Distributing tasks in data communications

• US 7,644,188 B2
• Filed: 02/25/2002
• Issued: 01/05/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Eldar, Avigdor, Valenci, Moshe, Vlodavsky, Zvi, Trumper, Fabian, Rosenblatt, Ariel
• Primary Examiner(s): Pwu; Jeffrey
• Assistant Examiner(s): Baturay; Alicia
• Application Number:
  US10/179,779
• Publication Number:
  US 20030161327A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,871 Days
• Field of Search: 709/235, 709/250, 370/229, 370/237, 370/463
• US Class Current: 709/250
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/164 at the network layer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1001 for accessing one among a plurality of replicated servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/303 Terminal profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A capability of a device may be registered to an adapter. This capability may characterize the device in terms of tasks performing abilities that may be available or associated therewith. When a packet of data including a task to be handled is received at the adapter, based on the capability registered earlier for the device, the adapter may determine whether to assign the task to the device. An indication, such as packet processing information may be derived from the packet to assist in distribution of the task. By comparing the indication with the capability, the task may be offloaded to the device based on the comparison. Using the device for a networked device, in one embodiment, one or more network communication tasks associated with data communications may be distributed and optionally performed within an adapter. In this way, the networked device may be spared of undertaking network communication tasks that are conventionally performed within the networked device.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

registering a capability of a first device;

receiving a packet of data including a task to be handled;

determining whether to assign the task to the first device based on the capability;

providing at least two modules in the first device, said each module including a task handling capability;

selecting one module over the other module to assign the task based on the task handling capability associated with each module;

performing inline cryptographic operations in the one of said at least two modules; and

performing asynchronous cryptographic operations in the other module of said at least two modules.

2. The method of claim 1 including:

providing an indication in said packet to assist in distribution of the task; and

comparing the indication with the capability to selectively offload the task to said first device based on the comparison.

3. The method of claim 2 including:

populating a field in the packet to carry communication information including at least two packet attributes; and

enabling a flow for the packet across a stack of a first and a second layers of a network protocol based on said communication information.

4. The method of claim 3 including:

selecting in the packet said field that holds a relatively less used data based on a predetermined criterion; and

associating a buffer with said field to hold said communication information.

5. The method of claim 4 including:

transferring from said field the relatively less used data to said buffer,

providing in said field data to enable at least one of intra-layer communications and intra-component communications for a networking stack; and

selectively retrieving from the buffer the relatively less used data.

6. The method of claim 3 including:

extracting said at least two packet attributes from said communication information when communicating the packet to the first layer of the network protocol;

combining said at least two packet attributes to form a unique packet identifying indication;

using said unique packet identifying indication to store said at least two packet attributes in a database; and

using said unique packet identifying indication to retrieve said at least two packet attributes from the database to identify the packet for the second layer of the network protocol.

7. A processor-based system comprising:

a first device including a first capability to perform inline cryptographic tasks;

a second device including a second capability to perform asynchronous cryptographic tasks; and

a storage device storing a program and a module, said storage device operably coupled to said first and second devices wherein said program to receive a packet of data including a task to be handled for said program, and said module to interface with said program and said first and second devices to determine whether to assign the task to said first device over said second device based on the first and second capabilities.

8. The processor-based system of claim 7, wherein the task to be derived from a field of the packet of data, said field comprising data to enable a flow for the packet of data across a stack of a first and a second layers of a network protocol.