Multi-threaded internet small computer system interface (iSCSI) socket layer

• US 7,953,878 B1
• Filed: 10/09/2007
• Issued: 05/31/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/09/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: NetApp, Inc.
• Original Assignee: NetApp, Inc.
• Inventors: Trimble, Carlisle Cobb
• Primary Examiner(s): Backer; Firmin
• Assistant Examiner(s): ALGIBHAH, HAMZA N
• Application Number:
  US11/869,365
• Time in Patent Office: 1,330 Days
• Field of Search: 709/230
• US Class Current: 709/230
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/12 Protocol engines
• 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

Embodiments herein provide a computer system having an operating system that implements a multi-threaded iSCSI socket software layer. The multi-threaded iSCSI socket software layer may operate in conjunction with a single-threaded iSCSI protocol software layer to process network data according to the iSCSI protocol standard. Provided are protections against operational incompatibilities between the multi-threaded iSCSI socket layer and the single-threaded iSCSI protocol layer. A unique identifier may be assigned to each iSCSI socket thread to ensure proper delivery of thread messages to the appropriate iSCSI socket thread. A separate freed list may be allocated for each iSCSI socket thread, wherein the iSCSI protocol thread adds data structures to the freed list and a single iSCSI socket thread removes and uses data structures from the freed list. The multi-threaded iSCSI socket software layer reduces processor idle time, thus increasing data processing efficiency and overall network data throughput.

Claims

1. A system for processing network data comprising data received over a network or data for transmission over the network, the system comprising:

computer system hardware configured for;

providing a subsystem software layer comprising a protocol software layer and a socket software layer, the protocol software layer implementing only one protocol processing thread for processing network data and the socket software layer implementing a plurality of socket processing threads for processing network data;

providing a thread identifier for each socket processing thread;

establishing a first connection over the network;

assigning the protocol processing thread and a first socket processing thread for servicing the first connection using a first freed list, the first freed list comprising data structures available for processing network data, the first freed list being accessible only by the protocol processing thread and the first socket processing thread;

storing the thread identifier of the first socket processing thread to the first freed list;

receiving data over the first connection;

accessing, using the first socket processing thread, the first freed list to remove a first data structure from the first freed list, wherein access to the first freed list is managed by allowing a socket processing thread, having the same thread identifier that is stored to the first freed list, to access the first freed list and restricting access for all other socket processing threads; and

processing the received data using the first socket processing thread and the first data structure.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the subsystem software layer comprises an Internet small method interface (iSCSI) subsystem software layer;

the protocol software layer comprises an iSCSI protocol software layer;

the protocol processing thread comprises an iSCSI protocol processing thread;

the socket software layer comprises an iSCSI socket software layer;

the plurality of socket processing thread comprises a plurality of iSCSI socket processing threads; and

the iSCSI protocol processing thread interacts with the plurality of iSCSI socket processing threads for processing network data by implementing the iSCSI protocol standard.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the computer system hardware is further configured for:

providing a network stack software layer; and

providing two or more network processing threads for implementing the network stack software layer, wherein the network processing threads interact with the socket processing threads for processing network data, the number of socket processing threads being equal to the number of network processing threads.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the computer system hardware is further configured for:

establishing a second connection over the network;

assigning the protocol processing thread and a second socket processing thread for servicing the second connection using a second freed list, the second freed list comprising data structures available for processing network data, the second freed list being accessible only by the protocol processing thread and the second socket processing thread;

storing the thread identifier of the second socket processing thread to the second freed list;

receiving data over the second connection;

accessing, using the second socket processing thread, the second freed list to remove a second data structure from the second freed list, wherein access to the second freed list is managed by allowing a socket processing thread, having the same thread identifier that is stored to the second freed list, to access the second freed list and restricting access for all other socket processing threads; and

processing the received data using the second socket processing thread and the second data structure.

4. A method for processing network data comprising data received over a network or data for transmission over the network, the method comprising:

providing computer system hardware for performing;

providing a subsystem software layer comprising a protocol software layer and a socket software layer, the protocol software layer implementing only one protocol processing thread for processing network data and the socket software layer implementing a plurality of socket processing threads for processing network data;

providing a thread identifier for each socket processing thread;

establishing a first connection over the network;

assigning the protocol processing thread and a first socket processing thread for servicing the first connection using a first freed list, the first freed list comprising data structures available for processing network data, the first freed list being accessible only by the protocol processing thread and the first socket processing thread;

storing the thread identifier of the first socket processing thread to the first freed list;

receiving data over the first connection;

accessing, using the first socket processing thread, the first freed list to remove a first data structure from the first freed list, wherein access to the first freed list is managed by allowing a socket processing thread, having the same thread identifier that is stored to the first freed list, to access the first freed list and restricting access for all other socket processing threads; and

processing the received data using the first socket processing thread and the first data structure.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein:

the subsystem software layer comprises an Internet small method interface (iSCSI) subsystem software layer;

the protocol software layer comprises an iSCSI protocol software layer;

the protocol processing thread comprises an iSCSI protocol processing thread;

the socket software layer comprises an iSCSI socket software layer;

the plurality of socket processing thread comprises a plurality of iSCSI socket processing threads; and

the iSCSI protocol processing thread interacts with the plurality of iSCSI socket processing threads for processing network data by implementing the iSCSI protocol standard.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

providing a network stack software layer; and

providing two or more network processing threads for implementing the network stack software layer, wherein the network processing threads interact with the socket processing threads for processing network data, the number of socket processing threads being equal to the number of network processing threads.

16. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

establishing a second connection over the network;

assigning the protocol processing thread and a second socket processing thread for servicing the second connection using a second freed list, the second freed list comprising data structures available for processing network data, the second freed list being accessible only by the protocol processing thread and the second socket processing thread;

storing the thread identifier of the second socket processing thread to the second freed list;

receiving data over the second connection;

accessing, using the second socket processing thread, the second freed list to remove a second data structure from the second freed list, wherein access to the second freed list is managed by allowing a socket processing thread, having the same thread identifier that is stored to the second freed list, to access the second freed list and restricting access for all other socket processing threads; and

processing the received data using the second socket processing thread and the second data structure.

7. A system for processing network data comprising data received over a network or data for transmission over the network, the system comprising:

computer system hardware configured for;

providing a subsystem software layer

comprising a protocol software layer and a socket software layer, the protocol software layer implementing only one protocol processing thread for processing network data and the socket software layer implementing a plurality of socket processing threads for processing network data;

providing a thread identifier for each socket processing thread;

establishing a first connection over the network;

assigning the protocol processing thread and a first socket processing thread for servicing the first connection using a first set of data structures and buffers;

storing the thread identifier of the first socket processing thread to each data structure in the first set of data structures and buffers;

processing, using the protocol processing thread, data for transmission over the first connection;

storing processed data to a first data buffer and processing information to a first data structure in the first set of data structures and buffers;

reading a thread identifier stored to the first data structure to determine that the first socket processing thread is servicing the first connection; and

sending a message to the first socket processing thread which activates the first socket processing thread to process data stored in the first data buffer according to processing information stored in the first data structure.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the computer system hardware is further configured for:

establishing a second connection over the network;

assigning the protocol processing thread and a second socket processing thread for servicing the second connection using a second set of data structures and buffers;

storing the thread identifier of the second socket processing thread to each data structure in the second set of data structures and buffers;

processing, using the protocol processing thread, data for transmission over the second connection;

storing processed data to a second data buffer and processing information to a second data structure in the second set of data structures and buffers;

reading a thread identifier stored to the second data structure to determine that the second socket processing thread is servicing the second connection; and

sending a message to the second socket processing thread which activates the second socket processing thread to process data stored in the second data buffer according to processing information stored in the second data structure.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein:

the subsystem software layer comprises an Internet small method interface (iSCSI) subsystem software layer;

the protocol software layer comprises an iSCSI protocol software layer;

the protocol processing thread comprises an iSCSI protocol processing thread;

the socket software layer comprises an iSCSI socket software layer;

the plurality of socket processing thread comprises a plurality of iSCSI socket processing threads; and

the iSCSI protocol processing thread interacts with the plurality of iSCSI socket processing threads for processing network data by implementing the iSCSI protocol standard.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the computer system hardware is further configured for:

providing a network stack software layer; and

providing two or more network processing threads for implementing the network stack software layer, wherein the network processing threads interact with the socket processing threads for processing network data, the number of socket processing threads being equal to the number of network processing threads.

11. A method for processing network data comprising data received over a network or data for transmission over the network, the method comprising:

providing computer system hardware for performing;

providing a subsystem software layer comprising a protocol software layer and a socket software layer, the protocol software layer implementing only one protocol processing thread for processing network data and the socket software layer implementing a plurality of socket processing threads for processing network data;

providing a thread identifier for each socket processing thread;

establishing a first connection over the network;

assigning the protocol processing thread and a first socket processing thread for servicing the first connection using a first set of data structures and buffers;

storing the thread identifier of the first socket processing thread to each data structure in the first set of data structures and buffers;

processing, using the protocol processing thread, data for transmission over the first connection;

storing processed data to a first data buffer and processing information to a first data structure in the first set of data structures and buffers;

reading a thread identifier stored to the first data structure to determine that the first socket processing thread is servicing the first connection; and

sending a message to the first socket processing thread which activates the first socket processing thread to process data stored in the first data buffer according to processing information stored in the first data structure.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

establishing a second connection over the network;

assigning the protocol processing thread and a second socket processing thread for servicing the second connection using a second set of data structures and buffers;

storing the thread identifier of the second socket processing thread to each data structure in the second set of data structures and buffers;

processing, using the protocol processing thread, data for transmission over the second connection;

storing processed data to a second data buffer and processing information to a second data structure in the second set of data structures and buffers;

reading a thread identifier stored to the second data structure to determine that the second socket processing thread is servicing the second connection; and

sending a message to the second socket processing thread which activates the second socket processing thread to process data stored in the second data buffer according to processing information stored in the second data structure.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein:

the subsystem software layer comprises an Internet small method interface (iSCSI) subsystem software layer;

the protocol software layer comprises an iSCSI protocol software layer;

the protocol processing thread comprises an iSCSI protocol processing thread;

the socket software layer comprises an iSCSI socket software layer;

the plurality of socket processing thread comprises a plurality of iSCSI socket processing threads; and

the iSCSI protocol processing thread interacts with the plurality of iSCSI socket processing threads for processing network data by implementing the iSCSI protocol standard.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

providing a network stack software layer; and

providing two or more network processing threads for implementing the network stack software layer, wherein the network processing threads interact with the socket processing threads for processing network data, the number of socket processing threads being equal to the number of network processing threads.