Abstract: Systems and methods to share a plurality of virtual network interface controllers (vNICs) amongst a plurality of hosts 104 are described. The described methods are implemented in a network sharing system (NISS) (102) including a programmable vNIC cluster (204) comprising the plurality of vNICs, where a set of vNICs from amongst the plurality of vNICs is dynamically configured to communicate with a host (104-1) from amongst the plurality of hosts (104). Further, the NISS (102) includes a multi-host peripheral component interconnect (PCI) express (PCIe) interface and mapper (MHIP) (202) coupled to the programmable vNIC cluster (204), to receive data packets from the set of vNICs, wherein the set of vNICs comprises one or more vNICs; and provide the data packets from the set of vNICs to the host (104-1) based on demultiplexing of the data packets.

Abstract: Described herein is a system having a multi-host Ethernet controller (102) configured to provide communication and control between two or more independent host processors (104) and a network device. In one implementation, the multi host Ethernet controller (102), having an integrated L2 switch (110) to enable a plurality of independent host systems to access same physical gigabit network port concurrently. Each host processor (104) sees the controller as PCI based independent network controller and accesses the controller using its own mini-port driver. The common programming parameters such as Link Speed or Inter Packet Gap (IPG) are programmed by a virtualization engine. Packets from network (LAN) are switched based on MAC destination address and sent to corresponding host based on MAC destination address. Packets from each host processor (104) are forwarded to network interface or other host processor (104) based on MAC destination address.

Abstract: Systems and methods to share a plurality of virtual network interface controllers (vNICs) amongst a plurality of hosts 104 are described. The described methods are implemented in a network sharing system (NISS) (102) including a programmable vNIC cluster (204) comprising the plurality of vNICs, where a set of vNICs from amongst the plurality of vNICs is dynamically configured to communicate with a host (104-1) from amongst the plurality of hosts (104). Further, the NISS (102) includes a multi-host peripheral component interconnect (PCI) express (PCIe) interface and mapper (MHIP) (202) coupled to the programmable vNIC cluster (204), to receive data packets from the set of vNICs, wherein the set of vNICs comprises one or more vNICs; and provide the data packets from the set of vNICs to the host (104-1) based on demultiplexing of the data packets.

Abstract: Described herein is a system having a multi-host Ethernet controller (102) configured to provide communication and control between two or more independent host processors (104) and a network device. In one implementation, the multi host Ethernet controller (102), having an integrated L2 switch (110) to enable a plurality of independent host systems to access same physical gigabit network port concurrently. Each host processor (104) sees the controller as PCI based independent network controller and accesses the controller using its own mini-port driver. The common programming parameters such as Link Speed or Inter Packet Gap (IPG) are programmed by a virtualization engine. Packets from network (LAN) are switched based on MAC destination address and sent to corresponding host based on MAC destination address. Packets from each host processor (104) are forwarded to network interface or other host processor (104) based on MAC destination address.