NIC Packet Interception for Virtual Switch Bypass

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Solution Overview

Problem

The implementation of a virtual switch by a CPU to manage packets between virtual machines and a physical network consumes significant power and CPU cycles, leading to processing strain, and bypassing the virtual switch results in loss of packet management capabilities.

Innovation Solution

A Network Interface Controller (NIC) intercepts and manages packets, providing hardware acceleration and mimicking the virtual switch's functions to reduce CPU processing, allowing packets to bypass the virtual switch while maintaining management capabilities.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a virtual switch is implemented by CPU to manage packets, then packet management capability is maintained, but CPU processing strain and power consumption increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepacket management capabilityVSAvoidCPU power consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces the software-based virtual switch implementation in CPU with a hardware-based Network Interface Controller (NIC) that performs packet management functions. The NIC intercepts packets at the hardware level and performs filtering, forwarding, and management operations without requiring CPU intervention, thereby maintaining packet management capability while eliminating the associated power consumption and processing strain.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Reliability

If a virtual switch is implemented by CPU to manage packets, then packet management capability is maintained, but CPU cycles are consumed

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepacket management capabilityVSAvoidCPU processing capacity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent substitutes the CPU-based software virtual switch with a hardware-based NIC that performs packet management operations in parallel with CPU execution. The NIC intercepts packets at the network interface level and handles filtering, routing, and management tasks independently, freeing CPU cycles for other productive work while maintaining comprehensive packet management capability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

3Productivity

If packets bypass the virtual switch to reduce processing, then CPU strain is reduced, but packet management capability is lost

Engineering Contradiction:

ImproveCPU processing capacityVSAvoidpacket management capability

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces the virtual switch's packet management function with hardware-based packet interception and processing in the NIC. The NIC captures packets directly from the network interface before they reach the CPU, performs all necessary management operations (filtering, routing, QoS enforcement) in hardware, and only passes managed packets to the CPU when necessary, thus maintaining full packet management capability while enabling CPU bypass for performance-critical paths.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Data Source

PatentUS9317310B2Systems and methods for handling virtual machine packets

Publication Date: 2016.04.19 AVAGO TECHNOLOGIES INTERNATIONAL SALES PTE LTD

AI summary

Systems and methods for handling virtual machine packets are provided. In some aspects, a method includes receiving, by a network interface controller, an indicator of a packet from a virtual machine. The indicator bypasses a virtual switch coupled to the virtual machine. The method also includes determining, in response to receiving the indicator, whether the packet is designated for accelerated processing. The method also includes providing the indicator to the virtual switch for processing if the packet is determined not to be designated for accelerated processing. The method also includes processing, by the network interface controller, the packet for transmission if the packet is determined to be designated for accelerated processing.