Network devices with multiple direct memory access channels and methods thereof

• US 8,103,809 B1
• Filed: 01/19/2010
• Issued: 01/24/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/16/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: F5 Networks, Inc. (F5 Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: F5 Networks, Inc. (F5 Incorporated)
• Inventors: Michels, Timothy, Baumann, William R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kindred, Alford
• Assistant Examiner(s): MARTINEZ, DAVID E
• Application Number:
  US12/689,911
• Time in Patent Office: 735 Days
• Field of Search: 710/22, 710/26, 710/27
• US Class Current: 710/22
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/28 using burst mode transfer, e.g. direct memory access DMA, cycle steal G06F13/32 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/167 using a common memory, e.g. mailbox

Abstract

A method, computer readable medium, and a system for communicating with networked clients and servers through a network device includes establishing a plurality of direct memory access (DMA) channels across a host system bus over which a plurality of executing applications each having a respective application driver communicate with a network through a network device configured to receive and transmit network data packets. At a first port in the network device, a first network data packet destined for an executing application is received. A first DMA channel over which to transmit the first network data packet towards the destined executing application is identified, and the first network data packet is transmitted to the destination executing application over the designated DMA channel mapping to the first port.

Claims

1. A method for communicating with networked clients and servers through a network device, the method comprising:

establishing a plurality of direct memory access (DMA) channels across a host system bus over which a plurality of executing applications having respective application drivers communicate with a network through a network device configured to receive and transmit network data packets;

receiving, at a first port in the network device, a first network data packet destined for an executing application;

identifying a first DMA channel over which to transmit the first network data packet towards the destined executing application; and

transmitting the first network data packet to the destination executing application over the designated DMA channel mapping to the first port, wherein the respective application drivers are independent from other application drivers associated with other executing applications in the plurality of executing applications, and wherein the respective application drivers independently manage access to a corresponding DMA channel such that each DMA channel in the plurality of DMA channels is independent of the other DMA channels and has unique independent allotted resources.

2. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the identifying is based on a mapping between the first port and a DMA channel designated for use by the executing application.

3. The method as set forth in claim 2, wherein the mapping between the first port and the designated DMA channel is stored by the network device.

4. The method as set forth in claim 2, wherein the mapping is further based on at least one of a hash value, a cookie stored in the network device, and a header value of the first network packet.

5. The method as set forth in claim 2, wherein the identifying comprises allotting a host system memory buffer to the designated DMA channel to temporarily store the first network data packet.

6. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein network transceiver logic within the network device provides the destination executing application with an indication that the first network data packet has been received.

7. The method as set forth in claim 6, wherein the network transceiver logic receives an acknowledgment signal from the destination executing application responsive to the transmitting of the first network data packet to the destination executing application.

8. The method as set forth in claim 1 further comprising:

receiving, at a network interface controller in the network device, a plurality of segmented bus packets corresponding to a second network data packet from at least one of the destination executing application over a second designated DMA channel;

assembling the segmented bus packets into the second network data packet; and

transmitting the second network data packet to the network via a second port in the network device mapping to the second designated DMA channel.

9. The method as set forth in claim 8 further comprising:

allocating the second designated DMA channel to the second port based on at least one of a hash value, a cookie stored in the network interface controller, and a header information in the assembled second network data packet.

10. The method as set forth in claim 8 further comprising:

updating a memory location stored in the network device to indicate one of the plurality of executing applications is ready to transmit the second network data packet.

11. The method as set forth in claim 10, wherein network transceiver logic in the network device sends an acknowledgment to the one of the plurality of executing applications that the second network data packet has been transmitted to the network.

12. A tangible computer readable medium having stored thereon instructions for communicating with networked clients and servers through a network device comprising machine executable code which when executed by at least one processor, causes the processor to perform steps comprising:

establishing a plurality of direct memory access (DMA) channels across a host system bus over which a plurality of executing applications having respective application drivers communicate with a network through a network device configured to receive and transmit network data packets;

receiving, at a first port in the network device, a first network data packet destined for an executing application;

identifying a first DMA channel over which to transmit the first network data packet towards the destined executing application; and

transmitting the first network data packet to the destination executing application over the designated DMA channel mapping to the first port, wherein the respective application drivers are independent from other application drivers associated with other executing applications in the plurality of executing applications, and wherein the respective application drivers independently manage access to a corresponding DMA channel such that each DMA channel in the plurality of DMA channels is independent of the other DMA channels and has unique independent allotted resources.

13. The tangible computer medium as set forth in claim 12, wherein the identifying is based on a mapping between the first port and a DMA channel designated for use by the executing application.

14. The tangible computer medium as set forth in claim 13, wherein the mapping between the first port and the designated DMA channel is stored by the network device.

