Low impact network debugging

• US 20080043632A1
• Filed: 07/20/2006
• Published: 02/21/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/20/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle America, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sun Microsystems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Tripathi, Sunay, Curtis, Bruce W., Chu, Hsiao-Keng Jerry
• Granted Patent: US 8,050,266 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/251
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/50 Testing arrangements

Abstract

A method for debugging network connections that involves receiving a packet for a first destination by a network interface card (NIC), classifying the packet, sending the packet to a first receive ring associated with the NIC, and sending the packet from the first receive ring to a first virtual NIC, where the first virtual NIC is associated with a second destination, and where the second destination is used to debug the first destination.

Claims

1. A method for debugging network connections, comprising:

receiving a packet for a first destination by a network interface card (NIC);

classifying the packet;

sending the packet to a first receive ring associated with the NIC; and

sending the packet from the first receive ring to a first virtual NIC,

wherein the first virtual NIC is associated with a second destination, and

wherein the second destination is used to debug the first destination.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

creating a copy of the packet after classification;

sending the copy of the packet to a second receive ring associated with the NIC; and

sending the copy of the packet from the second receive ring to a second virtual NIC, wherein the second virtual NIC is associated with the first destination.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

recording a Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) connection state associated with the packet when the packet is received.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

writing the packet from the first virtual NIC to an offline storage.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sending the packet from the first virtual NIC to a test machine.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

processing the packet from the first virtual NIC using a processor in real-time.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sending the packet from the first virtual NIC to a debug virtual network stack, wherein the debug virtual network stack is associated with the second destination.

8. A system, comprising:

a host, comprising;

a first destination;

a second destination, wherein the second destination is used to debug the first destination;

a first virtual NIC associated with the second destination; and

a network interface card (NIC), operatively connected to the host, comprising a first receive ring,

wherein the NIC is configured to;

receive a packet for the first destination;

classify the packet;

send the packet to the first receive ring; and

send the packet from the first receive ring to the first virtual NIC.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the NIC further comprises a second receive ring, wherein the host further comprises a second virtual NIC, and wherein the NIC is further configured to:

create a copy of the packet after classification;

send the copy of the packet to the second receive ring; and

send the copy of the packet from the second receive ring to the second virtual NIC, wherein the second virtual NIC is associated with the first destination.

10. The system of claim 8, further comprising:

an offline storage, wherein the host is further configured to write the packet from the first virtual NIC to the offline storage.

11. The system of claim 8, further comprising:

a test machine, wherein the host is further configured to pass the packet from the first virtual NIC to the test machine.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the host further comprises:

a processor, wherein the host is further configured to process the packet from the virtual NIC using the processor in real-time.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the host is further configured to:

record a Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) connection state associated with the packet when the packet is received.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the host is further configured to:

pass the packet from the virtual NIC to a debug virtual network stack, wherein the debug virtual network stack is associated with the second destination.

15. A computer usable medium having computer readable program code embodied therein for causing a computer system to execute a method for debugging network connections, the method comprising:

receiving a packet for a first destination by a network interface card (NIC);

classifying the packet;

sending the packet to a first receive ring associated with the NIC; and

sending the packet from the first receive ring to a first virtual NIC,

wherein the first virtual NIC is associated with a second destination, and

wherein the second destination is used to debug the first destination.

16. The computer usable medium of claim 15, the method further comprising:

creating a copy of the packet after classification;

sending the copy of the packet to a second receive ring associated with the NIC; and

sending the copy of the packet from the second receive ring to a second virtual NIC, wherein the second virtual NIC is associated with the first destination.

17. The computer usable medium of claim 15, the method further comprising:

recording a Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) connection state associated with the packet when the packet is received.

18. The computer usable medium of claim 15, the method further comprising:

writing the packet from the first virtual NIC to an offline storage.

19. The computer usable medium of claim 15, the method further comprising:

sending the packet from the first virtual NIC to a test machine.

20. The computer usable medium of claim 15, the method further comprising:

processing the packet from the first virtual NIC using a processor in real-time.