Method and apparatus for kernel-level passing of a data packet from a first data network to a second data network

• US 20060085557A1
• Filed: 10/20/2004
• Published: 04/20/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/20/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Ishijima, Yoshihiro
• Application Number:
  US10/970,479
• Publication Number:
  US 20060085557A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/238
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/00 Routing or path finding of packets in data switching networks routing or path finding in wireless networks H04W40/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/3009 Header conversion, routing tables or routing tags
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/63 Routing a service request depending on the request content or context

Abstract

Disclosed are a method and apparatus for passing a data packet from a first network to a second network at a kernel level. According to one illustrative embodiment, this is accomplished by receiving a data packet from a first network, storing the data packet in a kernel-space buffer, determining if the data packet needs to be directly passed to the second network and directing the data packet from the kernel-space buffer to the second network when the data packet needs to be directly passed to the second network.

Claims

1. A method for passing a data packet from a first network to a second network at a kernel level comprising:

receiving a data packet from a first network;

storing the data packet in a kernel-space buffer;

determining if the data packet needs to be directly passed to the second network; and

directing the data packet from the kernel-space buffer to the second network when the data packet needs to be directly passed to the second network.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving a data packet from a first network comprises receiving a transport layer data packet.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein determining if the data packet needs to be directly passed to a second network comprises:

directing a meta-data associated with the data packet to an application executing in application space; and

receiving a pass-through indicator from the application executing in application space.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein directing the data packet from the kernel space buffer to a second network when the data packet needs to be directly passed to the second network comprises:

receiving a modified meta-data for the data packet from an application executing in application space;

associating the modified meta-data with the data packet; and

directing the data packet and the associated modified meta-data to the second network.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising directing the data packet to an application executing in application space when the data packet does not need to be passed to the second network.

6. A network processor comprising:

one or more processors;

first network interface capable of enabling a processor to communicate with a first data network;

second network interface capable of enabling a processor to communicate with a second data network;

memory capable of storing an instruction sequence and a kernel-level buffer;

one or more instruction sequences stored in the memory including;

protocol stack that, when a first instantiation of which is executed by the processor, minimally causes the processor to receive a data packet from the first network interface and that, when a second instantiation of which is executed by the processor, minimally causes the processor to convey a data packet to the second network interface;

receive-send module that, when executed by the processor, minimally causes the processor to;

accept a data packet from a first executing instantiation of the protocol stack so as to receive a data packet into a kernel-level buffer; and

direct the data packet from the kernel-level buffer to a second executing instantiation of the protocol stack when the data packet needs to be passed to a second data network.

7. The network processor of claim 6 wherein the protocol stack, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to receive a data packet by minimally causing the processor to receive a transport layer data packet.

8. The network processor of claim 6 wherein the receive-send module, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to direct the data packet from the kernel-level buffer to a second executing instantiation of the protocol stack by minimally causing the processor to:

extract a meta-data from the data packet stored in the kernel-level buffer;

direct the extracted meta-data to an application executing in application space;

receive a pass-through signal from the application executing in application space; and

direct the data packet to the second network interface when the pass-through signal indicates that the data packet is to be passed to the second network interface.

9. The network processor of claim 6 wherein the receive-send module, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to direct the data packet from the kernel-level buffer to a second executing instantiation of the protocol stack by minimally causing the processor to:

receive into the kernel-level buffer a modified meta-data for the data packet from an application executing in application space; and

direct the data packet and the modified meta-data to the second network interface.

10. The network processor of claim 6 wherein the receive-send module, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to further minimally provide to an application executing in application space a reference to the kernel-level buffer when the data packet does not need to be directed to the second network interface.

11. A computer readable medium having imparted thereon one or more instruction sequences for passing a data packet from a first data network to a second data network including:

receive-send module that, when executed by a processor, minimally causes a processor to;

accept a data packet from a first executing instantiation of a protocol stack so as to receive a data packet into a kernel-level buffer; and

direct the data packet from the kernel-level buffer to a second executing instantiation of a protocol stack when the data packet needs to be passed to a second data network.

12. The computer readable medium of claim 11 wherein the protocol stack, when executed by a processor, causes a processor to receive a data packet by minimally causing a processor to receive a transport layer data packet.

13. The computer readable medium of claim 11 wherein the receive-send module, when executed by a processor, causes a processor to direct the data packet from the kernel-level buffer to a second executing instantiation of the protocol stack by minimally causing a processor to:

extract a meta-data from the data packet stored in the kernel-level buffer;

direct the extracted meta-data to an application executing in an application space;

receive a pass-through signal from the application executing in the application space; and

direct the data packet to the second network interface when the pass-through signal indicates that the data packet is to be passed to the second network interface.

14. The computer readable medium of claim 11 wherein the receive-send module, when executed by a processor, causes a processor to direct the data packet from the kernel-level buffer to a second executing instantiation of the protocol stack by minimally causing a processor to:

receive into the kernel-level buffer a modified meta-data for the data packet from an application executing in application space; and

direct the data packet and the modified meta-data to the second network interface.

15. The computer readable medium of claim 11 wherein the receive-send module, when executed by a processor, causes a processor to further minimally provide to an application executing in an application space a reference to the kernel-level buffer when the data packet does not need to be directed to the second network interface.

16. A network processor comprising:

means for receiving a data packet from a first network; and

means for directing the data packet directly to a second network when the data packet needs to be directly passed to the second network.

17. The network processor of claim 16 wherein the means for receiving a data packet from a first network comprises:

means for receiving information from a first network medium;

means for assembling the received information as a data packet; and

means for storing the data packet at a kernel-level.

18. The network processor of claim 16 wherein the means for directing a data packet to a second network comprises:

means for determining when a data packet needs to be directed to a second data network; and

means for directing a data packet stored at a kernel level to a second network medium when the data packet needs to be directed to a second data network.

19. The network processor of claim 18 wherein the means for determining when a data packet needs to be directed to a second data network comprises:

means for examining a meta-data portion of a data packet; and

means for generating a pass-through indication according to the examined meta-data.

20. The network processor of claim 18 wherein the means for directing a data packet from a kernel level to a second data network when a data packet needs to be directed to a second data network comprises:

means for modifying a meta-data portion of a data packet; and

means for directing the data packet and the modified meta-data to a second network medium.