Shared virtual network interface
US7912082B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jun 9, 2008 |
| Grant date | Mar 22, 2011 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Feb 25, 2029 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04L49/90
- WIPO fieldDigital communication
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A system includes one or more processing units coupled to a network interface unit. The network interface unit may include a network port for connection to a network and a virtual interface that may be configured to distribute an available communication bandwidth of the network port between the one or more processing units. The network port may include a shared media access control (MAC) unit. The virtual interface may include a plurality of processing unit resources each associated with a respective one of the one or more processing units. Each of the processing unit resources may include an I/O interface unit coupled to a respective one of the one or more processing units via an I/O interconnect, and an independent programmable virtual MAC unit that is programmably configured by the respective one of the one or more processing units. The virtual interface may also include a receive datapath and a transmit datapath that are coupled between and shared by the plurality of processing unit resources and the network port.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.