Abstract: A method for processing network data includes collecting by a network interface controller (NIC), a plurality of transmit (TX) buffer indicators into a plurality of priority lists of connections. Each of the plurality of TX buffer indicators identifies transmit-ready data located externally to the NIC and not previously received by the NIC. One or more of the plurality of TX buffer indicators may be selected. The identified transmit-ready data may be retrieved into the NIC based on the selected one or more of the plurality of TX buffer indicators. At least a portion of the identified transmit-ready data may be transmitted. Each of the plurality of priority lists may be generated based on a particular connection priority characteristic and a particular connection type. The identified transmit-ready data may be associated with the same connection priority characteristic and the same connection type.

Abstract: A network device may provide Layer-2 (L2) based tunneling to offload at least a portion of tunneling performed by tunneling gateways. The L2 based tunneling provided by the network device may comprise determining one or more other network devices that may receive traffic packets which may be handled by the tunneling gateways; and communicating at least a portion of the traffic packets to the one or more other network devices directly from the network device, using L2 tunnels established via the network device such that communication of the at least a portion of the one or more traffic packets offloads tunneling by bypassing the one or more tunneling gateways. At least a portion of the L2 based tunnel offloading by the network device may be handled via a network controller. Providing the offloaded tunneling in the network device may be based on determined of traffic type of the traffic packets.

Abstract: Systems and methods that manage multiple stack environments are provided. In one example, a system may include, for example, a first protocol processing stack, a second protocol processing stack and a mapper. The mapper may be coupled to the first protocol processing stack and to the second protocol processing stack. A first port number may be associated with the first protocol processing stack and a second port number may be associated with the second protocol processing stack. The mapper may store a correspondence between the first port number and the second port number.

Abstract: Certain embodiments of the invention may be found in a method and system for multi-layer network interface controller (NIC) operation. An aspect of the invention may utilize a two (2) level work-conserving scheduling system for network interface controller operation and may comprise tracking for all L4/L5 offload connections with active transmit requirements as well as layer 2 (L2) level transmit requirements. The first level may comprise a round-robin scheme that may be utilized to select the next high priority, normal priority, and layer 2 (L2) transmit requirement independently. The send level arbitration may comprise a work-conserving programmable weighted round-robin priority scheme that may be utilized to select amongst the transmit tasks selected by the first level priority scheme.

Abstract: Certain embodiments of the invention may be found in a method and system for performing SCSI read operations with a CRC via a TCP offload engine. Aspects of the method may comprise receiving an iSCSI read command from an initiator. Data may be fetched from a buffer based on the received iSCSI read command. The fetched data may be zero copied from the buffer to the initiator and a TCP sequence may be retransmitted to the initiator. A digest value may be calculated, which may be communicated to the initiator. An accumulated digest value stored in a temporary buffer may be utilized to calculate a final digest value, if the buffer is posted. The retransmitted TCP sequence may be processed and the fetched data may be zero copied into an iSCSI buffer, if the buffer is posted. The calculated final digest value may be communicated to the initiator.

Abstract: Certain aspects of a method and system for supporting hardware acceleration for iSCSI read and write operations via a TCP offload engine may comprise pre-registering at least one buffer with hardware. An iSCSI command may be received from an initiator. An initiator test tag value, a data sequence value and/or a buffer offset value of an iSCSI buffer may be compared with the pre-registered buffer. Data may be fetched from the pre-registered buffer based on comparing the initiator test tag value, the data sequence value and/or the buffer offset value of the iSCSI buffer with the pre-registered buffer. The fetched data may be zero copied from the pre-registered buffer to the initiator.

Abstract: A method and system for handling received out-of-order network data using generic buffers for non-posting TCP applications is disclosed. When incoming out-of-order data is received and there is no application buffer posted, a TCP data placement may notify a TCP reassembler to terminate a current generic buffer, allocate a new current generic buffer, and DMA the incoming data into the new current generic buffer. The TCP data placement may notify the TCP reassembler the starting TCP sequence number and the length of the new current generic buffer. Moreover, the TCP data placement may add entries into a TCP out-of-order table when the incoming data creates a new disjoint area. The TCP data placement may adjust an existing disjoint area to reflect any updates. When a TCP application allocates or posts a buffer, then the TCP reassembler may copy data from a linked list of generic buffers into posted buffers.

Abstract: Certain aspects of a method and system for supporting hardware acceleration for iSCSI read and write operations via a TCP offload engine may comprise pre-registering at least one buffer with hardware. An iSCSI command may be received from an initiator. An initiator test tag value, a data sequence value and/or a buffer offset value of an iSCSI buffer may be compared with the pre-registered buffer. Data may be fetched from the pre-registered buffer based on comparing the initiator test tag value, the data sequence value and/or the buffer offset value of the iSCSI buffer with the pre-registered buffer. The fetched data may be zero copied from the pre-registered buffer to the initiator.

Abstract: Systems and methods that provide fault tolerant transmission control protocol (TCP) offloading are provided. In one example, a method that provides fault tolerant TCP offloading is provided. The method may include one or more of the following steps: receiving TCP segment via a TCP offload engine (TOE); calculating a TCP sequence number; writing a receive sequence record based upon at least the calculated TCP sequence number to a TCP sequence update queue in a host; and updating a first host variable with a value from the written receive sequence record.

