Abstract: Encrypted data packets are received by a network interface card. The network interface card, upon determining that the received data packets are encrypted, directs the encrypted data packets to decryption hardware in the network interface card. The decryption hardware decrypts the encrypted data packets and forwards the decrypted data packets to a hardware classifier that classifies the decrypted data packets and directs the classified decrypted data packets to the appropriate receive resource(s) of the network interface card.

Abstract: A computer readable medium including instructions executable by a processor to perform a method, the method including obtaining a packet by a load balancer, obtaining queued packet information for a plurality of target hosts operatively connected to the load balancer, selecting the one of the plurality of target hosts using the queued packet information, and sending the packet to the selected target host using a first communication channel between the load balancer and the selected target host.

Abstract: A system includes a physical NIC associated with the computer and including receive rings for storing network traffic addressed to the VNIC, where the receive rings include a local receive ring for storing local traffic and a forwarding receive ring for storing forwarding traffic. The physical NIC further includes a hardware classifier configured to register a local Internet Protocol (IP) address associated with the VNIC in a lookup table, receive a packet including a destination IP address, classify the packet as local traffic or forwarding traffic using the lookup table, and store the packet in the local receive ring or the forwarding receive ring based on the type. The VNIC is configured to retrieve the packet from the receive ring, and process the packet in a type-specific manner based on the receive ring where the packet was stored, where the type-specific manner is different for local traffic and forwarding traffic.

Abstract: Incoming network data is processed according to a current hardware classification “engine” configuration. As data is propagated from a network interface to a host system, an activity of one or more components of the host system is monitored. If it is determined that a desired/optimal resource utilization of the host system and/or a desired/optimal network performance is not being achieved, the hardware classification “engine” configuration is dynamically modified.

Abstract: A computing system is configured to receive incoming packets at a first priority designated for use when receiving packets that are not associated with specific subscription levels. Incoming packets are examined to determine whether they are associated with a particular subscription level. Responsive to a determination that a given packet received over a particular connection is associated with a particular subscription level, the computing system is reconfigured to process packets subsequently received over the same connection at a different priority associated with the particular subscription level.

Abstract: In general, the invention relates to a method for transferring a packet. The method includes receiving the packet by a physical network interface, determining a virtual network interface card (VNIC) using a virtual switching table, where the VNIC is located on a computer operatively connected to the network express manager (NEM) via a chassis interconnect, and the VNIC is executing on a host operating system (OS) in the computer. The method further includes transferring the packet to a receive ring (RR) associated with the VNIC, wherein the RR is located on the NEM, providing the network express manager with a receive descriptor, transferring the packet to the guest OS memory using the receive descriptor, and notifying the guest OS that the packet is in the guest OS memory.

Abstract: A method for media-based data transfer involves obtaining data, by a first virtual network interface card (VNIC) selected from multiple VNICs, where the multiple VNICs are associated with multiple virtual machines, where each of the multiple virtual machines is located in one of multiple computers communicatively coupled with each other via a chassis interconnect, and where the multiple computers share a physical network interface. The method further involves determining a media type connecting the first VNIC with a second VNIC selected from the multiple VNICs, where the first VNIC and the second VNIC are nodes of a virtual network path, where the first VNIC is located in a first computer selected from the multiple computers, and where the second VNIC is located in a second computer selected from the multiple computers. The method further involves choosing a transfer protocol based on the media type, and transferring the data from the first VNIC to the second VNIC using the transfer protocol.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for processing a packet. The method includes receiving the packet by a physical network interface, determining a target virtual network interface card (VNIC) using the destination address and a virtual switching table (VST), transferring the packet to a receive ring (RR) associated with the target VNIC, wherein the RR is located on the NEM, determining, by the target VNIC, that the packet is in the RR, determining, by the target VNIC, that the packet is to be processed using an offload engine, transferring the packet to offload memory located on an offload computer, wherein the offload computer is operatively connected to the NEM via the chassis interconnect and wherein the offload engine is executing on the offload computer, processing the packet by the offload engine to obtain a processed packet, and transferring the processed packet to a target computer memory using the chassis interconnect.

Abstract: In general in one aspect, the invention relates to a method for reconfiguring a virtual network path. The method includes populating a virtual switching table associated with virtual network interface cards (VNICs), implementing the virtual network path using the virtual switching table, where the virtual network path includes a first virtual wire between a first VNIC located in a first computer and a second VNIC located in a second computer, placing a first network packet and a second network packet in a receive buffer associated with the second VNIC, transmitting the first network packet to the second VNIC using the virtual switching table, migrating the second VNIC from the second computer to a third computer, updating the virtual switching table based on migrating the second VNIC, and transmitting the second network packet to the second VNIC in the third computer using the virtual switching table.

Abstract: In general, the invention relates to a method for monitoring virtual wires. The method includes selecting a first virtual wire to monitor, wherein the first virtual wire connects a first virtual network interface card (VNIC) located on a first computer to a second VNIC located on a second computer, where the first computer and the second computer are connected to a chassis, and where the first virtual wire is implemented by the chassis. The method further includes collecting usage statistics associated with the first virtual wire, and performing a first action using the collected usage statistics associated with the first virtual wire.

