Network interface supporting of virtual paths for quality of service with dynamic buffer allocation
US7860120B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jul 27, 2001 |
| Grant date | Dec 28, 2010 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | May 21, 2025 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04L49/9005
- WIPO fieldDigital communication
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A plurality of virtual paths in a network interface between a host port and a network port are managed according to respective priorities using dynamic buffer allocation. Thus, multiple levels of quality of service are supported through a single physical network port. Variant processes are applied for handling packets which have been downloaded to a network interface, prior to transmission onto the network. The network interface also includes memory used as a transmit buffer, that stores data packets received from the host computer on the first port, and provides data to the second port for transmission on the network. A control circuit in the network interface manages the memory as a plurality of first-in-first-out FIFO queues having respective priorities. Logic places a packet received from the host processor into one of the plurality of FIFO queues according to a quality of service parameter associated with the packets. Logic transmits the packets in the plurality of FIFO queues according to respective priorities. Logic dynamically allocates the memory using a list of buffer descriptors for corresponding buffers in said memory. The list of buffer descriptors comprises a free buf…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.