Method, apparatus, system, and article of manufacture for interfacing a device

• US 7,418,716 B2
• Filed: 12/19/2003
• Issued: 08/26/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Dubal, Scott P., Montecalvo, Mark V., Connor, Patrick L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ho; Andy
• Application Number:
  US10/741,032
• Publication Number:
  US 20050138644A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,712 Days
• Field of Search: 719/321, 719/327, 709/203, 709/205, 709/217
• US Class Current: 719/321
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/102 where the programme performs an interfacing function, e.g. device driver G06F13/105 takes precedence; scheduling within device drivers G06F9/52; contention policies within device drivers G06F9/4881
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/90 Buffering arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/32 Architecture of open systems interconnection [OSI] 7-layer type protocol stacks, e.g. the interfaces between the data link level and the physical level

Abstract

Provided are a method, apparatus, system, and article of manufacture for interfacing a device to a host, wherein in certain embodiments a device interface in the device receives a request generated by a device driver in the host. The device interface processes the request, wherein a plurality of device interfaces corresponding to a plurality of devices are capable of processing the request. An operation associated with the device is executed, by the device interface, in response to processing the request.

Claims

1. A method for interfacing a network adapter to a host, comprising:

receiving, by a device interface in the network adapter, a request generated by a device driver in the host, wherein the request is generated by the device driver by calling a routine located at a fixed offset in a memory of the network adapter, wherein the routine is included in the device interface, and wherein the device driver includes information corresponding to a location of the fixed offset of the routine;

processing the request, by the device interface, wherein a plurality of device interfaces corresponding to a plurality of network adapters are capable of processing the request;

executing an operation associated with the network adapter, by the device interface, in response to processing the request, wherein the device interface is included in a flash memory in the network adapter, wherein the device interface is executed by a processor located in the network adapter, and wherein the device interface can exploit hardware capabilities of the network adapter; and

modifying the device interface in the network adapter in response to the network adapter being upgraded, wherein the device driver remains unchanged in the host, wherein the unchanged device driver interfaces correctly with the modified device interface in the network adapter, and wherein the unchanged device driver interfaces with all previous versions of the network adapter and with all modified versions of the network adapter.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sending data and instructions from an operating system in the host to the device driver; and

generating the request, by the device driver, based on the data and the instructions, wherein one device driver is capable of generating the request for the plurality of device interfaces.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

returning a status code, by the device interface, to the device driver, in response to determining that the status code is generated based on executing the operation associated with the network adapter.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the request is for transmitting a packet, and wherein the method further comprises:

including a transmit routine for transmitting packets in the device interface, at the fixed offset in the memory of the network adapter, wherein the device driver includes information corresponding to the location of the fixed offset; and

calling the transmit routine at the fixed offset, from the device driver, to generate the request for transmitting the packet.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the device interface is executed by a processor located in the host.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

replacing the network adapter by a new network adapter, wherein the new network adapter includes a new device interface;

receiving, by the new device interface in the new network adapter, a new request generated by the device driver in the host;

processing, by the new device interface, the new request; and

executing a new operation associated with the new network adapter, by the new device interface, in response to processing the new request.

7. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising:

distributing the device driver in the host with an operating system that can be installed on the host; and

distributing the device interface in association with the network adapter.

8. A network adapter, comprising:

a device interface in the network adapter, wherein the device interface is capable of receiving a request generated by a device driver in a host, wherein the device interface is capable of processing the request, and wherein a plurality of device interfaces corresponding to a plurality of network adapters are capable of processing the request;

code implementing an operation associated with the network adapter, wherein the device interface is capable of executing the code in response to processing the request;

a memory coupled to the network adapter;

a routine located at a fixed offset in the memory, wherein the routine is included in the device interface, wherein the device driver is capable of generating the request by calling the routine, and wherein the device driver is capable of including information corresponding to a location of the fixed offset of the routine;

a processor located in the network adapter; and

a flash memory in the network adapter, wherein the device interface is included in the flash memory, wherein the device interface is capable of being executed by the processor located in the network adapter, and wherein the device interface can exploit hardware capabilities of the device, wherein the device interface in the network adapter is modified in response to the network adapter being upgraded, wherein the device driver remains unchanged in the host, wherein the unchanged device driver interfaces correctly with the modified device interface in the network adapter, and wherein the unchanged device driver interfaces with all previous versions of the network adapter and with all modified versions of the network adapter.

9. The network adapter of claim 8, further comprising:

code for receiving the request, wherein the code for receiving the request is implemented in the device interface, wherein the request is capable of being generated by the device driver, based on data and instructions sent from an operating system in the host to the device driver, wherein one device driver is capable of generating the request for the plurality of device interfaces.

10. The network adapter of claim 8, further comprising:

code for returning a status code, wherein the code for returning the status code is implemented in the device interface, wherein the status code is capable of being returned by the device interface to the device driver, in response to determining that the status code is generated based on executing the operation associated with the network adapter.

