Accelerated NIC Offloads Overlay Processing to Bypass Hypervisor

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Solution Overview

Problem

The performance of hypervisors in overlay networks is limited by their processing capabilities, leading to constraints on the number of overlay networks and virtual machines, and existing solutions complicate interoperability between different virtualization platforms due to performance issues and platform-specific requirements.

Innovation Solution

An accelerated Network Interface Card (NIC) with an Overlay Network Offload System (ONOS) is used to offload overlay functionality, allowing network traffic to bypass the hypervisor and provide seamless support for multiple virtualization platforms using platform-specific drivers, thereby enhancing processing efficiency and interoperability.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If the hypervisor processes all overlay network traffic, then the hypervisor can control packet routing and encapsulation, but the hypervisor processing load increases and performance is limited

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvehypervisor processing capacityVSAvoidoverlay network management complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts overlay network processing functions from the hypervisor and implements them in the NIC. The NIC handles packet encapsulation, decapsulation, tunnel management, and overlay header processing independently, removing this computational burden from the hypervisor while maintaining control over packet routing and network virtualization functions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The NIC acts as an intermediary between the physical network and the virtualization layer. It receives packets from the hypervisor, performs overlay processing (encapsulation/decapsulation), and forwards them to the physical network, or vice versa for incoming traffic. This intermediary role allows the hypervisor to maintain logical control while the NIC handles the computationally intensive operations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Adaptability or versatility

If overlay functionality is embedded into virtualization platforms, then platform-specific requirements can be met, but interoperability between different virtualization platforms becomes complicated

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveplatform-specific virtualization supportVSAvoidinteroperability complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The NIC is designed with universal overlay processing capabilities that can support multiple virtualization platforms (VMware, Microsoft Hyper-V, KVM, etc.) through a single unified interface. The platform-specific drivers communicate with the same NIC hardware, allowing the same physical device to serve multiple virtualization ecosystems without requiring separate specialized hardware for each platform.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of requiring different hardware implementations for each virtualization platform, the patent uses software drivers that copy and adapt the platform-specific overlay processing logic to work with the unified NIC hardware. This allows the same physical NIC to be virtualized across different platforms by loading appropriate drivers, eliminating the need for platform-specific hardware copies.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

3Quantity of substance

If the number of overlay networks and VMs increases, then network virtualization capacity expands, but the hypervisor processing load increases proportionally

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvenumber of overlay networks and VMsVSAvoidhypervisor processing throughput

Core Design Contradiction:

Quantity of substanceVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the computationally intensive overlay processing functions from the hypervisor and implements them in the NIC. The NIC handles packet encapsulation, decapsulation, tunnel management, and overlay header processing independently, removing this computational burden from the hypervisor while maintaining control over packet routing and network virtualization functions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces the hypervisor's software-based packet processing mechanism with a hardware-accelerated mechanism in the NIC. The NIC uses dedicated hardware circuits and processing units to perform overlay operations at line rate, substituting the hypervisor's general-purpose CPU-based processing with specialized hardware that can handle significantly higher throughput.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Data Source

PatentUS10582420B2Processing of overlay networks using an accelerated network interface card

Publication Date: 2020.03.03 KYNDRYL INC

AI summary

In one embodiment, a system includes a plurality of network ports including multiple Peripheral Component Interconnect express (PCIe) ports, a network interface card (NIC) driver configured to interface with and support an accelerated NIC, a processor, and logic integrated with the processor, executable by the processor, or integrated with and executable by the processor. The logic is configured to cause the processor to provide a virtual switch to host one or more virtual machines (VMs). Also, the logic is configured to cause the processor to provide a hypervisor which processes at least some outbound packets received from the one or more VMs and processes at least some inbound packets sent to the one or more VMs. Moreover, the logic is configured to cause the processor to divert network traffic of the one or more VMs that has overlay functionality provided by the accelerated NIC to bypass the hypervisor.