheral access to main memory, e.g. direct memory access [DMA]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/4059 where the synchronisation uses buffers, e.g. for speed matching between buses
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2212/1016 Performance improvement
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2212/314 In storage network, e.g. network attached cache
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/10 Flow control; Congestion control

Abstract

The present disclosure provides an electronic device that includes a lower device configured to process local input/output communications between the electronic device and a host, wherein the lower device is stateless. The electronic device also includes a memory comprising a data flow identifier used to associate a data flow resource of the host with a data flow resource corresponding to the lower device. A data packet sent from the lower device to the host includes the data flow identifier.

Claims

1. An electronic device, comprising:

a lower device configured to process local input/output communications between the electronic device and a host, wherein the lower device is stateless;

a memory comprising a data flow identifier used to associate a data flow resource of the host with a data flow resource corresponding to the lower device;

wherein a data packet sent from the lower device to the host includes the data flow identifier.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the data flow identifier includes a plurality of fields that uniquely identify the data flow resource of the host.

3. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the memory comprising the data flow identifier is populated based on control commands sent to the lower device from the host.

4. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the lower device is operatively coupled to the host through two or more communications ports, and the lower device is configured to stripe data sent to the host across the two or more communication ports.

5. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the data flow identifier sent from the lower device to the upper device includes a hint that payload data included in the data packet has near-term use and, in response to the hint, the host places the payload data in a processor cache.

6. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the lower device is a Network Interface Card (NIC) configured to identify network protocol information using the data flow identifier and generate an outbound data frame based on the network protocol information.

7. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the lower device is a storage device configured to identify control block information residing on the lower device using the data flow identifier and generate storage protocol information based on the control block information.

8. A method of processing local input/output, comprising:

generating a data packet comprising payload data and a data flow identifier; and

pushing the data packet to a host, wherein a data flow resource of the host is identified by the host using the data flow identifier.

9. The method of claim 8, comprising receiving a data packet from an external source and identifying the data flow identifier based on header information of the data packet.

10. The method of claim 8, comprising receiving one or more control commands from the host and generating a control block based on the control commands, the control block including the data flow identifier.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the control block includes information corresponding to a storage read or write operation.

12. The method of claim 8, comprising generating a second data packet comprising the payload data and a second data flow identifier and pushing the second data packet to a second host.

13. A non-transitory, computer-readable medium comprising code configured to direct a processor to:

generate a data packet comprising payload data and a data flow identifier; and

push the data packet to a host, wherein a data flow resource of the host is identified by the host using the data flow identifier.

14. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 13 comprising code configured to direct the processor to receive an Ethernet packet from an external device, and identifying the data flow identifier based on Ethernet header information of the Ethernet packet.

15. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 13 comprising code configured to direct the processor to receive one or more control commands from the host and generating a control block based on the control commands, the control block including the data flow identifier.