Method and system for quality of service in host bus adapters

• US 7,668,177 B1
• Filed: 01/31/2007
• Issued: 02/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Marvell Asia Pte Limited (Marvell Technology Group Limited)
• Original Assignee: QLogic Corporation (Marvell Technology Group Limited)
• Inventors: Trapp, Darren L., Anand, Sanjaya, Alston, Jerald K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Yao; Kwang B
• Assistant Examiner(s): Huq; Obaidul
• Application Number:
  US11/669,573
• Time in Patent Office: 1,119 Days
• Field of Search: 370/351, 370/389, 370/412, 370/395.1, 370/395.4, 370/395.42, 370/394.43, 370/395.41, 370/229, 370/230, 370/230.1, 711/100, 711/147, 711/151, 711/154, 711/158, 709/213, 709/214, 709/216
• US Class Current: 370/395.42
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/40032 Details regarding a bus interface enhancer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/10 Flow control; Congestion control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/2475 for supporting traffic characterised by the type of applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/50 Queue scheduling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/6295 using multiple queues, one for each individual QoS, connection, flow or priority

Abstract

Method and system for an adapter coupled to a network via a network link is provided. The method includes using a first selectable mode and a second selectable mode to provide quality of service to a plurality of applications executed by one or more computing system. In the first selectable mode, the quality of service is based on allocating bandwidth of the network link and dynamically adjusting an initial priority assigned to a plurality of queues, each queue being associated with an application from among a plurality of applications. In the second selectable mode, the quality of service is based on a user assigning a priority to each of the plurality of applications and the adapter determines a number of input/output (I/O) requests it needs to process within a duration and then transfers information based on the determined number of I/O requests and the assigned priority.

Claims

1. A method for providing quality of service in a host bus adapter, comprising:

(a) providing a first selectable mode and a second selectable mode for establishing quality of service for the host bus adapter;

wherein in the first selectable mode, the quality of service is based on a user allocating bandwidth of a network link and dynamically adjusting an initial priority assigned to each of a plurality of queues, each queue being associated with an application from among a plurality of applications that are executed by one or more computing system; and

wherein in the second selectable mode, the quality of service is based on a user assigning a priority to each of the plurality of applications, and the host bus adapter determines a number of input/output (I/O) requests it needs to process within a duration and then transfers information based on the determined number of I/O requests and the assigned priority;

(b) if the first mode is selected, then allocating a percentage of a total bandwidth of the network link among the plurality of applications;

(c) determining a transfer rate for the plurality of queues based on the allocated bandwidth;

(d) assigning an initial queue priority value for each of the plurality of queues;

(e) monitoring a data transfer rate for each of a plurality of I/O requests that service the plurality of queues; and

(f) dynamically adjusting the initial queue priority if the data transfer rate is beyond a threshold value at a given time.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein a user via a user interface allocates bandwidth to each of the plurality of applications and the host bus adapter determines the transfer rate based on a link speed.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising

reducing the initial queue priority for a queue if a current byte count for the queue is greater than the threshold value.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

increasing the initial queue priority for a queue if a current byte count for the queue is less than the threshold value.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

stalling data transfer for a queue, if a byte count value for the queue exceeds the threshold value.

6. A host bus adapter operationally coupled to another device via a network link, comprising:

a processor for monitoring a data transfer rate for a plurality of queues that service a plurality of applications, and for providing quality of service to the plurality of applications;

wherein each queue is associated with an application from among the plurality of applications that are executed by one or more computing systems;

wherein the quality of service is provided in a first selectable mode and a second selectable mode;

wherein in the first selectable mode, the quality of service is based on a user allocating a percentage of bandwidth of the network link to each of the plurality of applications; and

assigning an initial priority to each of the plurality of queues; and

the processor dynamically adjusts the initial priority of a queue if a current data transfer rate for the queue is beyond a threshold value; and

wherein in the second selectable mode, the quality of service is based on a user assigning a priority to each of the plurality of applications and the host bus adapter determines a number of input/output (I/O) requests it needs to process within a duration and then transfer information based on the determined number of I/O requests and the assigned priority.

7. The host bus adapter of claim 6, wherein the processor determines a transfer rate for each queue based on a link speed.

8. The host bus adapter of claim 6, wherein if a current byte count for a queue is greater than the threshold value, then the initial priority for the queue is reduced.

