System and method for vertical perimeter protection

• US 8,539,089 B2
• Filed: 10/10/2003
• Issued: 09/17/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/23/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle America, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Oracle America, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Tripathi, Sunay, Curtis, Bruce
• Primary Examiner(s): DENNISON, JERRY B
• Application Number:
  US10/683,933
• Publication Number:
  US 20050169309A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,630 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/230, 718/105
• US Class Current: 709/230
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/621 Individual queue per connection or flow, e.g. per VC
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/12 Protocol engines
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/162 involving adaptations of sockets based mechanisms secure socket layer H04L63/168
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/321 Interlayer communication protocols or service data unit [SDU] definitions; Interfaces between layers

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention include a method for processing packets through a plurality of protocol layers comprising accessing a packet associated with a connection and processing the packet through the plurality of protocol layers using a single thread wherein connection state information used by the plurality of protocol layers is preserved by mutual exclusion of other threads processing packets for the connection through the plurality of protocol layers.

Claims

1. A method for processing packets through a plurality of protocol layers comprising:

accessing a packet associated with a connection;

processing said packet through said plurality of protocol layers using a single thread from a single processor by assigning said connection to a single processor of a multiprocessor server system for processing wherein packets associated with said connection are directed to said single thread in said single processor for processing and wherein connection state information used by said plurality of protocol layers is preserved by mutual exclusion of other threads from processing packets for said connection through said plurality of protocol layers; and

assigning said packet to a processing queue wherein said processing queue provides single threaded processing of said packet through said plurality of protocol layers,

wherein said processing queue provides single threaded processing of said packet through said plurality of protocol layers by assigning only one packet to be processed by said plurality of protocol layers at a time and

wherein said packet is assigned to said processing queue based on address information of said connection.

2. The method as described in claim 1 wherein said single thread is uninterrupted while processing said packet through said plurality of protocol layers.

3. A method for processing packets through a plurality of protocol layers comprising:

accessing a packet associated with a connection;

processing said packet through said plurality of protocol layers using a single thread from a single processor by assigning said connection to a single processor of a multiprocessor server system for processing wherein packets associated with said connection are directed to said single thread in said single processor for processing and wherein connection state information used by said plurality of protocol layers is preserved by mutual exclusion of other threads from processing packets for said connection through said plurality of protocol layers; and

generating a unique connection data structure specific to said connection based on address information of said connection stored in said packet associated with the connection.

4. The method as described in claim 3 wherein said address information comprises a local IP address and a remote IP address.

5. The method as described in claim 4 wherein said address information further comprises a remote port address and a local port address.

7. The method as described in claim 3 wherein subsequent data packets of said connection, are assigned to said single processor based on said connection data structure.

32. The method as described in claim 3 wherein said single thread is uninterrupted while processing said packet through said plurality of protocol layers.

33. The method as described in claim 3 further comprising assigning said packet to a processing queue, wherein said processing queue provides a single threaded processing of said packet through said plurality of protocol layers.

34. The method as described in claim 33 wherein said processing queue provides a single threaded processing of said packet through said plurality of protocol layers by assigning only one packet to be processed by said plurality of protocol layers at a time.

35. The method as described in claim 34 wherein said packet is assigned to said processing queue based on address information of said connection.

6. A method for processing packets through a plurality of protocol layers comprising:

accessing a packet associated with a connection;

processing said packet through said plurality of protocol layers using a single thread from a single processor by assigning said connection to a single processor of a multiprocessor server system for processing wherein packets associated with said connection are directed to said single thread in said single processor for processing and wherein connection state information used by said plurality of protocol layers is preserved by mutual exclusion of other threads from processing packets for said connection through said plurality of protocol layers; and

assigning said packet to a processing queue wherein said processing queue provides single threaded processing of said packet through said plurality of protocol layers,

wherein said processing queue is an squeue.

8. A method for processing packets comprising:

accessing a packet associated with a connection;

assigning said packet to a processing queue associated with a single processor of a multi processor server system, wherein said processing queue provides uninterrupted single threaded processing of said data packet associated with the connection through a plurality of protocol layers using a single thread of the single processor, wherein state information of the packet within the connection is preserved so as to mutually exclude other threads from processing packets of said connection through said plurality of protocol layers; and

generating a unique connection data structure associated with said connection based on address information of said connection stored in said packets associated with the connection.

9. The method as described in claim 8 wherein said address information comprises a local IP address and a remote IP address.

10. The method as described in claim 9 wherein said address information further comprises a remote port address and a local port address.

11. The method as described in claim 10 wherein said connection data structure is used to assign subsequent packets associated with said connection to said processing queue.

