Method, Network Adapter, Host System, and Network Device for Implementing Network Adapter Offload Function

• US 20140280857A1
• Filed: 05/30/2014
• Published: 09/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Yang, Xiaohua, Sun, Fuqing, Wang, Yungui
• Granted Patent: US 9,680,690 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/00 Arrangements for maintenance, administration or management of data switching networks, e.g. of packet switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/30 Profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/22 Parsing or analysis of headers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/60 Subscription-based services using application servers or record carriers, e.g. SIM application toolkits

Abstract

A method, a network adapter, a host system, and a network device for implementing a network adapter offload function. If a data packet received by the network adapter or the host system is a data packet unknown to the network adapter, the data packet unknown to the network adapter is parsed, a new policy entry is generated, and the new policy entry is updated into the host policy table and the network adapter policy table. Therefore, for a packet that includes a new proprietary or standard protocol header Tag, only a functional module that parses the packet needs to be updated, so that the functional module is capable of processing such a packet and delivering a new policy entry to the host policy table and the network adapter policy table and the network adapter does not need to be changed.

Claims

1. A method for implementing a network adapter offload function, comprising:

determining, according to a network adapter policy table stored in a network adapter or a host policy table stored in a host system, whether a received data packet is known to the network adapter or unknown to the network adapter;

performing, by the network adapter and according to a policy entry in the network adapter policy table, a corresponding protocol stack offload operation for the data packet known to the network adapter based on the determination that the data packet is known to the network adapter;

parsing the data packet unknown to the network adapter based on the determination that the data packet is unknown to the network adapter;

generating a new policy entry based on the determination that the data packet is unknown to the network adapter; and

updating the new policy entry into the host policy table and the network adapter policy table based on the determination that the data packet is unknown to the network adapter.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the data packet is unknown to the network adapter, and wherein parsing the data packet unknown to the network adapter and generating the new policy entry comprises:

parsing, by the host system, the received data packet unknown to the network adapter; and

generating a new policy entry.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the data packet is unknown to the network adapter, and wherein parsing the data packet unknown to the network adapter and generating the new policy entry comprises:

forwarding, by the host system, the received data packet unknown to the network adapter to a remote server so that the remote server parses the data packet unknown to the network adapter and generates a new policy entry; and

receiving, by the host system, the new policy entry returned by the remote server.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein parsing the data packet unknown to the network adapter comprises:

extracting a protocol keyword of the data packet unknown to the network adapter;

searching a protocol parsing table according to the protocol keyword, wherein the protocol parsing table comprises a protocol keyword and a handler of a protocol parsing function;

acquiring a handler of a protocol parsing function in the existing protocol parsing information when the protocol keyword matches a protocol keyword of a piece of existing protocol parsing information in the protocol parsing table; and

invoking the protocol parsing function to parse the data packet unknown to the network adapter when the protocol keyword matches the protocol keyword of the piece of existing protocol parsing information in the protocol parsing table.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein determining, according to the network adapter policy table stored in the network adapter or the host policy table stored in the host system, the received data packet is the data packet known to the network adapter or the data packet unknown to the network adapter comprises:

extracting, by the network adapter or the host system, a protocol keyword of the data packet; and

searching the network adapter policy table or the host policy table according to the protocol keyword, wherein the host policy table and the network adapter policy table comprise policy entries, and wherein the policy entries comprise policy types,

wherein the data packet is known to the network adapter when the protocol keyword matches a policy type of an existing policy entry in the host policy table or the network adapter policy table, and

wherein the data packet is unknown to the network adapter when the protocol keyword does not match the policy type of the existing policy entry in the host policy table or the network adapter policy table.

6. A network adapter, comprising:

a first determining module configured to determine, according to a network adapter policy table, whether a received data packet is known to the network adapter or unknown to the network adapter;

a first offloading module configured to perform a corresponding protocol stack offload operation for the data packet according to the network adapter policy table based on the determination that the data packet is known to the network adapter;

an uplink packet sending module configured to send, based on the determination that the data packet is unknown to the network adapter, the data packet to a host system so that the host system parses the data packet and generates a new policy entry; and

a first policy updating module configured to receive the new policy entry and update the new policy entry into the network adapter policy table.

7. The network adapter according to claim 6, wherein the first determining module comprises:

a keyword extracting unit configured to extract a protocol keyword of the data packet; and

a table searching unit configured to search the network adapter policy table according to the protocol keyword extracted by the keyword extracting unit, wherein the network adapter policy table comprises a policy entry, and wherein the policy entry comprises a policy type,

wherein the data packet is known to the network adapter when the protocol keyword matches a policy type of an existing policy entry in the network adapter policy table, and

wherein the data packet is unknown to the network adapter when the protocol keyword matches the policy type of the existing policy entry in the network adapter policy table.

