Method and apparatus for performing multiple DMA channel based network quality of service

• US 8,880,632 B1
• Filed: 01/13/2010
• Issued: 11/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/16/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: F5 Networks, Inc. (F5 Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: F5 Networks, Inc. (F5 Incorporated)
• Inventors: Michels, Tim S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bengzon, Greg C
• Application Number:
  US12/686,809
• Time in Patent Office: 1,756 Days
• Field of Search: 709212-216, 709250-252, 370/235
• US Class Current: 709/212
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/10 Flow control; Congestion control

Abstract

A method and apparatus for handling packets received from a server over a network based upon quality of network service on DMA channels includes inspecting a packet received by a network device, classifying the inspected packet with the network device based on one or more class of service identifiers in the packet, assigning with the network device the classified packet to one of a plurality of DMA rings associated with a DMA channel based on the one or more class of service identifiers in the packet, and moving the assigned packet to a host memory based upon the assigning.

Claims

1. A method for handling packets received from a server over a network based upon quality of network service on DMA channels, the method comprising:

determining by a network traffic management device one or more class of service identifiers associated with one or more obtained packets;

storing by the network traffic management device the one or more obtained packets in one or more DMA packet buffers;

assigning by the network traffic management device a DMA return descriptor associated with each of the one or more obtained packets stored in the one or more DMA packet buffers to one of a plurality of DMA rings associated with a plurality of DMA channels based on the one or more class of service identifiers determined for each of the one or more obtained packets, wherein the DMA return descriptor defines one or more return DMA operations; and

processing by the network traffic management device each of the one or more obtained packets using the plurality of DMA channels according to a priority associated with each of the plurality of DMA rings.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

storing by the network traffic management device the one or more obtained packets in one of a plurality of packet buffers based on the determined one or more class of service identifiers,

wherein the storing by the network traffic management device the one or more obtained packets in the one of a plurality of packet buffers further comprises transferring by the network traffic management device the one or more obtained packets from the plurality of packet buffers to one of the plurality of DMA packet buffers according to a priority associated with each of the plurality of packet buffers.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

prioritizing by the network traffic management device performance of a DMA operation in the plurality of DMA channels for the assigned DMA return descriptor stored in one of the plurality of DMA rings.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the processing further comprises:

servicing the plurality of DMA rings using a priority discipline,

wherein the priority discipline includes at least one of selecting one of the plurality of DMA rings with a highest associated class of service or a weighted round-robin scheduling discipline.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the processing further comprises retrieving with the network traffic management device each of the DMA return descriptors according to a priority associated with each of the plurality of DMA rings.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of DMA rings corresponds to a priority for servicing network traffic and a higher priority DMA ring of the plurality of DMA rings performs a DMA operation prior to lower priority DMA rings of the plurality of DMA rings.

7. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon instructions for handling packets received from a server over a network based upon quality of network service on DMA channels, which when executed by at least one processor, causes the processor to perform steps comprising:

determining one or more class of service identifiers associated with one or more obtained packets;

storing the one or more obtained packets in one or more DMA packet buffers;

assigning a DMA return descriptor associated with each of the one or more obtained packets stored in the one or more DMA packet buffers to one of a plurality of DMA rings associated with a plurality of DMA channels based on the one or more class of service identifiers determined for each of the one or more obtained packets, wherein the DMA return descriptor defines one or more return DMA operations; and

processing each of the one or more obtained packets using the plurality of DMA channels according to a priority associated with each of the plurality of DMA rings.

8. The medium of claim 7 further comprising:

storing the one or more obtained packets in one of a plurality of packet buffers based on the determined one or more class of service identifiers,

wherein the storing the one or more obtained packets in the one of a plurality of packet buffers further comprises transferring by the network traffic management device the one or more obtained packets from the plurality of packet buffers to one of the plurality of DMA packet buffers according to a priority associated with each of the plurality packet buffers.

9. The medium of claim 7 further comprising:

prioritizing performance of a DMA operation in the plurality of DMA channels for the assigned DMA return descriptor stored in one of the plurality of DMA rings.

10. The medium of claim 9 wherein the processing further comprises:

servicing the plurality of DMA rings using a priority discipline,

wherein the priority discipline includes at least one of selecting one of the plurality of DMA rings with a highest associated class of service or a weighted round-robin scheduling discipline.

11. The medium of claim 7, wherein the processing further comprises retrieving with the network traffic management device each of the DMA return descriptors according to a priority associated with each of the plurality of DMA rings.

12. The medium of claim 7, wherein each of the plurality of DMA rings corresponds to a priority for servicing network traffic and a higher priority DMA ring of the plurality of DMA rings performs a DMA operation prior to lower priority DMA rings of the plurality of DMA rings.

13. A network traffic management device comprising:

one or more processors;

a memory, wherein the memory is coupled to the one or more processors which are configured to execute programmed instructions stored in the memory comprising;

determining one or more class of service identifiers associated with one or more obtained packets;

storing the one or more obtained packets in one or more DMA packet buffers;

assigning a DMA return descriptor associated with each of the one or more obtained packets stored in the one or more DMA packet buffers to one of a plurality of DMA rings associated with a plurality of DMA channels based on the one or more class of service identifiers determined for each of the one or more obtained packets, wherein the DMA return descriptor defines one or more return DMA operations; and

processing each of the one or more obtained packets using the plurality of DMA channels according to a priority associated with each of the plurality of DMA rings.

14. The device of claim 13, wherein the one or more processors coupled to the memory are further configured to execute programmed instructions stored in the memory further comprising:

storing the one or more obtained packets in one of a plurality of packet buffers based on the determined one or more class of service identifiers,

wherein the storing the one or more obtained packets in the one of a plurality of packet buffers further comprises transferring by the network traffic management device the one or more obtained packets from the plurality of packet buffers to one of the plurality of DMA packet buffers according to a priority associated with each of the plurality packet buffers.

15. The device of claim 13, wherein the one or more processors coupled to the memory are further configured to execute programmed instructions stored in the memory further comprising:

prioritizing performance of a DMA operation in the plurality of DMA channels for the assigned DMA return descriptor stored in one of the plurality of DMA rings.

16. The device of claim 13, wherein the processing further comprises:

servicing the plurality of DMA rings using a priority discipline,

wherein the priority discipline includes at least one of selecting one of the plurality of DMA rings with a highest associated class of service or a weighted round-robin scheduling discipline.

17. The device of claim 13, wherein the processing further comprises retrieving with the network traffic management device each of the DMA return descriptors according to a priority associated with each of the plurality of DMA rings.

18. The device of claim 13, wherein each of the plurality of DMA rings corresponds to a priority for servicing network traffic and a higher priority DMA ring of the plurality of DMA rings performs a DMA operation prior to lower priority DMA rings of the plurality of DMA rings.