Shared network-interface controller (NIC) using advanced switching (AS) turn-pool routing field to select from among multiple contexts for multiple processors
US7464174B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Mar 7, 2005 |
| Grant date | Dec 9, 2008 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jun 12, 2027 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04L49/35
- WIPO fieldDigital communication
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A network connection is transparently shared among two or more processors. A shared network interface controller (NIC) has two or more sets of context registers that may include Ethernet command and pointer registers. Each set of context registers is accessed by a different processor. The processors are separated from the shared NIC by an Advanced Switching (AS) network. AS packets to write the context registers are embedded in AS packets that contain turnpool information that specifies a route through the AS network. Turnpools for AS packets from the different processors are unique and used to indicate which set of context registers to access. Each turnpool-identified context is assigned a different external network (Ethernet) address. External packets received by the shared NIC from the external network are sent inside AS packets over the AS network to the correct processor by associating the packet's external network address with a turnpool-context.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.