15. The tangible computer medium as set forth in claim 13, wherein the mapping is further based on at least one of a hash value, a cookie stored in the network device, and a header value of the first network packet.

16. The tangible computer medium as set forth in claim 13, wherein the identifying comprises allotting a host system memory buffer to the designated DMA channel to temporarily store the first network data packet.

17. The tangible computer medium as set forth in claim 12, wherein network transceiver logic within the network device provides the destination executing application with an indication that the first network data packet has been received.

18. The tangible computer medium as set forth in claim 17, wherein the network transceiver logic receives an acknowledgment signal from the destination executing application responsive to the transmitting of the first network data packet to the destination executing application.

19. The tangible computer medium as set forth in claim 12, wherein the machine executable code which when executed by at least one processor, causes the processor to further perform steps comprising:

receiving, at a network interface controller in the network device, a plurality of segmented bus packets corresponding to a second network data packet from at least one of the destination executing application over a second designated DMA channel;

assembling the segmented bus packets into the second network data packet; and

transmitting the second network data packet to the network via a second port in the network device mapping to the second designated DMA channel.

20. The tangible computer medium as set forth in claim 19, wherein the machine executable code which when executed by at least one processor, causes the processor to further perform steps comprising:

allocating the second designated DMA channel to the second port based on at least one of a hash value, a cookie stored in the network interface controller, and a header information in the assembled second network data packet.

21. The tangible computer medium as set forth in claim 19, wherein the machine executable code which when executed by at least one processor, causes the processor to further perform steps comprising:

updating a memory location stored in the network device to indicate one of the plurality of executing applications is ready to transmit the second network data packet.

22. The tangible computer medium as set forth in claim 21, wherein network transceiver logic in the network device sends an acknowledgment to the one of the plurality of executing applications that the second network data packet has been transmitted to the network.

23. An application delivery controller comprising:

one or more processors;

a memory coupled to the one or more processors by a bus;

a network interface controller coupled to the one or more processors and the memory and configured to be capable of receiving and forwarding data packets from a network that relate to a plurality of applications; and

at least one of the one or more processors configured to execute programmed instructions stored in the memory and the network interface controller with logic configured to implement;

establishing a plurality of direct memory access (DMA) channels across a host system bus over which a plurality of executing applications having respective application drivers communicate with a network through a network device configured to receive and transmit network data packets,

receiving, at a first port in the network device, a first network data packet destined for an executing application,

identifying a first DMA channel over which to transmit the first network data packet towards the destined executing application, and

transmitting the first network data packet to the destination executing application over the designated DMA channel mapping to the first port, wherein the respective application drivers are independent from other application drivers associated with other executing applications in the plurality of executing applications, and wherein the respective application drivers independently manage access to a corresponding DMA channel such that each DMA channel in the plurality of DMA channels is independent of the other DMA channels and has unique independent allotted resources.

24. The application delivery controller of claim 23, wherein the identifying is based on a mapping between the first port and a DMA channel designated for use by the executing application.

25. The application delivery controller of claim 24, wherein the mapping between the first port and the designated DMA channel is stored by the network device.

26. The application delivery controller of claim 24, wherein the mapping is further based on at least one of a hash value, a cookie stored in the network transceiver logic, and a header value of the first network packet.

27. The application delivery controller of claim 24, wherein the identifying comprises allotting a host system memory buffer to the designated DMA channel to temporarily store the first network data packet.

28. The application delivery controller of claim 23, wherein network transceiver logic within the network device provides the destination executing application with an indication that the first network data packet has been received.

29. The application delivery controller of claim 28, wherein the network transceiver logic receives an acknowledgment signal from the destination executing application responsive to the transmitting of the first network data packet to the destination executing application.

30. The application delivery controller of claim 23, wherein the network transceiver logic is further configured to implement:

receiving, at the network interface controller in the network device, a plurality of segmented bus packets corresponding to a second network data packet from at least one of the destination executing application over a second designated DMA channel,

assembling the segmented bus packets into the second network data packet, and

transmitting the second network data packet to the network via a second port in the network device mapping to the second designated DMA channel.

31. The application delivery controller of claim 30, wherein the network transceiver logic is further configured to implement:

allocating the second designated DMA channel to the second port based on at least one of a hash value, a cookie stored in the network interface controller, and a header information in the assembled second network data packet.

32. The application delivery controller of claim 30, wherein the network transceiver logic is further configured to implement:

updating a memory location stored in the network device to indicate one of the plurality of executing applications is ready to transmit the second network data packet.

33. The application delivery controller of claim 32, wherein network transceiver logic in the network device sends an acknowledgment to the one of the plurality of executing applications that the second network data packet has been transmitted to the network.