Asymmetric ethernet network data transfer system and method

• US 7,403,519 B2
• Filed: 05/04/2004
• Issued: 07/22/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/04/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: VIA Technologies Incorporated (VIA Technologies)
• Original Assignee: VIA Technologies Incorporated (VIA Technologies)
• Inventors: Huang, Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham, Chi H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): BOAKYE, ALEXANDER O
• Application Number:
  US10/838,794
• Publication Number:
  US 20050249203A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,540 Days
• Field of Search: 370/389, 370/400, 370/408, 370/409, 370/401, 370/390, 370/392, 370/393, 370/396, 370/351, 370/254, 709/238, 709/241, 709/242, 709/229, 709/225, 709/321
• US Class Current: 370/389
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2801 Broadband local area networks

Abstract

The present invention provides an asymmetric Ethernet network data transfer system and method. The present invention utilizes a network interface card being capable of an automatic transfer mode switch to form an asymmetric network data transfer system, and through which to modify the symmetry feature of the Ethernet and increase the transfer bandwidth.

Claims

1. An Ethernet network interface card being capable of an automatic transfer mode switch, comprising:

a detecting module to detect the network condition and generate a detecting result; and

a deciding/switching module to decide a network cable transfer mode according to said detecting result, wherein if said detecting result shows that a two-way network cable transfer mode for data transfer is needed under said network condition, said deciding/switching module performs a one-way/two-way network transfer mode switch process;

wherein if said detecting result shows that said two-way network cable transfer mode for data transfer is not needed under said network condition, said deciding/switching module does not perform said one-way/two-way network transfer mode switch process.

2. The Ethernet network interface card of claim 1, further comprising:

a negotiating module to negotiate with a target network apparatus for a packet format for data transmission;

a transforming module to perform the transformation between the digital data and the packets according to said packet format; and

a transmitting/receiving module to transmit and receive packets utilizing said network cable transfer mode.

3. The Ethernet network interface card of claim 2, wherein said transmitting/receiving module further comprises a transmitting agent, the action performed by said transmitting agent being chosen from the group consisting of the following:

transmitting packets when said deciding/switching module does not perform said one-way/two-way network cable transfer mode switch process;

transmitting and receiving packets simultaneously when said deciding/switching module performs said one-way/two-way network cable transfer mode switch process; and

receiving packets when said deciding/switching module performs said one-way/two-way network cable transfer mode switch process.

4. The Ethernet network interface card of claim 2, wherein said transmitting/receiving module further comprises a receiving agent, the action performed by said receiving agent being chosen from the group consisting of the following:

receiving packets when said deciding/switching module does not perform said one-way/two-way network cable transfer mode switch process;

receiving and transmitting packets simultaneously when said deciding/switching module performs said one-way/two-way network cable transfer mode switch process; and

transmitting packets when said deciding/switching module performs said one-way/two-way network cable transfer mode switch process.

5. The Ethernet network interface card of claim 1, wherein the judging criterion utilized to decide whether to perform said one-way/two-way network cable transfer mode switch process is chosen from the group consisting of the following conditions:

the receipt rate of said Ethernet network interface card induces the data-receiving network cable to arrive the upper transfer loading limit of the data-receiving network cable;

the receipt rate of said Ethernet network interface card exceeds a first specific proportion of the upper transfer loading limit of the data-receiving network cable;

the transmittal rate of said Ethernet network interface card induces the data-transmitting network cable to arrive the upper transfer loading limit of the data-transmitting network cable; and

the transmittal rate of said Ethernet card exceeds a second specific proportion of the upper transfer loading limit of the data-transmitting network cable.

6. The Ethernet network interface card of claim 5, wherein each of said specific proportions is an adjustable parameter, moreover, the value of said first specific proportion being independent from the value of said second specific proportion.

7. A network data transfer method, comprising:

executing a negotiating process to decide a packet format for data transfer;

executing a transforming process to perform the transformation between the digital data and the packets;

executing a detecting process to detect the network condition and generate a detecting result; and

executing a deciding process to decide a network cable transfer mode according to said detecting result, wherein said deciding process comprises a one-way/two-way network cable transfer mode switch process.

8. The network data transfer method of claim 7, wherein said network data transfer method is implemented by a network apparatus comprising an Ethernet network interface card being capable of an automatic transfer mode switch and a target network apparatus being capable of said automatic transfer mode switch.