Abstract: A method and system for providing pooling or dynamic allocation of connection context data may comprise receiving data associated with a first network protocol and receiving data associated with a second network protocol. A single shared context memory may be utilized for processing at least some of the data associated with the first network protocol and at least some of the data associated with the second network protocol. At least a portion of the received data associated with the first and/or second network protocols may be offloaded for processing in the single context memory. The received data associated with a first and/or second network protocols may comprise traffic data and control data. Portions of the shared single context memory may be dynamically allocated and/or reallocated for processing received data associated with the first and second network protocols.

Abstract: Certain aspects of a method for iSCSI boot may include loading boot BIOS code from a host bus adapter or a network interface controller (NIC) by an iSCSI client device. A connection may be established to an iSCSI target by the iSCSI client device after loading the boot BIOS code. The boot BIOS code may be chained to at least one interrupt handler over iSCSI protocol. An operating system may be remotely booted from the iSCSI target by the iSCSI client device based on chaining the interrupt handler. An Internet protocol (IP) address and/or location of the iSCSI target may be received. At least one iSCSI connection may be initiated to the iSCSI target based on chaining at least one interrupt handler. The iSCSI target may be booted in real mode if at least one master boot record is located in the memory.

Abstract: A network interface device includes a bus interface that communicates over a bus with a host processor and memory, and a network interface, including at least first and second physical ports, which are coupled to send and receive data packets carrying data over a packet network. A protocol processor includes a single transmit processing pipeline and a single receive processing pipeline, which are coupled between the bus interface and the network interface so as to convey the data between both of the first and second physical ports of the network interface and the memory via the bus interface while performing protocol offload processing on the data packets.

Abstract: Systems and methods that provide fault tolerant transmission control protocol (TCP) offloading are provided. In one example, a method that provides fault tolerant TCP offloading is provided. The method may include one or more of the following steps: receiving TCP segment via a TCP offload engine (TOE); calculating a TCP sequence number; writing a receive sequence record based upon at least the calculated TCP sequence number to a TCP sequence update queue in a host; and updating a first host variable with a value from the written receive sequence record.

Abstract: Certain aspects of a method for iSCSI boot may include loading boot BIOS code from a host bus adapter or a network interface controller (NIC) by an iSCSI client device. A connection may be established to an iSCSI target by the iSCSI client device after loading the boot BIOS code. The boot BIOS code may be chained to at least one interrupt handler over iSCSI protocol. An operating system may be remotely booted from the iSCSI target by the iSCSI client device based on chaining the interrupt handler. An Internet protocol (IP) address and/or location of the iSCSI target may be received. At least one iSCSI connection may be initiated to the iSCSI target based on chaining at least one interrupt handler. The iSCSI target may be booted in real mode if at least one master boot record is located in the memory.

Abstract: Systems and methods that provide fault tolerant transmission control protocol (TCP) offloading are provided. In one example, a method that provides fault tolerant TCP offloading is provided. The method may include one or more of the following steps: receiving TCP segment via a TCP offload engine (TOE); calculating a TCP sequence number; writing a receive sequence record based upon at least the calculated TCP sequence number to a TCP sequence update queue in a host; and updating a first host variable with a value from the written receive sequence record.

Abstract: A method and system for handling received out-of-order network data using generic buffers for non-posting TCP applications is disclosed. When incoming out-of-order data is received and there is no application buffer posted, a TCP data placement may notify a TCP reassembler to terminate a current generic buffer, allocate a new current generic buffer, and DMA the incoming data into the new current generic buffer. The TCP data placement may notify the TCP reassembler the starting TCP sequence number and the length of the new current generic buffer. Moreover, the TCP data placement may add entries into a TCP out-of-order table when the incoming data creates a new disjoint area. The TCP data placement may adjust an existing disjoint area to reflect any updates. When a TCP application allocates or posts a buffer, then the TCP reassembler may copy data from a linked list of generic buffers into posted buffers.

Abstract: Systems and methods that manage multiple stack environments are provided. In one example, a system may include, for example, a first protocol processing stack, a second protocol processing stack and a mapper. The mapper may be coupled to the first protocol processing stack and to the second protocol processing stack. A first port number may be associated with the first protocol processing stack and a second port number may be associated with the second protocol processing stack. The mapper may store a correspondence between the first port number and the second port number.

Abstract: Provided is a system and method for performing smart offloads between computer applications module and a network interfacing device within a data communications system. The method includes receiving data requests from the computer applications module and determining whether the received data requests require offloading. The received requests are forwarded along a first data path to the network interfacing device if offloading is required. If offloading is not required, the received data requests are forwarded along a secondary data path to a host protocol stack for processing. Next, the protocol processing is performed and the processed data requests are forwarded to the network interfacing device.

Abstract: Systems and methods that manage multiple stack environments are provided. In one example, a system may include, for example, a first protocol processing stack, a second protocol processing stack and a mapper. The mapper may be coupled to the first protocol processing stack and to the second protocol processing stack. A first port number may be associated with the first protocol processing stack and a second port number may be associated with the second protocol processing stack. The mapper may store a correspondence between the first port number and the second port number.

Abstract: Provided is a system and method for performing smart offloads between computer applications module and a network interfacing device within a data communications system. The method includes receiving data requests from the computer applications module and determining whether the received data requests require offloading. The received requests are forwarded along a first data path to the network interfacing device if offloading is required. If offloading is not required, the received data requests are forwarded along a secondary data path to a host protocol stack for processing. Next, the protocol processing is performed and the processed data requests are forwarded to the network interfacing device.