Method and apparatus for multicast packet reception
DCFirst Claim
1. A method for establishing filtering for incoming data packets to be received from a network, for use with a network interface device by a host system having an operating system having a network protocol stack, comprising the steps of:
- receiving a first request for a first user level endpoint to join a first multicast group;
programming the network interface device to deliver future incoming data packets of the first multicast group to the first user level endpoint in a manner that at least part of a header of the future incoming data packets, including an identification of at least one of the first multicast group and the first user level endpoint, bypasses the operating system network protocol stack,receiving, while the first user level endpoint remains a member of the first multicast group, a second request for a second user level endpoint to join a second multicast group; and
programming the network interface device to deliver future incoming data packets of the second multicast group to the second user level endpoint in a manner that at least part of a header of future incoming data packets of the second multicast group, including an identification of at least one of the second multicast group and the second user level endpoint, bypasses the operating system network protocol stack.
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Abstract
Roughly described, incoming data packets are delivered by the NIC directly to at least two user level endpoints. In an aspect, only filters that cannot be ambiguous are created in the NIC. In another aspect, the NIC maintains a filter table supporting direct delivery of incoming unicast and multicast data packets to one user level endpoint. Additional requests to join the same multicast group cause replacement of the NIC filter with one in the kernel. In another aspect, a NIC has limited capacity to maintain multicast group memberships. In response to a new multicast filter request, the kernel establishes it in the NIC only if the NIC still has sufficient capacity; otherwise it is established in the kernel.
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Citations
21 Claims
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1. A method for establishing filtering for incoming data packets to be received from a network, for use with a network interface device by a host system having an operating system having a network protocol stack, comprising the steps of:
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receiving a first request for a first user level endpoint to join a first multicast group; programming the network interface device to deliver future incoming data packets of the first multicast group to the first user level endpoint in a manner that at least part of a header of the future incoming data packets, including an identification of at least one of the first multicast group and the first user level endpoint, bypasses the operating system network protocol stack, receiving, while the first user level endpoint remains a member of the first multicast group, a second request for a second user level endpoint to join a second multicast group; and programming the network interface device to deliver future incoming data packets of the second multicast group to the second user level endpoint in a manner that at least part of a header of future incoming data packets of the second multicast group, including an identification of at least one of the second multicast group and the second user level endpoint, bypasses the operating system network protocol stack.
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2. A method
for establishing filtering for incoming data packets to be received from a network, for use with a network interface device by a host system having an operating system having a network protocol stack, comprising the steps of: -
receiving a first request for a first user level endpoint to join a first multicast group; programming the network interface device to deliver future incoming data packets of the first multicast group to the first user level endpoint in a manner that at least part of a header of the future incoming data packets, including an identification of at least one of the first multicast group and the first user level endpoint, bypasses the operating system network protocol stack, receiving, while the first user level endpoint remains a member of the first multicast group, a second request for a second user level endpoint to join the first multicast group; and programming the network interface device to deliver further future incoming data packets of the first multicast group also to the second user level endpoint in a manner that at least part of a header of the further future incoming data packets, including an identification of at least one of the first multicast group and the second user level endpoint, bypasses the operating system network protocol stack. - View Dependent Claims (3, 4, 5)
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6. A method
for establishing filtering for incoming data packets to be received from a network, for use with a network interface device by a host system having an operating system having a network protocol stack, comprising the steps of: -
receiving a first request for a first user level endpoint to join a first multicast group; programming the network interface device to deliver future incoming data packets of the first multicast group to the first user level endpoint in a manner that at least part of a header of the future incoming data packets, including an identification of at least one of the first multicast group and the first user level endpoint, bypasses the operating system network protocol stack, receiving a second request for a second user level endpoint to join the first multicast group; making a determination that the network interface device lacks sufficient capacity to be programmed to add the second user level endpoint as an endpoint for delivery of future incoming data packets of the first multicast group; and causing the operating system to deliver to the second user level endpoint, future incoming data packets of the first multicast group. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A host system for establishing filtering for incoming data packets to be received from a network, for use with a network interface device, the host system being configured to have an operating system having a network protocol stack, comprising:
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a memory subsystem; and a data processor coupled to the memor subsystem, the data processor configured to, in response to a first request for a first user level endpoint to join a first multicast group, program the network interface device to deliver future incoming data packets of the first multicast group to the first user level endpoint in a manner that at least part of a header of the future incoming data packets, including an identification of at least one of the first multicast group and the first user level endpoint, bypasses the operating system network protocol stack, wherein the data processor is further configured to, in response to a second request for a second user level endpoint to join a second multicast group, received while the first user level endpoint remains a member of the first multicast group, program the network interface device to deliver future incoming data packets of the second multicast group to the second user level endpoint in a manner that at least part of a header of future incoming data packets of the second multicast group, including an identification of at least one of the second multicast group and the second user level endpoint, bypasses the operating system network protocol stack.
