System and method for providing pooling or dynamic allocation of connection context data

• US 7,852,856 B2
• Filed: 12/17/2004
• Issued: 12/14/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Fan, Kan Frankie, McDaniel, Scott S., Lindsay, Steven B., El Zur, Uri
• Primary Examiner(s): Kumar; Pankaj
• Assistant Examiner(s): Jones; Prenell P
• Application Number:
  US11/015,444
• Publication Number:
  US 20050105531A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,188 Days
• Field of Search: 370/395, 370/389, 370/401, 370/469, 370/466, 370/412, 370/463, 370/406, 370/428, 370/465, 370/470, 370/429, 370/328, 370/338, 370/235, 370/231, 370/321, 370/399, 370/356, 709/224, 709/250, 709/217, 709/318, 709/212, 709/230, 709/203, 709/223, 709/245, 709/238, 709/225, 709/213, 709/466, 709/226, 709/242, 709/206, 709/251, 709/234, 709/201, 709/236, 713151-153, 713/193, 713/189, 713/174, 710/68, 710/5, 700/1, 711/131, 375/144, 704/9, 704/10, 455/410
• US Class Current: 370/395.5
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/326 in the transport layer [OSI layer 4] H04L69/16 takes precedence

Abstract

A method and system for providing pooling or dynamic allocation of connection context data may comprise receiving data associated with a first network protocol and receiving data associated with a second network protocol. A single shared context memory may be utilized for processing at least some of the data associated with the first network protocol and at least some of the data associated with the second network protocol. At least a portion of the received data associated with the first and/or second network protocols may be offloaded for processing in the single context memory. The received data associated with a first and/or second network protocols may comprise traffic data and control data. Portions of the shared single context memory may be dynamically allocated and/or reallocated for processing received data associated with the first and second network protocols.

Claims

1. A method for network interfacing and processing of packetized data, the method comprising:

receiving context data associated with a first network protocol;

receiving context data associated with a second network protocol that is different from said first network protocol; and

sharing a single context memory partitioned for processing at least a portion of said context data associated with said first network protocol and at least a portion of said context data associated with said second network protocol.

2. The method according to claim 1, comprising offloading at least a portion of said received context data associated with said first network protocol for said processing within the single memory.

3. The method according to claim 1, comprising offloading at least a portion of said received context data associated with said second network protocol for said processing within the single memory.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein said received context data associated with said first network protocol and said received context data associated with said second network protocol comprises traffic data and control data.

5. The method according to claim 1, comprising dynamically allocating portions of said shared single context memory for said processing.

6. The method according to claim 1, comprising partitioning said single context memory into a plurality of partitions.

7. The method according to claim 6, comprising allocating at least one of said plurality of partitions for handling context data for each of said first network protocol and said second network protocol.

8. The method according to claim 7, comprising dynamically reallocating at least one of said plurality of allocated partitions that handles said first network protocol to handle said second network protocol.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein said first network protocol and said second network protocol comprises one or more of L2, L4, L5, RDMA and/or ISCSI data.

10. The method according to claim 8, wherein a size of said single context memory is less than a combined size of separate memories required for separately processing each of said first network protocol and said second network protocol.

11. A non-transitory machine-readable storage having stored thereon, a computer program having at least one code section for network interfacing and processing of packetized data, the at least one code section being executable by a machine for causing the machine to perform steps comprising:

receiving context data associated with a first network protocol;

receiving context data associated with a second network protocol that is different from said first network protocol; and

sharing a single context memory partitioned for processing at least a portion of said context data associated with said first network protocol and at least a portion of said context data associated with said second network protocol.

12. The non-transitory machine-readable storage according to claim 11, comprising code for offloading at least a portion of said received context data associated with said first network protocol for said processing within the single memory.

13. The non-transitory machine-readable storage according to claim 11, comprising code for offloading at least a portion of said received context data associated with said second network protocol for said processing within the single memory.

14. The non-transitory machine-readable storage according to claim 11, wherein said received context data associated with said first network protocol and said received context data associated with said second network protocol comprises traffic data and control data.

15. The non-transitory machine-readable storage according to claim 11, comprising code for dynamically allocating portions of said shared single context memory for said processing.

16. The non-transitory machine-readable storage according to claim 11, comprising code for partitioning said single context memory into a plurality of partitions.

17. The non-transitory machine-readable storage according to claim 16, comprising code for allocating at least one of said plurality of partitions for handling context data for each of said first network protocol and said second network protocol.

18. The non-transitory machine-readable storage according to claim 17, comprising dynamically reallocating at least one of said plurality of allocated partitions that handles said first network protocol to handle said second network protocol.

19. The non-transitory machine-readable storage according to claim 18, wherein said first network protocol and said second network protocol comprises one or more of L2, L4, L5, RDMA and/or ISCSI data.

20. The non-transitory machine-readable storage according to claim 18, wherein a size of said single context memory is less than a combined size of separate memories required for separately processing each of said first network protocol and said second network protocol.

21. A system for network interfacing and processing of packetized data, the system comprising:

at least one processor that enables receiving of context data associated with a first network protocol;

said at least one processor enables receiving of context data associated with a second network protocol that is different from said first network protocol; and

a shared single context memory utilized by said at least one processor partitioned for processing at least a portion of said context data associated with said first network protocol and at least a portion of said context data associated with said second network protocol.