8. A host system, comprising:

a second determining module configured to determine, according to a host policy table, whether a received data packet is known to a network adapter or unknown to the network adapter;

a downlink packet sending module configured to send, based on the determination that the data packet is known to the network adapter, the data packet to the network adapter so that the network adapter performs a corresponding protocol stack offload operation for the data packet according to a policy entry in a network adapter policy table;

a packet parsing module configured to parse, based on the determination that the received data packet is unknown to the network adapter, the data packet unknown to the network adapter and generate a new policy entry; and

a second policy updating module configured to update the new policy entry into the host policy table and send the new policy entry to the network adapter.

9. The host system according to claim 8, wherein the packet parsing module comprises:

a key field extracting unit configured to extract a protocol keyword of the data packet unknown to the network adapter;

a key field matching unit configured to search a protocol parsing table according to the protocol keyword extracted by the key field extracting unit, wherein the protocol parsing table comprises a protocol keyword and a handler of a protocol parsing function; and

a policy entry generating unit configured to;

acquire a handler of a protocol parsing function in the existing protocol parsing information when the protocol keyword matches a protocol keyword of a piece of existing protocol parsing information in the protocol parsing table;

invoke the protocol parsing function to parse the packet when the protocol keyword matches a protocol keyword of a piece of existing protocol parsing information in the protocol parsing table; and

generate the new policy entry when the protocol keyword matches a protocol keyword of a piece of existing protocol parsing information in the protocol parsing table.

10. The host system according to claim 8, wherein the packet parsing module comprises:

a packet forwarding unit configured to forward the received data packet unknown to the network adapter to a remote server so that the remote server parses the packet and generates the new policy entry; and

a policy entry receiving unit configured to receive the new policy entry.

11. A network device for implementing a network adapter offload function, comprising:

a network adapter comprising;

a first determining module configured to determine, according to a network adapter policy table, whether a received data packet is known to the network adapter or unknown to the network adapter;

a first offloading module configured to perform, based on the determination that the data packet is known to the network adapter, a corresponding protocol stack offload operation for the data packet according to the network adapter policy table;

an uplink packet sending module configured to send, based on the determination that the data packet is unknown to the network adapter, the data packet to a host system so that the host system parses the data packet and generates a new policy entry; and

a first policy updating module configured to receive the new policy entry and update the new policy entry into the network adapter policy table; and

a host system comprising;

a second determining module configured to determine, according to a host policy table, whether a received data packet is known to a network adapter or unknown to the network adapter;

a downlink packet sending module configured to send, based on the determination that the data packet is known to the network adapter, the data packet to the network adapter so that the network adapter performs a corresponding protocol stack offload operation for the data packet according to a policy entry in a network adapter policy table;

a packet parsing module configured to parse, based on the determination that the received data packet is unknown to the network adapter, the data packet unknown to the network adapter and generate a new policy entry; and

a second policy updating module configured to update the new policy entry into the host policy table and send the new policy entry to the network adapter.

12. The network device according to claim 11, wherein the first determining module comprises:

a keyword extracting unit configured to extract a protocol keyword of the data packet; and

a table searching unit configured to search the network adapter policy table according to the protocol keyword extracted by the keyword extracting unit, wherein the network adapter policy table comprises a policy entry, wherein the policy entry comprises a policy type,

wherein the data packet is known to the network adapter when the protocol keyword matches a policy type of an existing policy entry in the network adapter policy table, and

wherein the data packet is unknown to the network adapter when the protocol keyword does not match the policy type of the existing policy entry in the network adapter policy table.

13. The network device according to claim 11, wherein the packet parsing module comprises:

a key field extracting unit configured to extract a protocol keyword of the data packet unknown to the network adapter;

a key field matching unit configured to search a protocol parsing table according to the protocol keyword extracted by the key field extracting unit, wherein the protocol parsing table comprises a protocol keyword and a handler of a protocol parsing function; and

a policy entry generating unit configured to;

acquire a handler of a protocol parsing function in the existing protocol parsing information based on the determination that the protocol keyword matches a protocol keyword of a piece of existing protocol parsing information in the protocol parsing table;

invoke the protocol parsing function to parse the packet based on the determination that the protocol keyword matches the protocol keyword of a piece of existing protocol parsing information in the protocol parsing table; and

generate the new policy entry based on the determination that the protocol keyword matches the protocol keyword of a piece of existing protocol parsing information in the protocol parsing table.