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12. A host system for establishing filtering for incoming data packets to be received from a network, for use with a network interface device, the host system being configured to have an operating system having a network protocol stack, comprising:
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a memory subsystem; and a data processor coupled to the memor subsystem, the data processor configured to, in response to a first request for a first user level endpoint to join a first multicast group, program the network interface device to deliver future incoming data packets of the first multicast group to the first user level endpoint in a manner that at least part of a header of the future incoming data packets, including an identification of at least one of the first multicast group and the first user level endpoint, bypasses the operating system network protocol stack, wherein the data processor is further configured to, in response to a second request for a second user level endpoint to join the first multicast group, received while the first user level endpoint remains a member of the first multicast group, program the network interface device to deliver further future incoming data packets of the first multicast group also to the second user level endpoint, in a manner that at least part of a header of the further future incoming data packets, including an identification of at least one of the first multicast group and the second user level endpoint, bypasses the operating system network protocol stack.
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13. A host system for establishing filtering for incoming data packets to be received from a network, for use with a network interface device, the host system being configured to have an operating system having a network protocol stack, comprising:
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a memory subsystem; and a data processor coupled to the memory subsystem, the data processor configured to, in response to a first request for a first user level endpoint to join a first multicast group, program the network interface device to deliver future incoming data packets of the first multicast group to the first user level endpoint in a manner that at least part of a header of the future incoming data packets, including an identification of at least one of the first multicast group and the first user level endpoint, bypasses the operating system network protocol stack, wherein the data processor is further configured to, in response to a second request for a second user level endpoint to join the first multicast group; make a determination that the network interface device lacks sufficient capacity to be programmed to add the second user level endpoint as an endpoint for delivery of future incoming data packets of the first multicast group; and in response to the determination, cause the operating system to deliver future incoming data packets of the first multicast group to the second user level endpoint. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16)
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17. A method for establishing filtering for incoming data packets to be received by a network interface device from a network and further for filtering incoming data packets received from the network, the network interface device communicating with a host subsystem via a communications bus, the host subsystem having an operating system having a network protocol stack, comprising the steps of:
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receiving a first instruction from the host subsystem to deliver future incoming data packets of a first multicast group to a first user level endpoint in the host subsystem, in a manner that at least part of a header of the further future incoming data packets, including an identification of at least one of the first multicast group and the first user level endpoint, bypasses the operating system network protocol stack; programming a table in the network interface device with a first correspondence of an identification of the first user level endpoint with an identification of the first multicast group receiving, while the first correspondence remains valid in the table a second instruction from the host subsystem to deliver future incoming data packets of the first multicast group to a second user level endpoint in the host subsystem; further programming the table in the network interface device with a second correspondence of an identification of the second user level endpoint with an identification of the first multicast group; receiving from the network a first incoming data packet of the first multicast group; delivering the first incoming data packet to the first user level endpoint in a manner that at least part of a header of the first incoming data packet, including an identification of at least one of the first multicast group and the first user level endpoint, bypasses the operating system network protocol stack; and delivering the first incoming data packet also to the second user level endpoints, in a manner that at least part of a header of the first incoming data packet, including an identification of at least one of the first multicast group and the second user level endpoint, bypasses the operating system network protocol stack.
