Method and apparatus supporting network communications

• US 6,691,147 B1
• Filed: 12/07/1999
• Issued: 02/10/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP (Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Company)
• Original Assignee: 3Com Corporation (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Arunkumar, Nagaraj, Nilakantan, Chandrasekharan, Loi, Ly
• Primary Examiner(s): Powell, Mark R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): VU, THONG H
• Application Number:
  US09/455,841
• Time in Patent Office: 1,526 Days
• Field of Search: 709/200, 709/237, 709/250, 709/218, 709/228, 709/230, 709/231, 709/249, 709/232, 370/419, 370/252, 370/94, 706/60, 340/826, 710/8, 710/10, 713/1
• US Class Current: 709/200
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/00 Arrangements for maintenance, administration or management of data switching networks, e.g. of packet switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/08 Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion

Abstract

One embodiment of the invention includes a method of managing network communications in a network device. The network device includes software components and modules. Some of the components control the interaction between modules, while other components perform specific functions for associated modules. A module manager component controls the creation and destruction of modules as well as their interactions. A communications manager component manages network communications in the network device. The network communications is supported by creating a number of modules that are associated with components that implement different parts of a network protocol. As a result of the use of the modules, a component need not know which other component(s) it depends upon, nor need it know which other component(s) depend upon it. This allows components to be used together very easily in many different configurations. The modules also allow the same component to be used by multiple modules.

Claims

1. A method of receiving data from a network using a network device, the network device including a processor coupled to a memory and physical media connection, a first process including a device driver that provides an interface to a first network protocol layer, a device driver module that provides an interface between the device driver and a module management process, a second process that provides an interface to a second network protocol layer, a second module that provides an interface between the second process and the module management process, the method including the steps of:

receiving the data from the network at the physical media connection;

determining the data is a control information type that includes control information;

the device driver communicating to the device driver module a first event corresponding to the control information;

the device driver module communicating to the module management process a second event corresponding to the control information;

the module management process determining that the second module should be notified of the control information;

the module management process enabling a communication to the second module of a third event corresponding to the control information; and

the second module communicating to the second process a fourth event corresponding to the control information.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said control information causes said first process to be unavailable for data communications and wherein said first event includes an unavailable signal.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said network device includes a third process, said third process providing an interface to a third network protocol layer, said third network protocol layer being different than said second network protocol layer and said first network protocol layer, said first network protocol layer being at lower protocol layer than said third network protocol layer and said second network protocol layer being at a higher protocol layer than said third network protocol layer, and if said data is said control information type then, determining said third process is to be notified in responsive to receiving said first event, and notifying said third process.

4. The method of claim 1 further including if said data is a data information type, then performing the following steps,

said first process processing said data to generated a first processed data; and

said first process directly requesting said second process to process said first processed data to generate a second processed data.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein said network device includes a first module, said first module providing an interface for said first process, said second process includes a first function for processing said first processed data, and wherein said first process directly requesting said second process to process said first processed data includes said first process accessing said first module to identify said first function and said first process calling said first function.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising a computer readable medium having stored therein instructions for causing a processor to execute all the steps of the method.

7. A method of communicating data between a plurality of components in a network communications device, each component of said plurality of components providing a set of functions for different portions of a network protocol, said plurality of components including a first component, a second component and a third component, said second component including a set of functions for controlling said network protocol, said third component including a set of functions for transferring data according to a portion of said network protocol, said method comprising:

generating a module for each component of said plurality of components, including generating a first module correspond to said first component, a second module correspond to said second component and a third module corresponding to said third component;

receiving said data at said first component;

if said data corresponds to a data transfer, then said first component processing said data and said first module providing to said first component a reference to directly request processing of said data by said third component; and

if said data corresponds to control information, then said first module causes a notification of said second component, said notification corresponding to said control information.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein said plurality of components includes a module manager, and wherein said first module causing said notification of said second component includes said first component notifying said module manager, and said module manager notifying said second component.

9. The method of claim 7 further comprising said third component including a data transmit function, said third component causing a storage of a pointer to said data transmit function, and said first module providing said reference includes said first module causing an access to said third module to identify said pointer and said first module providing said pointer to said first component.

10. The method of claim 7 further comprising said third component including a quick data transmit function, said third component causing a storage of a pointer to said quick data transmit function, and said first module providing said reference includes said first module causing an access to said third module to identify said pointer and said first module providing said pointer to said first component.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein said first module includes a second reference to said third module and wherein said first module causing an access to said third module includes said first module providing said second reference to said first component.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein said first component includes a high speed serial device driver, wherein said second component includes a point to point communications control program, and wherein said third component includes a point to point communications data transfer program.

13. The method of claim 7 further comprising a computer readable medium having stored therein instructions for causing a processor to execute all the steps of the method.

14. A method of bundling a plurality of device driver processes to support data communications in a network device, said network device including a plurality of physical media connections, a plurality of processes and a plurality of modules, said plurality of processes including programs for implementing communications and including said plurality of device driver processes, each process of said plurality of processes implementing a set of functions to transmit data, receive data, and control said each process, said plurality of processes including a data link layer process, a first device driver process, and a second device driver process, said plurality of modules providing an interface to said plurality of processes, said plurality of modules including a data link layer module, a first module, a second module and a third module, said method comprising the steps of:

storing a first set of references corresponding to said set of functions for said first device driver process in said first module;

storing a second set of references corresponding to said set of functions for said second device driver process in said second module;

storing a third set of references indicating a dependence of said first module and said second module on said third module; and

said data link layer process accessing said third module to communicate said data directly to one of said first device driver process and said second device driver process by using respectively said first set of references and said second set of references.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein said network device includes a module manager for managing an interaction between said first module, said second module and said third module, and wherein said storing said third set of references includes said module manager storing a set of pointers for said third module indicating a dependence on said third module by said first module and said second module.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein said data link layer process accessing said third module includes said data link layer process accessing said module manager to identify said third module.

17. The method of claim 14 wherein said data link layer process includes a load sharing function.

18. The method of claim 14 further comprising a computer readable medium having stored therein instructions for causing a processor to execute all the steps of the method.