Network processor for transforming a message transported from an I/O channel to a network by adding a message identifier and then converting the message

• US 5,619,650 A
• Filed: 09/21/1995
• Issued: 04/08/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Parchinski, Kenneth J., Whelan, Gary J., Bach, Maurice J., Hoppes, Robert B., Meltzer, Clifford B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Thomas C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chen, Duo
• Application Number:
  US08/531,579
• Time in Patent Office: 565 Days
• Field of Search: 395/650, 395/500, 395/200.01, 395/200.14, 395/285, 395/800, 370/85.1, 370/85.13, 370/60
• US Class Current: 709/246
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/46 Interconnection of networks

Abstract

A system and method for distributing application-to-application network communications protocol processing. Host computers implement distributed API processing across a high speed I/O channel increasing throughput. The application API conforms to standard protocols but protocol processing is distributed using a cross-channel distributed sockets API at the session layer. This API allows multiplexing of data from one or more hosts to one or more front end routers managing network communications. Multiplexing increases network performance through parallel processing and advantageously employs host high speed I/O functions. Front end routers perform lower level protocol tasks necessary to exchange data over the communications network.

Claims

1. A computer system for exchanging data messages with other computer systems through a point-to point communications network, said point-to-point communications network using a predetermined network transport protocol to transmit and receive data messages, said computer system including:

a). a host system including a host processor for executing application programs and at least one input/output channel, said host system using a host system data transfer protocol for transporting data messages within the host system and over the input output channel that is different from the predetermined network transport protocol, said data messages comprising distributed processing identification information generated by said host processor based on the data message content;

b). a network processor connected to at least one input/output channel of the host system for exchanging data with the host system over the input/output channel using the host system data transfer protocol, said network processor including means for transforming data messages received over the input/output channel to a format in which the transformed data messages are forwarded into the point-to-point communications network for transmission to remote computer systems using the predetermined network transport protocol and for transforming data messages received from the point-to-point communications network to a form which the messages are transmitted into the host system through the input/output channel using the host system data transfer protocol, wherein said message transforming means adds a data message identifier to the received data message and then converts the message in accordance with the distributed processing identification information when a message is transported from the input/output channel to the point-to-point communication network.

2. A system as defined in claim 1 wherein said host system further includes multithreading control blocks for permitting the host system and the network processor system to concurrently process a plurality of data messages.

3. A computer system for exchanging data messages with other computer systems through a point-to point communications network, said point-to-point communications network using a TCP/IP transport protocol to transmit and receive data messages, said computer system including:

a). a host system including a host processor for executing application programs and at least one input/output channel, said host system using a host system data transfer protocol for transporting data messages within the host system and over the input output channel that is different from the TCP/IP transport protocol, said data messages comprising of distributed processing identification information generated by said host processor based on the data message content;

b). a network processor connected to at least one input/output channel of the host system for exchanging data messages with the host system over the input/output channel using the host system data transfer protocol, said network processor including means for transforming data messages received over the input/output channel to a format in which the transformed data messages are forwarded into the point-to-point communications network for transmission to remote computer systems using the TCP/IP transport protocol and for transforming data messages received from the point-to-point communications network to a form which the messages are transmitted into the host system through the input/output channel using the host system data transfer protocol, wherein said message transforming means adds a data message identifier to the received data message and then converts the data message in accordance with the distributed processing identification information when a data message is transported from the input/output channel to the point-to-point communication network.

4. In a computer system including a host system having a processor for executing application programs and for exchanging data messages with said application programs through an application program interface and an input/output channel for carrying data messages in accordance with channel protocols and a network protocol processor connected to the host system through the input/output channel and to one or more remote computer systems through a point-to-point communication network, a method of offloading network protocol processing from the host system to the network protocol processor comprising the steps of:

a). in the host system, augmenting a data message received over the application program interface by adding distributed processing identification information as a function of the data message content and transmitting the augmented data message from the host system to the network protocol processor over the input/output channel;

b). in the network protocol processor, further augmenting the received message by adding a data message identifier and then converting the further augmented message into a format suitable for transport through the point-to-point communications network in accordance with the distributed processing identification information, said communications network carrying data messages in accordance with a predetermined network transport protocol different from said host channel protocol.

5. A computer system for exchanging data message with other computer systems through a point-to-point communications network, said point-to-point communications network using a predetermined network transport protocol to transmit and receive data messages, said computer system including:

a host system having a processor for executing application programs and for exchanging data messages with said application programs through an application program interface and an input/output channel for carrying data messages in accordance with a channel protocol, said host system including means for modifying a data message received at the application interface by adding distributed processing identification information based upon the content of the data message and means for transmitting the modified data message over the input/output channel, wherein said host system uses a host system data transfer protocol different from said predetermined network transport protocol; and

a network protocol processor connected to the input/output channel for receiving the modified data message from the host system, said network protocol processor including means for further augmenting the received modified data message by adding a data message identifier and for converting the further augmented message in accordance with the distributed processing identification information into a format suitable for transport through the point-to-point communications network.

6. For use in a system having a host processor, at least one high speed input/output channel and storage means for storing data, said host processor including means for accepting data message in a first format, means for transforming the data message in an augmented data message by adding distributed processing identification information based upon the content of the data message and means for transmitting said augmented data message through the high speed input/output channels in accordance with a host system data transfer protocol, a protocol processor including:

means for connecting the protocol processor to said high speed input/output channel;

means for receiving augmented data messages from the host processor through the high speed input/output channel;

means for further augmenting received augmented data messages by adding a data message identifier;

means for transforming the further augmented data messages into network recognizable units based upon distributed processing identification information contained within the data messages;

means for connecting said protocol processor to a network, said network using a predetermined network transport protocol different from the host system data transfer protocol; and

means for transmitting the transformed further augmented data messages into the network through said connecting means.

7. For use in a system having a host processor, at least one high speed input/output channel and storage means for storing data, said host processor including means for accepting a data message in a first format, means for transforming the data message to an augmented data message by adding distributed processing identification information based upon the content of the data message and means for transmitting said augmented data message through the high speed input/output channel in accordance with a host system data transfer protocol, a method to be performed at a protocol processor connected to the host processor through the high speed input/output channels and to a point-to-point network through at least one network adapter, said method comprising the steps of:

receiving augmented data messages provided by the host processor through the high speed input/output channel;

further augmenting the received augmented data messages by adding a data message identifier to each of said message;

transforming said further augmented data messages into network recognizable units based upon the distributed processing identification information contained within the data messages; and

transferring the transformed further augmented data message into the point-to-point network, said point-to-point network using a predetermined network transport protocol different from said host system data transfer protocol.