Network interface controller for virtual and distributed services

• US 8,804,747 B2
• Filed: 09/23/2010
• Issued: 08/12/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/23/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Galles, Michael B., Ganesan, Elango, Freed, Michael, Kreeger, Lawrence R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham, Chi
• Assistant Examiner(s): HYUN, SOON D
• Application Number:
  US12/888,838
• Publication Number:
  US 20120079478A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,419 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 370/399
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/10 Flow control; Congestion control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/2441 relying on flow classification, e.g. using integrated services [IntServ]

Abstract

In one embodiment a method and apparatus that support virtual services including virtual network interface control functionality for virtual machines running on a server. A method includes receiving a packet at a network interface card from a data communication network, classifying, within the network interface card, the packet to select one of multiple flow tables to which the packet should be assigned to obtain a selected flow table, the classifying being based, at least, on a logical interface with which the packet is associated, processing the packet based on information stored in the selected flow table, and passing the packet to a virtual machine operating on a computer to which the network interface card is communicatively connected, the virtual machine being associated with the logical interface.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving a packet at a network interface card from a data communication network;

classifying, within the network interface card, the packet to select one of multiple flow tables to which the packet should be assigned to obtain a selected flow table, the classifying being based, at least, on a logical interface with which the packet is associated;

processing the packet based on information stored in the selected flow table; and

passing the packet to one of a plurality of virtual machines operating on a computer to which the network interface card is communicatively connected, the one of the virtual machines being associated with the logical interface and having within the network interface card a dedicated virtual network interface controller from among a plurality of virtual network interface controllers.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving, from the computer to which the network interface card is communicatively connected, at the network interface card, a second packet, and forwarding the second packet for classifying within the network interface card.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising replicating, within the network interface card, the packet for multicasting.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising, within the network interface card, at least one of rewriting at least a portion of the packet, encapsulating the packet or forwarding the packet based on information stored in the selected flow table.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising, within the network interface card, updating the selected flow table to include aspects of the packet when the packet belongs to a new flow.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving control data from a management tool that is different from the computer to which the network interface card in connected.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising setting management and policies for packet flows using the management tool.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising, within the network interface card, tracking packet and byte statistics for each flow represented in the flow tables.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising looping back, within the network interface card, a packet that has already been processed by the selected flow table.

10. A processor readable non-transitory medium encoded with instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:

receive a packet at a network interface card from a data communication network;

classify, within the network interface card, the packet to select one of multiple flow tables to which the packet should be assigned to obtain a selected flow table, wherein classifying is based, at least, on a logical interface with which the packet is associated;

process the packet based on information stored in the selected flow table; and

pass the packet to one of a plurality of virtual machines operating on a computer to which the network interface card is communicatively connected, the one of the virtual machines being associated with the logical interface and having within the network interface card a respective dedicated virtual network interface controller from among a plurality of virtual network interface controllers.

11. The processor readable medium of claim 10, further comprising instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:

receive, from the computer to which the network interface card is communicatively connected, at the network interface card, a second packet, and forward the second packet for classifying within the network interface card.

12. The processor readable medium of claim 10, further comprising instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:

replicate, within the network interface card, the packet for multicasting.

13. The processor readable medium of claim 10, further comprising instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:

at least one of, in the network interface card, rewrite at least a portion of the packet, encapsulate the packet or forward the packet based on information stored in the selected flow table.

14. The processor readable medium of claim 10, further comprising instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:

update the selected flow table to include aspects of the packet when the packet belongs to a new flow.

15. The processor readable medium of claim 10, further comprising instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:

receive control data from a management tool that is different from the computer to which the network interface card in connected.

16. The processor readable medium of claim 15, further comprising instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:

set management and policies for packet flows based on data from the management tool.

17. An apparatus, comprising:

a forwarding module configured to receive a packet from an electronic network and determine a logical interface with which the packet is associated;

a classifier module configured to identify a flow with which the packet is associated based on the logical interface; and

a plurality of flow tables, one of which is configured to be selected based on the flow with which the packet is associated, the selected flow table configured to process the packet in accordance with a predetermined policy,

wherein the apparatus is configured to operate multiple dedicated virtual network interface controllers that are configured to serve respective virtual machines running on a server when the apparatus is communicatively coupled to the server.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, further comprising an autonomous management agent module that is configured to at least one of rewrite at least a portion of the packet, encapsulate the packet or forward the packet based on information stored in the flow table.

19. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the autonomous management agent module is configured to receive control information from a management tool that is different from the server.

20. The apparatus of claim 17, further comprising a loopback path between the flow tables and the forwarding module.