Application-controlled network packet classification

• US 9,794,196 B2
• Filed: 09/16/2014
• Issued: 10/17/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/07/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NetApp, Inc.
• Original Assignee: NetApp, Inc.
• Inventors: Biswas, Anumita
• Primary Examiner(s): Chea, Philip
• Assistant Examiner(s): MCADAMS, BRAD
• Application Number:
  US14/487,719
• Publication Number:
  US 20150003467A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,127 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/38 Flow based routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/22 Traffic shaping
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/2475 for supporting traffic characterised by the type of applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/32 by discarding or delaying data units, e.g. packets or frames
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/90 Buffering arrangements

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention provide a system, method, and computer program product that enables applications transferring data packets over a network to a multi-processing system to choose how the data packets are going to be processed by, e.g., allowing the applications to pre-assign connections to a particular network thread and migrate a connection from one network thread to another network thread without putting the connection into an inconsistent state.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

halting processing of data packets arriving on an established network connection until the connection is migrated to a new network context that queues connections processed by a network thread without putting the connection in an inconsistent state;

migrating the connection to the new network thread;

removing a link to a portable control block (PCB) storing information about the connection in migration from a first data structure corresponding to the network thread from which the connection will be migrated to a temporary queue; and

placing the PCB to a new data structure corresponding to a new network thread to which the connection is migrated.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein migration of the connection to the new network thread is performed without halting execution of timer threads.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

maintaining a plurality of timer data structures accessed by network threads;

removing a timer data structure corresponding to a connection in migration from the first data structure;

placing the removed timer data structure to a temporary queue; and

placing the timer data structure to the new data structure corresponding to a new network thread to which the connection is migrated after the connection is migrated.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

placing data packets arriving on the connection in migration in a temporary queue;

placing the data packets into the new data structure for the migrated connection after the connection is migrated.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

updating a destination port data structure with a source address, source port, and destination port and a network context to which the connection is migrated;

receiving a data packet on a network connection migrated to a new network context;

identifying a destination port from the data packet; and

responsive to the destination port having an algorithm associated with it, queuing up the data packet to a network context determined using the algorithm.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

updating a destination port data structure with a source address, source port, destination port and a network context to which the connection is migrated;

updating a source port data structure with a source address, source port, destination port and a network context to which the connection is migrated;

receiving a data packet on a network connection migrated to a new network context;

identifying a destination port from the data packet;

responsive to the destination port not having an algorithm associated with it, using the destination port as an index to perform a look up of a destination port data structure to identify a network context associated with the destination port; and

queuing the data packet to the network context.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

responsive to not finding the destination port in the destination port data structure;

identifying a source port in the data packet, and using the source port as an index to perform a look up of a source port data structure to identify a network context associated with the source port; and

queuing the data packet to the identified network context.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

maintaining a plurality of connection data structures, each data structure associated with a network thread executed in the multiprocessing system, each data structure storing connections queued to a network thread.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

receiving an indication that an application wants to migrate the established network connection to the new network context that queues connections processed by the network thread.

8. A computer-readable device having stored thereon instructions for performing a method for enabling applications to flexibly distribute data packets in a multiprocessing system, the method comprising machine executable code which when executed by at least one machine, causes the machine to:

halt processing of data packets arriving on an established network connection until the connection is migrated to a new network context that queues connections processed by a network thread without putting the connection in an inconsistent state;

migrate the connection to the new network thread;

remove a link to a portable control block (PCB) storing information about the connection in migration from a first data structure corresponding to the network thread from which the connection will be migrated to a temporary queue; and

place the PCB to a new data structure corresponding to a new network thread to which the connection is migrated.

11. The computer-readable device of claim 8, wherein the method comprising machine executable code which when executed by at least one machine, causes the machine to:

maintain a plurality of connection data structures, each data structure associated with a network thread executed in the multiprocessing system, each data structure storing connections queued to a network thread.

12. The computer-readable device of claim 11, wherein the method comprising machine executable code which when executed by at least one machine, causes the machine to:

receiving an indication that an application wants to migrate the established network connection to the new network context that queues connections processed by the network thread.