Abstract: A hash engine in a network device driver maintains data on the utilization and error rate for each network interface card (“NIC”) within a local computing device. From this data, the hash engine intelligently selects transmit NICs and receive NICs based on various networking parameters provided from a software driver program. Transmit packets sent from the operating system in a local computing device to a remote computing device are intercepted, modified and redirected to transmit NICs selected by the hash engine for transmission to remote computing devices. Similarly, address resolution protocol (“ARP”) response packets sent by the operating system in response to ARP request packets are intercepted, modified and redirected to receive NICs selected by the hash engine for transmission.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for transmitting commands between a TCP stack and an offload unit and for communicating receive and transmit data buffer locations is described. A command ring buffer stored in system memory is used to transmit commands from the TCP stack to the offload unit and to transmit command status from the offload unit to the TCP stack. A notification ring buffer is used to transmit connection information from the offload unit to the TCP stack. Other ring buffers are used to transmit locations of transmit buffers or receive buffers stored in system memory from the TCP stack to the offload unit.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for packet processing by re-insertion into network interface circuitry. A method for handling a burst of packets sent to network interface circuitry includes checking for a connection table entry for received packets, and responsive to non-existence of the connection table entry for the received packets, sending the packets to network interface software for processing. The network interface software processing includes: building the connection table entry; processing the packets; and sending the packets as processed to the network interface circuitry. Additionally, a method for re-inserting a packet responsive to an active audit mode is described.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for network protocol filtering of a packet is described. An index to a table is obtained and stored to travel with the packet. The index is obtainable to access the table to obtain packet information. In particular, a method for inbound network address translation packet filtering and a method for outbound packet filtering are described.

Abstract: A method and system for supporting Wake-on-LAN (WOL) in a team of network interface cards (NICs) in a computing device is disclosed. One embodiment of the present invention sets forth a method, which includes the steps of programming each of the NICs on the team with a team Media Access Control (MAC) address after having backed up the NIC MAC addresses of the NICs but before the computing device enters a low power state, and causing modification of address resolution protocol (ARP) caches associated with a plurality of client devices coupled to the team of NICs to use the team MAC address.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for reducing a contention window range of a client device located in a wireless network is described. In one embodiment, network conditions present in the wireless network are monitored. The network conditions are subsequently utilized to determine if the wireless network is small or if traffic in the wireless network is low. Afterwards, the contention window range of the client device is reduced if either of the wireless network is small or if the traffic in the wireless network is low.

Abstract: A hash engine in a network device driver maintains data on the utilization and error rate for each network interface card (“NIC”) within a local computing device. From this data, the hash engine intelligently selects transmit NICs and receive NICs based on various networking parameters provided from a software driver program. Transmit packets sent from the operating system in a local computing device to a remote computing device are intercepted, modified and redirected to transmit NICs selected by the hash engine for transmission to remote computing devices. Similarly, address resolution protocol (“ARP”) response packets sent by the operating system in response to ARP request packets are intercepted, modified and redirected to receive NICs selected by the hash engine for transmission.

Abstract: A hash table in the network device driver maintains data on the traffic characteristics for each network interface (“NIC”) within a computing device. If one of the NICs in the computing device becomes unreliable, the cost function in the hash engine allows the software driver to initiate network traffic redistribution among the remaining reliable NICs in the computing device. Using this hash engine, the software driver is able to intelligently redirect each of the network connections on an unreliable NIC to a reliable NIC within the computing device, in a way that optimizes the distribution of network traffic across the remaining reliable NICs. Alternatively, if a connection is moved from an old NIC to a new NIC, the software driver can detect the moved connection and offload the moved connection to a hardware offload engine on the new NIC.

Abstract: A hash table in the network device driver maintains data on the traffic characteristics for each network interface (“NIC”) within a computing device. If one of the NICs in the computing device becomes unreliable, the cost function in the hash engine allows the software driver to initiate network traffic redistribution among the remaining reliable NICs in the computing device. Using this hash engine, the software driver is able to intelligently redirect each of the network connections on an unreliable NIC to a reliable NIC within the computing device, in a way that optimizes the distribution of network traffic across the remaining reliable NICs. Alternatively, if a connection is moved from an old NIC to a new NIC, the software driver can detect the moved connection and offload the moved connection to a hardware offload engine on the new NIC.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for packet processing by re-insertion into network interface circuitry. A method for handling a burst of packets sent to network interface circuitry includes checking for a connection table entry for received packets, and responsive to non-existence of the connection table entry for the received packets, sending the packets to network interface software for processing. The network interface software processing includes: building the connection table entry; processing the packets; and sending the packets as processed to the network interface circuitry. Additionally, a method for re-inserting a packet responsive to an active audit mode is described.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for processing data received and transmitted on a TCP connection is described. An offload unit processes received data for which a special case does not exist, to produce payload data, which is uploaded directly to application memory. The offload unit partially processes received data for which a special case does exist and uploads the partially processed received data to a buffer stored in system memory. The partially processed received data is then further processed by a TCP stack to produce payload data, which is copied to application memory.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for storing and accessing connection information is described. A delegated connection table stores an entry for each connection delegated by a TCP stack for processing by an offload unit. A portion of the delegated connection table storing receive buffer information is accessed by the TCP stack without disrupting receive or transmit traffic. The offload unit offloads some TCP processing from a host processor and processes data received on connections not stored in the delegated connection table while accepting incoming data.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention is a method for identifying a faulty NIC in a team of NICs using a minimum number of packets transmitted in a round-robin scheme. Relative to prior art schemes, the disclosed method advantageously reduces the number of keep-alive packets necessary to monitor the NICs within a team and, to the extent there is a failure, enables the faulty NIC to be identified.