9. The host bus adapter of claim 6, wherein if a current byte count for a queue is less than the threshold value, then the initial priority for the queue is increased.

10. The host bus adapter of claim 6, wherein the processor dynamically adjusts the initial priority based on a current byte count value for a queue.

11. The host bus adapter of claim 6, wherein the host bus adapter stalls data transfer for a queue, if a byte count value for the queue exceeds the threshold value.

12. A system for transferring information in a network, comprising:

a plurality of applications executed on a plurality of host systems; and

a host bus adapter interfacing with the plurality of applications, wherein the host bus adapter comprises a processor for monitoring a data transfer rate for a plurality of queues that service the plurality of applications, and for providing quality of service to the plurality of applications;

wherein each queue is associated with an application from among the plurality of applications;

wherein the quality of service is provided in a first selectable mode and a second selectable mode;

wherein in the first selectable mode, the quality of service is based on a user allocating a percentage of bandwidth of the network link to each of the plurality of applications; and

assigning an initial priority to each of the plurality of queues; and

the processor dynamically adjusts the initial priority of a queue if a current data transfer rate for the queue is beyond a threshold value; and

wherein in the second selectable mode, the quality of service is based on a user assigning a priority to each of the plurality of applications and the host bus adapter determines a number of input/output (I/O) requests it needs to process within a duration and then transfers information based on the determined number of I/O requests and the assigned priority.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the processor determines a transfer rate for each queue based on a link speed.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein if a current byte count for a queue is greater than the threshold value, then the initial priority for the queue is reduced by the host bus adapter.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein if a current byte count for a queue is less than the threshold value, then the initial priority for the queue is increased.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the processor dynamically adjusts the initial priority based on a current byte count value for a queue.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein the host bus adapter stalls data transfer for a queue, if a byte count value for the queue exceeds the threshold value.

18. A method for an adapter coupled to a network via a network link, comprising:

(a) using a first selectable mode and a second selectable mode to provide quality of service to a plurality of applications executed by one or more computing systems;

wherein in the first selectable mode, the quality of service is based on allocating bandwidth of the network link and dynamically adjusting an initial priority assigned to a plurality of queues, each queue being associated with an application from among a plurality of applications; and

wherein in the second selectable mode, the quality of service is based on a user assigning a priority to each of the plurality of applications and the adapter determines a number of input/output (I/O) requests it needs to process within a duration and then transfers information based on the determined number of I/O requests and the assigned priority;

(b) if the first mode is selected, then allocating a percentage of a total bandwidth of the network link among the plurality of applications;

(c) determining a transfer rate for the plurality of queues based on the allocated bandwidth;

(d) assigning an initial queue priority value for each of the plurality of queues;

(e) monitoring a data transfer rate for each of a plurality of I/O requests that service the plurality of queues; and

(f) dynamically adjusting the initial queue priority if the data transfer rate is beyond a threshold value at a given time.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

reducing the initial queue priority for a queue if a current byte count for the queue is greater than the threshold value;

increasing the initial queue priority for the queue if a current byte count for the queue is less than the threshold value.

20. A system for transferring information in a network, comprising:

a plurality of applications executed on a plurality of host systems; and

an adapter that includes;

a processor for providing quality of service to the plurality of applications, where the processor monitors a data transfer rate for a plurality of queues that service the plurality of applications;

wherein each queue is associated with an application from among the plurality of applications;

wherein the quality of service is provided in a first selectable mode and a second selectable mode;

wherein in the first selectable mode, the quality of service is based on allocating a percentage of bandwidth of the network link to each of the plurality of applications and assigning an initial priority to each of the plurality of queues; and

the processor dynamically adjusts the initial priority of a queue if a current data transfer rate for the queue is beyond a threshold value; and

wherein in the second selectable mode, the quality of service is based on a user assigning a priority to each of the plurality of applications, and the adapter determines a number of input/output (I/O) requests it needs to process within a duration and then transfers information based on the determined number of I/O requests and the assigned priority.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the processor determines a transfer rate for each queue based on a link speed;

and if a current byte count for a queue is greater than the threshold value, then the initial priority for the queue is reduced by the adapter and if the current byte count for the queue is less than the threshold value, then the initial priority for the queue is increased.