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18. A method for establishing filtering for incoming data packets to be received by a network interface device from a network, the network interface device communicating with a host subsystem via a communications bus, the host subsystem having an operating system having a network protocol stack, comprising the steps of:
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receiving a first instruction from the host subsystem to deliver future incoming data packets of a first multicast group to a first user level endpoint in the host subsystem, in a manner that at least part of a header of the further future incoming data packets, includin an identification of at least one of the first multicast group and the first user level endpoint, bypasses the operating system network protocol stack; and programming a table in the network interface device with a first correspondence of an identification of the first user level endpoint with an identification of the first multicast group, wherein the table includes a primary table and a secondary table, and wherein the step of programming the table with the first correspondence comprises the step of programming the first correspondence into the primary table; further comprising the steps of; receiving, while the first correspondence remains valid in the primary table, a second instruction from the host subsystem to deliver future incoming data packets of the first multicast group to a second user level endpoint in the host subsystem; programming into the secondary table both the first correspondence and a second correspondence of an identification of the second user level endpoint with an identification of the first multicast group; and unprogramming the first correspondence from the primary table.
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19. A method for establishing filtering for incoming data packets to be received by a network interface device from a network, the network interface device communicating with a host subsystem via a communications bus, the host subsystem having an operating system having a network protocol stack, comprising the steps of:
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receiving a first instruction from the host subsystem to deliver future incoming data packets of a first multicast group to a first user level endpoint in the host subsystem, in a manner that at least part of a header of the further future incoming data packets, including an identification of at least one of the first multicast group and the first user level endpoint, bypasses the operating system network protocol stack; programming a table in the network interface device with a first correspondence of an identification of the first user level endpoint with an identification of the first multicast group; receiving a second instruction from the host subsystem to deliver future incoming unicast data packets having indicated second header characteristics to a second user level endpoint in the host subsystem; and further programming the table in the network interface device with a second correspondence of an identification of the second user level endpoint with an identification of the second header characteristics.
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20. Network interface apparatus, for use with a host subsystem in communication with the network interface apparatus via an internal communications bus of the host subsystem, the host subsystem having an operating system having a network protocol stack, the network interface device comprising:
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a filter for filtering incoming data packets received from the network, the filter comprising a table; and a resource configuration unit that, in response to receipt from the host subsystem via the communications bus of first and second instructions to deliver future incoming data packets of a first multicast group to respective first and second user level endpoints in the host subsystem, configures the filter table in the network interface device with a correspondence of an identification of both the first and second user level endpoints, on the one hand, with an identification of the first multicast group, on the other hand, wherein in response to receipt from the host subsystem, while the first and second correspondences remains valid in the table, of a third instruction from the host subsystem to no longer deliver future incoming data packets of the first multicast group to an identified one of the first and second user level endpoints the resource configuration unit deletes from the table, the correspondence of the first multicast group with the identified one of the first and second user level endpoints.
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21. Network interface apparatus, for use with a host subsystem in communication with the network interface apparatus via an internal communications bus of the host subsystem, the host subsystem having an operating system having a network protocol stack,
the network interface apparatus comprising a filter for filtering incoming data packets received from the network, the filter comprising a filter table, the network interface apparatus being configured to, in response to receipt from the network of an incoming data packet of a first multicast group, to deliver the data packet via the communications bus to each of a plurality of user level processes each identified in the filter table, bypassing the operating system, the network interface apparatus being further configured to determine if the following conditions are fulfilled: -
the incoming data packet is not malformed, the incoming data packet uses a protocol that is supported in the filter table, and at least one correspondence is found between the incoming data packet and at least one user level endpoint; and if all of the conditions are fulfilled, the network interface apparatus delivering the incoming data packet to each of the plurality of user level processes, and otherwise, delivering the incoming data packet to the operating system.
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Specification