Gigabit ethernet adapter

• US 8,218,555 B2
• Filed: 04/23/2002
• Issued: 07/10/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NVIDIA Corporation
• Original Assignee: NVIDIA Corporation
• Inventors: Minami, John Shigeto, Johnson, Michael Ward, Su, Steve, Uyeshiro, Robin Yasu
• Primary Examiner(s): HSU, ALPUS
• Application Number:
  US10/131,118
• Publication Number:
  US 20030165160A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,731 Days
• Field of Search: 370/401, 370/463, 370/466, 370/469, 709/230, 710/105
• US Class Current: 370/401
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/12 Avoiding congestion; Recovering from congestion
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/27 Evaluation or update of window size, e.g. using information derived from acknowledged [ACK] packets
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/283 in response to processing delays, e.g. caused by jitter or round trip time [RTT]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/34 ensuring sequence integrity, e.g. using sequence numbers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/6275 based on priority
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/08 Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/085 specially adapted for interworking of IP-based networks with other networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/16 Implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/161 Implementation details of TCP/IP or UDP/IP stack architecture; Specification of modified or new header fields
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/162 involving adaptations of sockets based mechanisms secure socket layer H04L63/168
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/163 In-band adaptation of TCP data exchange; In-band control procedures
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/165 Combined use of TCP and UDP protocols; selection criteria therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/166 IP fragmentation; TCP segmentation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/18 Multiprotocol handlers, e.g. single devices capable of handling multiple protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A gigabit Ethernet adapter provides a provides a low-cost, low-power, easily manufacturable, small form-factor network access module which has a low memory demand and provides a highly efficient protocol decode. The invention comprises a hardware-integrated system that both decodes multiple network protocols in a byte-streaming manner concurrently and processes packet data in one pass, thereby reducing system memory and form factor requirements, while also eliminating software CPU overhead. A preferred embodiment of the invention comprises a plurality of protocol state machines that decode network protocols such as TCP, IP, User Datagram Protocol (UDP), PPP, Raw Socket, RARP, ICMP, IGMP, iSCSI, RDMA, and FCIP concurrently as each byte is received. Each protocol handler parses, interprets, and strips header information immediately from the packet, requiring no intermediate memory. The invention provides an Internet tuner core, peripherals, and external interfaces. A network stack processes, generates and receives network packets. An internal programmable processor controls the network stack and handles any other types of ICMP packets, IGMP packets, or packets corresponding to other protocols not supported directly by dedicated hardware. A virtual memory manager is implemented in optimized, hardwired logic. The virtual memory manager allows the use of a virtual number of network connections which is limited only by the amount of internal and external memory available.

Claims

1. An apparatus for decoding and encoding network protocols and processing data, comprising:

a network stack for receiving and transmitting packets and for encoding and decoding packets; and

a plurality of dedicated hardwired logic protocol modules;

wherein each protocol module is optimized for a specific network protocol;

wherein said protocol modules execute in parallel;

wherein said protocol modules include a Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) protocol module;

wherein said TCP protocol module supports TCP protection against wrapped sequence numbers (PAWS) using dedicated and optimized hardwired logic.

2. An apparatus for decoding and encoding network protocols and processing data, comprising:

a network stack for receiving and transmitting packets and for encoding and decoding packets;

a plurality of dedicated hardwired logic protocol modules; and

an Internet Protocol (IP) identification generator module that uses dedicated optimized hardwired logic to generate an identification field for IP packets that has a true random distribution and prevents attempts to predict future values of the identification field;

wherein each protocol module is optimized for a specific network protocol;

wherein said protocol modules execute in parallel.

3. A process for decoding and encoding network protocols and processing data, comprising:

providing a network stack for receiving and transmitting packets and for encoding and decoding packets; and

providing a plurality of dedicated protocol state machines;

wherein each protocol state machine is optimized for a specific network protocol;

wherein said protocol state machines execute in parallel;

wherein said protocol state machines include a Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) protocol state machine;

wherein said TCP protocol state machine supports TCP protection against wrapped sequence numbers (PAWS) using dedicated and optimized hardwired logic.

4. A process for decoding and encoding network protocols and processing data, comprising:

providing a network stack for receiving and transmitting packets and for encoding and decoding packets;

providing a plurality of dedicated protocol state machines; and

providing an Internet Protocol (IP) identification generator module that uses dedicated optimized hardwired logic to generate an identification field for IP packets that has a true random distribution and prevents attempts to predict future values of the identification field;

wherein each protocol state machine is optimized for a specific network protocol;

wherein said protocol state machines execute in parallel.