Abstract: A firewall identifies unsolicited messages having an address resolution for a network protocol address different than cached address resolution information. The accuracy of the unsolicited messages is checked by requesting network elements to report address resolution information for the network protocol address.

Abstract: A hash engine in a network device driver maintains data on the utilization and error rate for each network interface card (“NIC”) within a local computing device. From this data, the hash engine intelligently selects transmit NICs and receive NICs based on various networking parameters provided from a software driver program. Transmit packets sent from the operating system in a local computing device to a remote computing device are intercepted, modified and redirected to transmit NICs selected by the hash engine for transmission to remote computing devices. Similarly, address resolution protocol (“ARP”) response packets sent by the operating system in response to ARP request packets are intercepted, modified and redirected to receive NICs selected by the hash engine for transmission.

Abstract: A hash engine in a network device driver maintains data on the utilization and error rate for each network interface card (“NIC”) within a local computing device. From this data, the hash engine intelligently selects transmit NICs and receive NICs based on various networking parameters provided from a software driver program. Transmit packets sent from the operating system in a local computing device to a remote computing device are intercepted, modified and redirected to transmit NICs selected by the hash engine for transmission to remote computing devices. Similarly, address resolution protocol (“ARP”) response packets sent by the operating system in response to ARP request packets are intercepted, modified and redirected to receive NICs selected by the hash engine for transmission.

Abstract: A hash engine in a network device driver maintains data on the utilization and error rate for each network interface card (“NIC”) within a local computing device. From this data, the hash engine intelligently selects transmit NICs and receive NICs based on various networking parameters provided from a software driver program. Transmit packets sent from the operating system in a local computing device to a remote computing device are intercepted, modified and redirected to transmit NICs selected by the hash engine for transmission to remote computing devices. Similarly, address resolution protocol (“ARP”) response packets sent by the operating system in response to ARP request packets are intercepted, modified and redirected to receive NICs selected by the hash engine for transmission.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention sets forth a method for failing back network connections to a network interface card (NIC) within a computing device. The method includes the steps of monitoring a failed or unreliable NIC within the computing device, determining that the failed or unreliable NIC has recovered, determining that a functional NIC within the computing device is overloaded, selecting a first connection set communicating through the overloaded NIC, and transferring the first connection set to the recovered NIC. With this approach, intelligent decisions can be advantageously made regarding whether to fail back a network connection set to a recovered NIC based on the traffic loads on the overloaded NIC and the recovered NIC. Such an approach to balancing network traffic across the functional NICs within a computing device may substantially improve overall performance relative to prior art techniques.

Abstract: A hash table in the network device driver maintains data on the traffic characteristics for each network interface (“NIC”) within a computing device. If one of the NICs in the computing device becomes unreliable, the cost function in the hash engine allows the software driver to initiate network traffic redistribution among the remaining reliable NICs in the computing device. Using this hash engine, the software driver is able to intelligently redirect each of the network connections on an unreliable NIC to a reliable NIC within the computing device, in a way that optimizes the distribution of network traffic across the remaining reliable NICs. Alternatively, if a connection is moved from an old NIC to a new NIC, the software driver can detect the moved connection and offload the moved connection to a hardware offload engine on the new NIC.

Abstract: A hash table in the network device driver maintains data on the traffic characteristics for each network interface (“NIC”) within a computing device. If one of the NICs in the computing device becomes unreliable, the cost function in the hash engine allows the software driver to initiate network traffic redistribution among the remaining reliable NICs in the computing device. Using this hash engine, the software driver is able to intelligently redirect each of the network connections on an unreliable NIC to a reliable NIC within the computing device, in a way that optimizes the distribution of network traffic across the remaining reliable NICs. Alternatively, if a connection is moved from an old NIC to a new NIC, the software driver can detect the moved connection and offload the moved connection to a hardware offload engine on the new NIC.