Network Interface Device Packet Reordering Offload
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional network interface devices require the host to expend extra computing power to reorder network packets, degrading performance due to the need for reordering packets that were received out of sequence.
Innovation Solution
A network interface device with a packet receiving circuit and processing circuit that parses sequence numbers, reorders packets, generates reorder information, and stores it to allow the host to efficiently access and process packets by issuing an interrupt, thereby offloading reordering tasks from the host.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If the host reorders network packets before processing, then packet processing accuracy is improved, but computing power consumption increases and performance degrades
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the packet reordering function from the host processor and relocates it to the network interface device. The NID includes a reorder buffer that stores received packets and reorders them based on sequence numbers before passing to the host, thereby eliminating the need for the host to perform reordering operations and reducing its computing power consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The network interface device performs packet reordering in advance before the packets are transferred to the host. By using the reorder buffer to hold and resequence packets based on their sequence numbers, the NID ensures that packets arrive at the host in the correct order, eliminating the need for subsequent reordering operations by the host processor.
2Productivity
If the network interface device stores packets in storage circuit before issuing interrupt, then host processing efficiency is improved, but memory usage increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the memory resources by implementing a dedicated reorder buffer within the network interface device's storage circuit, separate from the host's main memory. This reorder buffer is specifically allocated for holding packets temporarily during the reordering process, allowing the host to process packets efficiently without competing for general memory resources.
Solution Approach 2:
The reorder buffer acts as an intermediary storage structure between the packet receiving circuit and the host processor. It temporarily holds packets that need reordering, allowing the NID to manage packet sequencing independently while minimizing the memory burden on the host system.
Data Source
AI summary
A network interface device, an electronic device including same, and a method of operating same are provided. The network interface device is coupled to a host including a storage circuit. The network interface device includes a processing circuit and a packet receiving circuit which is used for receiving multiple network packets. The processing circuit performs the following steps: parsing the network packets to obtain multiple sequence numbers of the network packets; reordering the network packets based on the sequence numbers to generate reorder information; appending the reorder information to one of the network packets and generating packet order information, or generating the packet order information containing the reorder information; storing the packet order information in the storage circuit; and issuing an interrupt to the host. The packet receiving circuit or the processing circuit stores the network packets in the storage circuit before the processing circuit issues the interrupt.