9. The network data transfer method of claim 7, wherein said automatic transfer mode switch is performed when said detecting result suggests so, and data transfer is then executed utilizing a two-way network cable transfer mode.

10. The network data transfer method of claim 7, wherein said automatic transfer mode switch is not performed when said detecting result does not suggest so, and data transfer is then executed in a one-way network cable transfer mode.

11. The network data transfer method of claim 7, wherein the judging criterion utilized to decide whether to perform said one-way/two-way network cable transfer mode switch process is chosen form the group consisting of the following conditions:

the receipt rate of said Ethernet network interface card induces the data-receiving network cable to arrive the upper transfer loading limit of the data-receiving network cable;

the receipt rate of said Ethernet network interface card exceeds a first specific proportion of the upper transfer loading limit of the data-receiving network cable;

the transmittal rate of said Ethernet network interface card induces the data-transmitting network cable to arrive the upper transfer loading limit of the data-transmitting network cable; and

the transmittal rate of said Ethernet card exceeds a second specific proportion of the upper transfer loading limit of the data-transmitting network cable.

12. The network data transfer method of claim 11, wherein each of said specific proportions is an adjustable parameter, and the value of said first specific proportion is independent from the value of said second specific proportion.

13. A network data transfer system, comprising:

a first network apparatus comprising an Ethernet network interface card being capable of an automatic transfer mode switch, wherein the Ethernet interface card comprises;

a detecting module to detect the network condition and generate a detecting result; and

a deciding/switching module to decide a network cable transfer mode according to said detecting result, if said detecting result showing that a two-way network cable transfer mode for data transfer is needed under said network condition, said deciding/switching module performing a one-way/two-way network transfer mode switch process;

moreover, if said detecting result showing that said two-way network cable transfer mode for data transfer is not needed under said network condition, said deciding/switching module does not perform said one-way/two-way network transfer mode switch process; and

a second network apparatus which is connected with said first network apparatus.

14. The network data transfer system of claim 13, further comprising:

a negotiating module to negotiate with a target network apparatus for a packet format for data transfer;

a transforming module to perform the transformation between the digital data and the packets according to said packet format; and

a transmitting/receiving module to transmit and receive packets utilizing said network cable transfer mode.

15. The network data transfer system of claim 14, wherein said transmitting/receiving module further comprises a transmitting agent, the action performed by said transmitting agent being chosen from the group consisting of the following:

transmitting packets when said deciding/switching module does not perform said one-way/two-way network cable transfer mode switch process;

transmitting and receiving packets simultaneously when said deciding/switching module performs said one-way/two-way network cable transfer mode switch process; and

receiving packets when said deciding/switching module performs said one-way/two-way network cable transfer mode switch process.

16. The network data transfer system of claim 14, wherein said transmitting/receiving module further comprises a receiving agent, the action performed by said receiving agent being chosen from the group consisting of the following:

receiving packets when said deciding/switching module does not perform said one-way/two-way network cable transfer mode switch process;

receiving and transmitting packets simultaneously when said deciding/switching module performs said one-way/two-way network cable transfer mode switch process; and

transmitting packets when said deciding/switching module performs said one-way/two-way network cable transfer mode switch process.

17. The network data transfer system of claim 14, wherein the judging criterion utilized to decide whether to perform said one-way/two-way network cable transfer mode switch process or not is chosen from the group consisting of the following conditions:

the receipt rate of said Ethernet network interface card induces the data-receiving network cable to arrive the upper transfer loading limit of the data-receiving network cable;

the receipt rate of said Ethernet network interface card exceeds a first specific proportion of the upper transfer loading limit of the data-receiving network cable;

the transmittal rate of said Ethernet network interface card induces the data-transmitting network cable to arrive the upper transfer loading limit of the data-transmitting network cable; and

the transmittal rate of said Ethernet network interface card exceeds a second specific proportion of the upper transfer loading limit of the data-transmitting network cable;

wherein each of said specific proportions is an adjustable parameter, and the value of said first specific proportion is independent from the value of said second specific proportion.

18. The network data transfer system of claim 13, wherein said second network apparatus further comprises an Ethernet network interface card being capable of an automatic transfer mode switch.

19. The network data transfer system of claim 18, wherein the way said first network apparatus and second network apparatus co-operate with each other is chosen from the group consisting of the followings:

transmitting and receiving packets utilizing asymmetric transfer bandwidths by said Ethernet network interface card being capable of an automatic transfer mode switch; and

transmitting and receiving packets utilizing symmetric transfer bandwidths.