Abstract: A system for processing a packet, including a network interface card (NIC), including a plurality of hardware receive rings, a classifier configured to classify the packet and send the packet to one of the plurality of hardware receive rings, and a host, operatively connected to the NIC, including a virtual network stack including a virtual serialization queue, a virtual network interface card (VNIC) associated with the virtual serialization queue, a device driver associated with the VNIC and configured to store a function pointer and a token associated with one of the plurality of hardware receive rings, where the VNIC is configured to perform at least one selected from a group consisting of enabling bypass mode and disabling bypass mode by changing the function pointer stored in the device driver, where the function pointer is used to send the packet to the virtual serialization queue if the bypass mode is enabled.

Abstract: A method for processing a plurality of packets that includes receiving the plurality of packets from a network, analyzing each of the plurality of packets by a classifier to determine to which of a plurality of temporary data structures each of the plurality of packet is to be forwarded, forwarding each of the plurality of packets to one of the plurality of temporary data structures as determined by the classifier, forwarding a plurality of packets from the one of the plurality of temporary data structures to a virtual serialization queue associated with the one of the plurality of temporary data structures, wherein the virtual serialization queue is bound to a thread having a processing priority, and processing the plurality of packets on the virtual serialization queue using at least one processor bound to the virtual serialization queue and the processing priority.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for controlling bandwidth. The method includes receiving a plurality of packets from a network, analyzing each of the plurality of packets by a classifier to determine to which of a plurality of temporary data structures each of the plurality of packet is forwarded, forwarding each of the plurality of packets to one of the plurality of temporary data structures as determined by the classifier, if a virtual serialization queue is operating in polling mode: requesting a number of packets from the one of the plurality of temporary data structures by the virtual serialization queue, wherein the virtual serialization queue is associated with one of the plurality of temporary data structures, and forwarding the number of packets to the virtual serialization queue.

Abstract: A method for processing a chain of packets involving obtaining the chain of packets from a network, obtaining destination information from a first packet in the chain of packets, determining whether destination information of the first packet matches destination information of a second packet in the chain of packets, aggregating the first packet and the second packet to obtain an aggregated chain of packets, if destination information of the second packet matches the destination information of the first packet, hashing destination information to obtain a hash value, and forwarding the aggregated chain of packets to at least one client using the hash value.

Abstract: In general, the invention relates to a method for routing a packet. The method includes receiving the packet in a network interface card (NIC), classifying the packet, placing the packet in a receive ring of the NIC, sending the packet to a virtual NIC associated with the receive ring, sending the packet to a first container associated with the virtual NIC, and routing the packet to a packet destination using the first container.

Abstract: A method for performing a cryptographic function including calling into an encryption framework to perform the cryptographic function, wherein calling into the encryption framework comprises sending a request to perform the cryptographic function from a kernel consumer, and processing the request and returning the result to the kernel consumer, wherein processing the request comprises determining whether the request is synchronous or asynchronous, and determining which cryptographic provider to use to perform the cryptographic function.

Abstract: A method is disclosed that includes assigning a portion of network hardware resources of a host to a virtual network interface card (VNIC), and configuring a virtual machine network stack (VMNS) in a virtual machine (VM) bound to the VNIC to use the portion of network hardware resources assigned to the VNIC. The method also includes performing a modification to the portion of network hardware resources, and automatically reconfiguring the VMNS to adapt to the modification.

Abstract: A method for configuring a packet destination, that includes creating the packet destination on a host, obtaining a network configuration for the packet destination, determining whether the host comprises a virtual network stack, where the virtual network stack includes the network configuration, and assigning the packet destination to the virtual network stack.

Abstract: A method for changing network configuration parameters that includes generating a request to change a network configuration parameter, where the request is generated by a virtual machine, sending the request to a virtual network interface card (VNIC) associated with the virtual machine, sending the request to a VNIC configuration database associated with the VNIC, determining whether the virtual machine is allowed to change the network configuration parameter, if the virtual machine is allowed to change the network configuration parameter, updating the VNIC configuration database and VNIC to reflect the change in the network configuration parameter, and notifying the virtual machine that the change in network configuration parameter is allowed, and if the virtual machine is not allowed to change the network configuration parameter, dropping the request.

Abstract: A method for processing packets that includes receiving a first packet for a first virtual machine by a network interface card (NIC), classifying the first packet using a hardware classifier, where the hardware classifier is located on the NIC, sending the first packet to a first one of a plurality of receive rings based on the classification, sending the first packet from the first one of the plurality of receive rings to a first virtual network interface card (VNIC), sending the first packet from the first VNIC to a first interface, and sending the first packet from the first interface to the first virtual machine, where the first virtual machine is associated with the first interface, where the first VNIC and the first virtual machine are executing on a host.