Abstract: The described embodiments include a system that configures a network interface. During operation, the system receives a signal from an operating system indicating that the network interface can be idled. The signal is sent from the operating system as soon as the operating system determines that a final route structure that depended on the network interface has expired and been deleted. The system then determines if an application has established a route that uses the network interface since the signal was sent from the operating system. If not, the system causes the network interface to be idled. Otherwise, the system leaves the network interface in a current operating state.

Abstract: The described embodiments provide a system that controls the operating state of a network interface. During operation, in response to receiving a request from an application to use the network interface for a route, the system creates a route structure for the route and increments a route reference counter in an interface data structure for the network interface. Upon subsequently determining that the application is no longer using the route, the system sets a route expiration timer in the route structure to a predetermined expiration time. When the route expiration timer expires, the system deletes the route structure and decrements the route reference counter in the interface data structure. When decrementing the route reference counter in the interface data structure causes the route reference counter to be equal to zero, the system sends a signal to a configuration application to inform the application that the network interface can be idled.

Abstract: A method is described that entails assigning a source network address to an outbound packet, associating the outbound packet with a network service and identifying a first network interface associated with the network service. The method further entails inquiring into and confirming that the first network interface is associated with the source network address. The method further entails constructing a search key from an identifier of the first network interface and the outbound packet's destination address. The method further entails submitting the search key to a routing function, the routing function providing the outbound packet's next hop address. The method further entails transmitting the outbound packet to a node identified by the next hop address from the network interface.

Abstract: An improved tethering system is described in which a handheld device can be used by a user to reach the same network that the handheld device also provides access to for a tethering machine. Specifically, as described herein, a handheld device provides a tethering machine with access to a remote network (e.g., the Internet) through a wireless network that the handheld device is communicatively coupled to. Not only is the handheld device able to support multiple data flows between the tethering machine and the remote network, but also, the handheld device is capable of being used by a user to “surf” or otherwise access the same remote network that the handheld device provides the tethering machine with access to. For example, if the remote network is the Internet and the handheld device is a “smart phone”, a user who is holding the smart phone can access the Internet concurrently with one or more applications on the tethering machine that are also access the Internet.

Abstract: A method for receiving network communication at a host is provided. The host has a network interface card (NIC) for receiving the network communication from a network. Data is requested through an application. A set of buffers (e.g., A, B, C, . . . ) is posted to system memory. Information regarding the set of buffers is passed to an adaptation layer. The adaptation layer is interposed between a socket layer and a transport layer of the protocol stack. The set of buffers identified in the adaptation layer is assigned expected sequence numbers (e.g., SN1, SN2, SN3 . . . ) for a sequence of incoming data (e.g., S1, S2, S3, . . . ). The adaptation layer reshuffles data of the sequence of incoming data to the set of buffers according to the expected sequence numbers. The expected sequence numbers are consecutively ordered to ensure that the sequence of incoming data in the ordered sequence is placed to the set of buffers according to the expected sequence numbers.

Abstract: A system for socket-level packet scheduling over connectionless network protocols includes a processor and a memory coupled to the processor. The memory contains program instructions executable by the processor to implement an operating system including a packet scheduler for scheduling data transmissions via a connectionless network protocol. In response to a request from an application specifying one or more desired performance metrics for a data transfer via the connectionless network protocol, the packet scheduler is configured to schedule the data transfer in accordance with the one or more desired performance metrics.

Abstract: A routing table lookup algorithm is described that, for a first outbound packet, performs a first route lookup into the routing table with a first search key that includes the first packet's destination address and a first network interface identifier, and, for a second outbound packet, performs a second route lookup into the routing table with a second search key that includes the second outbound packet's destination address but does not include any network interface identifier.

Abstract: A method is described that entails assigning a source network address to an outbound packet, associating the outbound packet with a network service and identifying a first network interface associated with the network service. The method further entails inquiring into and confirming that the first network interface is associated with the source network address. The method further entails constructing a search key from an identifier of the first network interface and the outbound packet's destination address. The method further entails submitting the search key to a routing function, the routing function providing the outbound packet's next hop address. The method further entails transmitting the outbound packet to a node identified by the next hop address from the network interface.

Abstract: A method is described that involves associating an outbound packet with a first network interface and constructing a search key from an identifier of the first network interface and the outbound packet's destination address. The method further entails submitting the search key to a routing function where the routing function identifies the outbound packet's next hop address. The method also involves transmitting the outbound packet to a node identified by the next hop address from the first network interface.

Abstract: A method is described that involves, in view of a first default entry for a first subnet that is reachable through a first network service, where the first default entry has a numeric destination value, and in view of a second default entry for a second subnet that is reachable through a second network service, wherein the second default entry has the numeric destination value, sorting the first and second default entries by deciding that the first network service is ranked higher than the second network service. The method further involves configuring the first default entry within a routing table to have the numeric destination and not an interface component within the first default entry's search term, and, configuring the second default entry within the routing table to have the numeric destination and the second network service's interface component within the second default entry's search term.

Abstract: A multidata framework is provided to allow multiple payload buffers to be associated with a single multidata message. In the multidata framework of the present invention, a number of payload buffers are associated with the multidata following allocation of the multidata header buffer. The number of payload buffers can reside at disjoint virtual address locations in memory. Each payload buffer is assigned an index for identification purposes. A number of packets are defined to represent the multidata message. Each packet includes a header portion and a payload portion. The payload portion is defined as a set of payload spans. Each payload span is mapped to the payload portion of the appropriate packet by an appropriate payload buffer index and address range in the appropriate payload buffer. Thus, a packet's payload portion can include payload spans that are located at disjoint virtual address location in memory.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention are directed to a method and system for processing data to be transmitted in a transmission medium, including storing in memory a segment of data to be transmitted where the segment of data is larger than the largest size data packet allowed for transmission by the transmission medium. A socket layer batch processes the segment to produce an array of linked data blocks where each data block is smaller than the largest transmission size of the TCP layer. A TCP layer batch processes the array to add a first header to each block of the array of linked data blocks. An IP layer batch processes the array to add a second header to each block of the array of linked data blocks. The socket layer then identifies blocks of the array to a communication subsystem for individual packet communication over the transmission medium.

Abstract: Methods and systems consistent with the present invention provide a mechanism for accepting extended amounts of data in a layered network protocol. The methods and systems thus allow the network protocol to more efficiently receive data and forward the data to the correct entity. As a result, the programs experience greater network data throughput. The methods and systems may be implemented in widely accepted Internet Protocol (IP) and Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) networks.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention are directed to a method and system for processing data to be transmitted in a transmission medium, including storing in memory a segment of data to be transmitted where the segment of data is larger than the largest size data packet allowed for transmission by the transmission medium. A socket layer batch processes the segment to produce an array of linked data blocks where each data block is smaller than the largest transmission size of the TCP layer. A TCP layer batch processes the array to add a first header to each block of the array of linked data blocks. An IP layer batch processes the array to add a second header to each block of the array of linked data blocks. The socket layer then identifies blocks of the array to a communication subsystem for individual packet communication over the transmission medium.

Abstract: Methods and systems consistent with the present invention provide a mechanism for accepting extended amounts of data in a layered network protocol. The methods and systems thus allow the network protocol to more efficiently receive data and forward the data to the correct entity. As a result, the programs experience greater network data throughput. The methods and systems may be implemented in widely accepted Internet Protocol (IP) and Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) networks.