11. The network adapter of claim 8, wherein the request is for transmitting a packet, and wherein the network adapter further comprises:

a transmit routine for transmitting packets in the device interface, at the fixed offset in the memory of the network adapter, wherein the device driver is capable of including information corresponding to the location of the fixed offset, and wherein the device driver is capable of calling the transmit routine at the fixed offset to generate the request for transmitting the packet.

12. The network adapter of claim 8, wherein the device interface is capable of being executed by a processor located in the host.

13. The network adapter of claim 8, wherein the network adapter is capable of being replaced by a new network adapter, wherein the new network adapter is capable of including a new device interface, wherein the new device interface in the new network adapter is capable of receiving a new request generated by the device driver in the host, wherein the new device interface is capable of processing the new request, and wherein the new device interface is capable of executing a new operation associated with the new network adapter in response to processing the new request.

14. The network adapter of claim 8, wherein the device driver in the host is capable of being distributed with an operating system that is capable of being installed on the host, and wherein the device interface is capable of being distributed in association with the network adapter.

15. A system in communication with data storage, comprising:

a host;

a data storage controller to manage Input/Output (I/O) access to the data storage, wherein the data storage controller is coupled to the host;

a device driver in the host;

a network adapter coupled to the host;

a device interface in the network adapter, wherein the device interface is capable of receiving a request generated by the device driver, wherein the device interface is capable of processing the request, and wherein a plurality of device interfaces corresponding to a plurality of network adapters are capable of processing the request;

code implementing an operation associated with the network adapter, wherein the device interface is capable of executing the code in response to processing the request;

a memory coupled to the network adapter;

a routine located at a fixed offset in the memory, wherein the routine is included in the device interface, wherein the device driver is capable of generating the request by calling the routine, and wherein the device driver is capable of including information corresponding to a location of the fixed offset of the routine;

a processor located in the network adapter; and

a flash memory in the network adapter, wherein the device interface is included in the flash memory, wherein the device interface is capable of being executed by the processor located in the network adapter, and wherein the device interface can exploit hardware capabilities of the device, wherein the device interface in the network adapter is modified in response to the network adapter being upgraded, wherein the device driver remains unchanged in the host, wherein the unchanged device driver interfaces correctly with the modified device interface in the network adapter, and wherein the unchanged device driver interfaces with all previous versions of the network adapter and with all modified versions of the network adapter.

16. The system of claim 15, further comprising:

an operating system in the host, wherein the operating system is capable of sending data and instructions to the device driver, and wherein the device driver is capable of generating the request based on the data and the instructions, and wherein one device driver is capable of generating the request for the plurality of device interfaces.

17. The system of claim 15, the system further comprising:

an operating system that is capable of being installed on the host, wherein the device driver is capable of being distributed with the operating system, and wherein the device interface is capable of being distributed with the network adapter.

18. A computer readable storage medium having stored therein instructions for interfacing a network adapter to a host, wherein the instructions when executed causes operations, the operations comprising:

receiving, by a device interface in the network adapter, a request generated by a device driver in the host, wherein the request is generated by the device driver by calling a routine located at a fixed offset in a memory of the network adapter, wherein the routine is included in the device interface, and wherein the device driver includes information corresponding to a location of the fixed offset of the routine;

processing the request, by the device interface, wherein a plurality of device interfaces corresponding to a plurality of network adapters are capable of processing the request;

executing an operation associated with the network adapter, by the device interface, in response to processing the request, wherein the device interface is included in a flash memory in the network adapter, wherein the device interface is executed by a processor located in the network adapter, and wherein the device interface can exploit hardware capabilities of the network adapter; and

modifying the device interface in the network adapter in response to the network adapter being upgraded, wherein the device driver remains unchanged in the host, wherein the unchanged device driver interfaces correctly with the modified device interface in the network adapter, and wherein the unchanged device driver interfaces with all previous versions of the network adapter and with all modified versions of the network adapter.

19. The computer readable storage medium of claim 18, the operations further comprising:

sending data and instructions from an operating system in the host to the device driver; and

generating the request, by the device driver, based on the data and the instructions, wherein one device driver is capable of generating the request for the plurality of device interfaces.

20. The computer readable storage medium of claim 18, the operations further comprising:

returning a status code, by the device interface, to the device driver, in response to determining that the status code is generated based on executing the operation associated with the network adapter.

21. The computer readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein the request is for transmitting a packet, and wherein the operations further comprise:

including a transmit routine for transmitting packets in the device interface, at the fixed offset in the memory of the network adapter, wherein the device driver includes information corresponding to the location of the fixed offset; and

calling the transmit routine at the fixed offset, from the device driver, to generate the request for transmitting the packet.

22. The computer readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein the device interface is executed by a processor located in the host.

23. The computer readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving by a new device interface in a new network adapter, a new request generated by the device driver in the host, wherein the network adapter is replaced by the new network adapter, and wherein the new network adapter includes the new device interface;

processing, the new request, by the new device interface; and

executing a new operation associated with the new network adapter, by the new device interface, in response to processing the new request.

24. The computer readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein the device driver in the host is capable of being distributed with an operating system that can be installed on the host, and wherein the device interface is capable of being distributed in association with the network adapter.