Method and apparatus for transmitting data to network and method and apparatus for receiving data from network

• US 7,693,166 B2
• Filed: 02/16/2006
• Issued: 04/06/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/17/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Matsuura, Masatsugu
• Primary Examiner(s): Trost, IV; William
• Assistant Examiner(s): Jiang; Charles C
• Application Number:
  US11/354,904
• Publication Number:
  US 20060181734A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,510 Days
• Field of Search: 370/351, 370/389, 370/412, 370/413, 370/415, 370/417, 370/418, 710/1, 710 52- 54, 710/55, 710/56
• US Class Current: 370/412
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/90 Buffering arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/901 using storage descriptor, e.g. read or write pointers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/9047 including multiple buffers, e.g. buffer pools

Abstract

A TOE (TCP/IP Offload Engine) can transmit data to and receive data from a network without causing a plurality of high order processes to influence each other in a computer mounted by a plurality of processors, each of which is mounted by a plurality of cores. The TOE 101 generates a notification queue for each high order process. The TOE driver 102 holds information that tells which high order process corresponds to which socket and which notification queue. When transmitting data, the outgoing data are temporarily held on the transmission buffer queue 102-4 and the transmission buffer is added to the notification queue that corresponds to the relevant high order process after the transmission. When receiving data, the incoming data are stored in the reception buffer on the reception buffer queue 102-3 and the reception buffer is added to the notification queue that corresponds to the relevant high order process.

Claims

1. A method of transmitting data to a network, said method comprising:

a step in which a driver secures a transmission buffer from a storage apparatus for outgoing data;

a step in which said driver stores outgoing data received from a high order process in said transmission buffer;

a step in which said driver adds the transmission buffer storing said outgoing data to a transmission buffer queue;

a step in which an offload engine transmits the outgoing data stored in each transmission buffer on said transmission buffer queue to said network in a sequence of the transmission buffers on the transmission buffer queue upon detecting one or more transmission buffers on said transmission buffer queue;

a step in which said offload engine adds each transmission buffer which had stored said transmitted outgoing data to one of a plurality of notification queues, wherein said one of said plurality of notification queues corresponds to said high order process had transmitted said outgoing data to said driver, referring to information on a corresponding relationship between each high order process and each notification queue; and

a step in which said driver releases the transmission buffers on said notification queue.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

a step in which said driver provides each notification queue corresponding to each high order process; and

a step in which said driver provides said information on the corresponding relationship between each high order process and each notification queue.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

a step in which said driver, upon a success of storing said outgoing data in said transmission buffer, notifies the success to said corresponding high order process.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

a step in which said driver, upon a detection of no entry to said notification queue corresponding to said transmission buffer added to said transmission buffer queue, notifies the no entry detection to outside of the driver.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein said no entry detection is notified to the corresponding high order process.

6. The method according to claim 4, wherein said no entry detection is notified to an associated operating system.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein a number of said notification queues is the same as a maximum number of said high order processes.

8. A method of receiving data from a network, said method comprising:

a step in which a driver secures a reception buffer from a storage apparatus for incoming data;

a step in which said driver adds said reception buffer to a reception buffer queue;

a step in which an offload engine stores the incoming data received from said network in said reception buffer on said reception buffer queue in a sequence of the reception buffers on the reception buffer queue;

a step in which said offload engine adds each reception buffer storing said received incoming data to one of a plurality of notification queues, wherein said one of said plurality of notification queues corresponds to a high order process which is designated by said incoming data, referring to information on a corresponding relationship between each high order process and each notification queue; and

a step in which said driver delivers the incoming data in the reception buffers on said notification queue to said high order process in a sequence of the reception buffers on the reception notification queue.

9. The method according to claim 8 further comprising:

a step in which said driver provides a notification queue corresponding to each high order process; and

a step in which said driver provides said information on the corresponding relationship between each high order process and each notification queue.

10. The method according to claim 8, wherein a number of said notification queues is the same as a maximum number of said high order processes.

11. An apparatus for transmitting data to a network, said apparatus comprising:

a unit for securing a transmission buffer from a storage apparatus for outgoing data;

a unit for storing the outgoing data received from a high order process in said transmission buffer;

a unit for adding the transmission buffer storing said outgoing data to a transmission buffer queue;

a unit for transmitting the outgoing data stored in each transmission buffer on said transmission buffer queue to said network in a sequence of the transmission buffers on the transmission buffer queue upon detecting one or more transmission buffers on said transmission buffer queue;

a unit for adding each transmission buffer which had stored said transmitted outgoing data to one of a plurality of notification queues, wherein said one of said plurality of notification queues corresponds to said high order process which had transmitted said outgoing data, referring to information on a corresponding relationship between each high order process and each notification queue; and

a unit for releasing the transmission buffers on said notification queue.

12. The apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising:

a unit for providing each notification queue corresponding to each high order process; and

a unit for providing information on the corresponding relationship between each high order process and each notification queue.

13. The apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising:

a unit for notifying, upon a success of storing said outgoing data in said transmission buffer, the success to said corresponding high order process.

14. The apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising:

a unit for notifying, upon a detection of a no entry to said notification queue corresponding to said transmission buffer added to said transmission buffer queue, the no entry detection to outside of the driver.

15. The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein said no entry detection is notified to the corresponding high order process.

16. The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein said no entry detection is notified to an associated operating system.

17. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein a number of said notification queues is the same as a maximum number of said high order processes.

18. An apparatus for receiving data from a network, said apparatus comprising:

a unit for securing a reception buffer from a storage apparatus for incoming data;

a unit for adding said reception buffer to a reception buffer queue;

a unit for storing the incoming data received from said network in said reception buffer on said reception buffer queue in a sequence of the reception buffers on the reception buffer queue;

a unit for adding each reception buffer storing said received incoming data to one of a plurality of notification queues, wherein said one of said plurality of notification queues corresponds to said high order process, which is designated by said incoming data, referring to information on a corresponding relationship between each high order process and each notification queue; and

a unit for delivering the incoming data in the reception buffers on said notification queue to said high order process in a sequence of the reception buffers on the reception notification queue.

19. The apparatus according to claim 18, further comprising:

a unit for providing a notification queue corresponding to each high order process; and

a unit for providing information on the corresponding relationship between each high order process and each notification queue.

20. The apparatus according to claim 18, wherein a number of said notification queues is the same as a maximum number of said high order processes.