14. The network device according to claim 11, wherein the packet parsing module comprises:

a packet forwarding unit configured to forward the received data packet unknown to the network adapter to a remote server so that the remote server parses the packet and generates the new policy entry; and

a policy entry receiving unit configured to receive the new policy entry.

15. A system for implementing a network adapter offload function, comprising:

a network adapter comprising;

a first determining module configured to determine, according to a network adapter policy table, whether a received data packet is known to the network adapter or unknown to the network adapter;

a first offloading module configured to perform, based on the determination that the data packet is known to the network adapter, a corresponding protocol stack offload operation for the data packet according to the network adapter policy table;

an uplink packet sending module configured to send, based on the determination that the data packet is unknown to the network adapter, the data packet to a host system so that the host system parses the data packet and generates a new policy entry; and

a first policy updating module configured to receive the new policy entry and update the new policy entry into the network adapter policy table;

a host system comprising;

a second determining module configured to determine, according to a host policy table, whether a received data packet is known to a network adapter or unknown to the network adapter;

a downlink packet sending module configured to send, based on the determination that the data packet is known to the network adapter, the data packet to the network adapter so that the network adapter performs a corresponding protocol stack offload operation for the data packet according to a policy entry in a network adapter policy table;

a packet parsing module configured to parse, based on the determination that the received data packet is unknown to the network adapter, the data packet unknown to the network adapter and generate a new policy entry; and

a second policy updating module configured to update the new policy entry into the host policy table and send the new policy entry to the network adapter;

a remote server comprising;

a packet receiving module configured to receive a data packet that is unknown to the network adapter and sent by the host system;

a remote packet parsing module configured to parse the data packet that is unknown to the network adapter and received by the packet receiving module, and generate a new policy entry;

a policy entry sending module configured to send the new policy entry to the host system so that the host system simultaneously updates the new policy entry sent by the policy entry sending unit into the host policy table of the host system and the network adapter policy table;

a registration command receiving module configured to receive an entered new protocol registration command, where the new protocol registration command comprises a keyword and an entry that points to a parsing function handler corresponding to the keyword; and

a protocol parsing table updating module configured to update the protocol parsing table in the remote server according to the new protocol registration command received by the registration command receiving module.

16. The system according to claim 15, wherein the first determining module comprises:

a keyword extracting unit configured to extract a protocol keyword of the data packet; and

a table searching unit configured to search the network adapter policy table according to the protocol keyword extracted by the keyword extracting unit, wherein the network adapter policy table comprises a policy entry, wherein the policy entry comprises a policy type,

wherein the data packet is known to the network adapter when the protocol keyword matches a policy type of an existing policy entry in the network adapter policy table, and

wherein the data packet is unknown to the network adapter when the protocol keyword does not match the policy type of the existing policy entry in the network adapter policy table.

17. The system according to claim 15, wherein the packet parsing module comprises:

a key field extracting unit configured to extract a protocol keyword of the data packet unknown to the network adapter;

a key field matching unit configured to search a protocol parsing table according to the protocol keyword extracted by the key field extracting unit, wherein the protocol parsing table comprises a protocol keyword and a handler of a protocol parsing function; and

a policy entry generating unit configured to;

acquire a handler of a protocol parsing function in the existing protocol parsing information when the protocol keyword matches a protocol keyword of a piece of existing protocol parsing information in the protocol parsing table;

invoke the protocol parsing function to parse the packet when the protocol keyword matches the protocol keyword of the piece of existing protocol parsing information in the protocol parsing table; and

generate the new policy entry when the protocol keyword matches the protocol keyword of the piece of existing protocol parsing information in the protocol parsing table.

18. The system according to claim 15, wherein the packet parsing module comprises:

a packet forwarding unit configured to forward the received data packet unknown to the network adapter to a remote server so that the remote server parses the packet and generates the new policy entry; and

a policy entry receiving unit configured to receive the new policy entry.

19. The system according to claim 15, wherein the remote packet parsing module comprises:

a key field extracting unit configured to extract a protocol keyword of the data packet unknown to the network adapter

a key field matching unit configured to search the protocol parsing table according to the keyword extracted by the key field extracting unit, where the protocol parsing table includes a protocol keyword and a handler of a protocol parsing function; and

a policy entry generating unit configured to;

acquire a handler of a protocol parsing function in the existing protocol parsing information when the protocol keyword matches a protocol keyword of a piece of existing protocol parsing information in the protocol parsing table;

invoke the protocol parsing function to parse the data packet; and

generate a policy entry corresponding to a parsing result.