Filtering calls in system area networks

• US 7,024,479 B2
• Filed: 01/22/2001
• Issued: 04/04/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Shah, Hemal V., Foong, Annie
• Primary Examiner(s): Jaroenchonwanit, Bunjob
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chankong, Dohm
• Application Number:
  US09/768,375
• Publication Number:
  US 20020099827A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,898 Days
• Field of Search: 709/220, 709/226, 709/249, 709/244, 709/246, 709/238, 709/230, 709/227
• US Class Current: 709/227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/10 Streamlined, light-weight or high-speed protocols, e.g. express transfer protocol [XTP] or byte stream

Abstract

Application node processors examine application calls and file descriptors associated with application calls in system area networks, determine how to process the application calls based on examining calls and file descriptors and either translate the application call to a lightweight protocol or process the call using the application node operating system.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

examining a call and a file descriptor associated with the call in an application node of a system area network, the call corresponding to an application program interface for a first transport-layer connection-oriented protocol;

if the call and the file descriptor are of a first type, translating the call to one or more protocol messages recognized by a second node in the system area network, the one or more protocol messages being defined by a second transport-layer connection-oriented protocol, and communicating the one or more protocol messages to the second node for processing according to the first transport-layer connection-oriented protocol;

wherein the first type comprises transport, being of a partition of a file descriptor range.

2. The method of claim 1 including processing the call using an operating system of the application node if the call and the file descriptor are of a second type.

3. The method of claim 1 including assigning the file descriptor using an operating system of the application node.

4. The method of claim 1 including mapping a communications identifier, received in the application node from the second node and corresponding to a network connection managed by the second node, to the file descriptor.

5. A system area network comprising:

a first node; and

an application node including a processor configured for;

examining a call and a file descriptor associated with the call in an application node of a system area network, the call corresponding to an application program interface for a first transport-layer connection-oriented protocol;

if the call and the file descriptor are of a first type, translating the call to one or more protocol messages recognized by a second node in the system area network, the one or more protocol messages being defined by a second transport-layer connection-oriented protocol, and communicating the one or more protocol messages to the second node for processing according to the first transport-layer connection-oriented protocol;

wherein the first type comprises transport, being of a partition of a file descriptor range.

6. The system area network of claim 5 further including a network node, wherein the first node is a proxy node including a processor configured for translating the call to a protocol recognized by the network node.

7. The system area network of claim 5 wherein the processor is further configured for translating a call to a lightweight protocol message.

8. The system area network of claim 5 wherein the processor is further configured for translating a plurality of calls to a single lightweight protocol message.

9. The system area network of claim 5 wherein the processor is further configured for translating the call to a plurality of lightweight protocol messages.

10. The system area network of claim 5 wherein the processor is configured for translating the call to a lightweight protocol message using a lightweight protocol message received from the first node.

11. The system area network of claim 5 wherein the processor is further configured for translating more than one call to a lightweight protocol message using a lightweight protocol message received from the first node.

12. The system area network of claim 5 wherein the processor is further configured for translating the call to a lightweight protocol message using a plurality of lightweight protocol messages received from the first node.

13. The system area network of claim 5 wherein the application node includes an operating system for processing the call if the file descriptor is of a second type.

14. The system area network of claim 5 wherein the application node further includes an operating system for assigning the file descriptor.

15. The system area network of claim 5 wherein the processor is further configured for mapping a communications identifier, received in the application node and corresponding to a network connection managed by the first node, to the file descriptor.

16. An apparatus comprising:

a port for connecting the apparatus to a system area network; and

a processor configured for;

examining a call and a file descriptor associated with the call in an application node of a system area network, the call corresponding to an application program interface for a first transport-layer connection-oriented protocol;

if the call and the file descriptor are of a first type, translating the call to one or more protocol messages recognized by a second node in the system area network, the one or more protocol messages being defined by a second transport-layer connection-oriented protocol, and communicating the one or more protocol messages to the second node for processing according to the first transport-layer connection-oriented protocol;

wherein the first type comprises transport, being of a partition of a file descriptor range.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 further comprising an operating system for processing the call if the call and the file descriptor are of a second type.

18. The apparatus of claim 16 further comprising an operating system for assigning the file descriptor.

19. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the processor is further configured for mapping a communications identifier, received at the apparatus and corresponding to a network connection managed by the system area network device, to the file descriptor.

20. An article comprising a computer readable medium that stores computer executable instructions for causing a computer system to:

examine a call and a file descriptor associated with the call in an application node of a system area network, the call corresponding to an application program interface for a first transport-layer connection-oriented protocol;

if the call and the file descriptor are of a first type, translating the call to one or more protocol messages recognized by a second node in the system area network, the one or more protocol messages being defined by a second transport-layer connection-oriented protocol, and communicating the one or more protocol messages to the second node for processing according to the first transport-layer connection-oriented protocol;

wherein the first type comprises transport, being of a partition of a file descriptor range.

21. The article of claim 20 further comprising instructions for causing the computer system to process the call using an operating system in the application node.

22. The article of claim 20 further comprising instructions for causing the computer system to assign the file descriptor using an operating system of the application node.

23. The article of claim 20 further comprising instructions for causing the computer system to map a communications identifier, received in the application node and corresponding to a network connection managed by the second node, to the file descriptor.