Method and apparatus for dynamic packet batching with a high performance network interface
US6483804B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Mar 1, 1999 |
| Grant date | Nov 19, 2002 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Mar 1, 2019 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04L69/22
- WIPO fieldDigital communication
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A system and method are provided for identifying related packets in a communication flow for the purpose of collectively processing them through a protocol stack comprising one or more protocols under which the packets were transmitted. A packet received at a network interface is parsed to retrieve information from one or more protocol headers. A flow key is generated to identify a communication flow that includes the packet, and is stored in a database of flow keys. When the packet is placed in a queue to be transferred to a host computer, the flow key and/or its flow number (e.g., its index into the database) is stored in a separate queue. Near to the time at which the packet is transferred to the host computer, a dynamic packet batching module searches for a packet that is related to the packet being transferred (i.e., is in the same flow) but which will be transferred later in time. If a related packet is located, the host computer is alerted and, as a result, delays processing the transferred packet until the related packet is also received. By collectively processing the related packets, processor time is more efficiently utilized.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.