12. The method as described in claim 8 wherein said plurality of protocol layers includes a TCP protocol layer.

13. The method as described in claim 8 wherein said plurality of protocol layers includes an IP protocol layer.

14. A method as described in claim 8 wherein said queue is associated with said connection data structure.

15. A multiprocessor server system comprising:

a plurality of processors for processing packets through a plurality of protocol layers;

a plurality of threads running in the plurality of processors;

a plurality of queues, each queue associated with a respective processor of said plurality of processors; and

a memory resident connection data structure for assigning packets of a connection to a queue of said plurality of queues for processing said packets of said connection using a single thread associated with the single queue of a corresponding processor of said plurality of processors,

wherein said connections are TCP connections and

wherein said plurality of protocol layers comprise;

IP;

TCP; and

socket layers.

16. A multiprocessor server system as described in claim 15 wherein a processor of said plurality of processors processes a packet of its queue without interruption through said plurality of protocol layers except for scheduling another packet on its queue.

17. A multiprocessor server system as described in claim 15 wherein said connection data structure is established for a new connection upon receiving a new connection request and wherein said connection data structure comprises an identifier of a queue associated with the single thread of the same corresponding processor to which all packets of said new connection are to be assigned.

18. A multiprocessor server system as described in claim 15 further comprising a plurality of cache memories, each cache associated with a respective processor of said plurality of processors.

19. A multiprocessor server system as described in claim 15 wherein state information of any given packet of a same connection is preserved because said packets of said same connection are individually mutually excluded form said protocol layers.

20. A computer system comprising a processor coupled to a bus and a memory coupled to said bus and comprising instructions that when executed implement a method for processing data packets comprising:

accessing a packet associated with a connection; and

processing said packet through said plurality of protocol layers using a single thread from a single processor by assigning said connection for processing to a single processor of a multiprocessor server system wherein packets associated with said connection are directed to said single thread associated with said single processor for processing, wherein connection state information used by said plurality of protocol layers is preserved by mutual exclusion of other threads processing packets for said connection through said plurality of protocol layers,

wherein said packet are assigned to a processing queue,

wherein said processing queue provides single threaded processing of said packet through said plurality of protocol layers,

wherein said processing queue provides single threaded processing of said packet through said plurality of protocol layers by assigning only one packet to be processed by said plurality of protocol layers at a time, and

wherein said packet is assigned to said processing queue based on address information of said connection.

21. The computer system as described in claim 20 wherein said single thread is uninterrupted while processing said packet through said plurality of protocol layers.

22. A computer system comprising a processor coupled to a bus and a memory coupled to said bus and comprising instructions that when executed implement a method for processing data packets comprising:

accessing a packet associated with a connection; and

processing said packet through said plurality of protocol layers using a single thread from a single processor by assigning said connection for processing to a single processor of a multiprocessor server system wherein packets associated with said connection are directed to said single thread associated with said single processor for processing, wherein connection state information used by said plurality of protocol layers is preserved by mutual exclusion of other threads processing packets for said connection through said plurality of protocol layers,

wherein a unique connection data structure is generated specific to said connection based on address information of said connection stored in said packets associated with the connection.

23. The computer system as described in claim 22 wherein said address information comprises a local IP address and a remote IP address.

24. The computer system as described in claim 22 wherein said address information further comprises a remote port address and a local port address.

25. A computer system comprising a processor coupled to a bus and a memory coupled to said bus and comprising instructions that when executed implement a method for processing data packets comprising:

accessing a packet associated with a connection; and

assigning said packet to a processing queue associated with a single processor of a multi processor server system, wherein said processing queue provides uninterrupted single threaded processing of said data packet associated with the connection through a plurality of protocol layers using a single thread of the single processor, wherein state information of the packet within the connection is preserved so as to mutually exclude other threads from processing packets of said connection through said plurality of protocol layers,

wherein a unique connection structure associated with said connection is generated based on address information of said connection stored in the packets associated with the connection.

26. The computer system as described in claim 25 wherein said processing queue provides mutual exclusion of same-connection packet processing through said plurality of protocol layers.

27. The computer system as described in claim 25 wherein said address information comprises a local IP address and a remote IP address.

28. The computer system as described in claim 27 wherein said address information further comprises a remote port address and a local port address.

29. The computer system as described in claim 28 wherein said connection structure is used to assign subsequent packets associated with said connection to said processing queue.

30. The computer system as described in claim 25 wherein said plurality of protocol layers includes a TCP protocol layer.

31. The computer system as described in claim 25 wherein said plurality of protocol layers includes an IP protocol layer.