22. The system according to claim 21, wherein said at least one processor enables offloading of at least a portion of said received context data associated with said first network protocol for said processing within the single memory.

23. The system according to claim 21, wherein said at least one processor enables offloading of at least a portion of said received context data associated with said second network protocol for said processing within the single memory.

24. The system according to claim 21, wherein said received context data associated with said first network protocol and said received context data associated with said second network protocol comprises traffic data and control data.

25. The system according to claim 21, wherein said at least one processor enables dynamic allocation of portions of said shared single context memory for said processing.

26. The system according to claim 21, wherein said at least one processor enables partitioning of said single context memory into a plurality of partitions.

27. The system according to claim 26, wherein said at least one processor enables allocation of at least one of said plurality of partitions for handling context data for each of said first network protocol and said second network protocol.

28. The system according to claim 27, wherein said at least one processor enables dynamic reallocation of at least one of said plurality of allocated partitions that handles said first network protocol to handle said second network protocol.

29. The system according to claim 28, wherein said first network protocol and said second network protocol comprises one or more of L2, L4, L5, RDMA and/or ISCSI data.

30. The system according to claim 28, wherein a size of said single context memory is less than a combined size of separate memories required for separately processing each of said first network protocol and said second network protocol.

31. The system according to claim 28, wherein said at least one processor comprises one or both of a host processor and/or a NIC processor.

32. A method for processing of packetized data, the method comprising:

allocating a first partition of a single context memory for handling data for a first network protocol connection;

allocating a second partition of said single context memory for handling data for a second network protocol connection;

processing data for said first network protocol connection utilizing said first partition of said single context memory;

processing data for said second network protocol connection utilizing said second partition of said single context memory; and

de-allocating said first partition of said single context memory when said first network protocol connection is terminated.

33. The method according to claim 32, comprising reallocating at least a portion of said de-allocated first partition of said single context memory to process data for a third network protocol connection.

34. The method according to claim 33, comprising allocating an unallocated portion of said single context memory to process data for a third network protocol connection.

35. The method according to claim 32, comprising de-allocating said second partition of said single context memory when said second network protocol connection is terminated.

36. The method according to claim 35, comprising reallocating at least a portion of said de-allocated second partition of said single context memory to process data for a fourth network protocol connection.

37. The method according to claim 33, comprising allocating an unallocated portion of said single context memory to process data for a fourth network protocol connection.

38. A non-transitory machine-readable storage having stored thereon, a computer program having at least one code section for network interfacing and processing of packetized data, the at least one code section being executable by a machine for causing the machine to perform steps comprising:

allocating a first partition of a single context memory for handling data for a first network protocol connection;

allocating a second partition of said single context memory for handling data for a second network protocol connection;

processing data for said first network protocol connection utilizing said first partition of said single context memory;

processing data for said second network protocol connection utilizing said second partition of said single context memory; and

de-allocating said first partition of said single context memory when said first network protocol connection is terminated.

39. The non-transitory machine-readable storage according to claim 38, comprising code for reallocating at least a portion of said de-allocated first partition of said single context memory to process data for a third network protocol connection.

40. The non-transitory machine-readable storage according to claim 39, comprising code for allocating an unallocated portion of said single context memory to process data for a third network protocol connection.

41. The non-transitory machine-readable storage according to claim 38, comprising code for de-allocating said second partition of said single context memory when said second network protocol connection is terminated.

42. The non-transitory machine-readable storage according to claim 41, comprising code for reallocating at least a portion of said de-allocated second partition of said single context memory to process data for a fourth network protocol connection.

43. The non-transitory machine-readable storage according to claim 39, comprising code for allocating an unallocated portion of said single context memory to process data for a fourth network protocol connection.

44. A system for processing of packetized data, the system comprising:

at least one hardware processor that enables allocation of a first partition of a single context memory for handling data for a first network protocol connection;

said at least one hardware processor enables allocation of a second partition of said single context memory for handling data for a second network protocol connection;

said at least one hardware processor enables processing of data for said first network protocol connection utilizing said first partition of said single context memory;

said at least one hardware processor enables processing of data for said second network protocol connection utilizing said second partition of said single context memory; and

said at least hardware processor enables de-allocation of said first partition of said single context memory when said first network protocol connection is terminated.

45. The system according to claim 44, wherein said at least one hardware processor enables reallocation of at least a portion of said de-allocated first partition of said single context memory to process data for a third network protocol connection.

46. The system according to claim 45, wherein said at least one hardware processor enables allocation of an unallocated portion of said single context memory to process data for a third network protocol connection.

47. The system according to claim 44, wherein said at least one hardware processor enables de-allocation of said second partition of said single context memory when said second network protocol connection is terminated.

48. The system according to claim 47, wherein said at least one hardware processor enables reallocation of at least a portion of said de-allocated second partition of said single context memory to process data for a fourth network protocol connection.

49. The system according to claim 45, wherein said at least one hardware processor enables allocation of an unallocated portion of said single context memory to process data for a fourth network protocol connection.