Method and system for filtering multicast packets in a peripheral component environment
US6442617B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Mar 31, 1999 |
| Grant date | Aug 27, 2002 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Mar 31, 2019 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG06F13/385
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A method and system for filtering multicast packets by a peripheral component. In one embodiment, the present invention uses a peripheral component driver to store in memory a selected hash values corresponding to desired multicast packets. In one embodiment, the peripheral component driver operates on a host computer to which a peripheral component is coupled. Next, when the peripheral component receives an incoming multicast packet, the present invention uses a hash value generator disposed on the peripheral component to determine a hash value for the received multicast packet. The present embodiment then compares the hash value for the received multicast packet with the selected hash values stored in memory. Provided the hash value for the received multicast packet does not match any of the selected hash values stored in the memory, the present embodiment discards the received multicast packet without interrupting the host computer. In so doing, the present embodiment effectively filters multicast packets without requiring constant intervention by the CPU (central processing unit) of the host computer.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.