SR-IOV Virtual Switch for VM Data Flow Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current virtualization technologies face performance bottlenecks and CPU processing burdens due to the need for back-end driver processing of packets for multiple virtual sub-machines, especially with high-speed network adapters like 10-GB adapters, which limits network communication performance.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a virtual machine data flow management method using SR-IOV network adapters, where the host receives and forwards IP packets with configured MAC addresses, allowing packet filtering and QoS management on the host-side without processing by the back-end driver, thereby bypassing CPU bottlenecks and utilizing network adapter capabilities fully.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If back-end driver on host-side performs soft routing for all virtual sub-machines, then packet filtering and QoS management can be performed, but CPU processing burden becomes very heavy
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the packet processing function from the host CPU and back-end driver, relocating it to the network adapter's hardware level through SR-IOV technology. The virtual switch function is taken out from software and implemented in hardware, allowing packets to be filtered and managed without CPU intervention.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces SR-IOV virtual switch as an intermediary layer between the physical network adapter and virtual sub-machines. This intermediary handles packet routing and filtering at hardware level, mediating between the need for management capabilities and the need to reduce CPU burden.
2Reliability
If back-end driver processes all packets for virtual sub-machines, then network communication management is achieved, but network adapter processing capability cannot be fully realized
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the software-based back-end driver processing mechanism with a hardware-based SR-IOV virtual switch mechanism. This substitution moves packet processing from the software/CPU domain to the hardware/network adapter domain, enabling full utilization of network adapter capabilities.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the network processing functions by creating multiple virtual functions (VFs) within the SR-IOV network adapter, each capable of independent packet processing. This segmentation allows different virtual sub-machines to have dedicated processing paths, maximizing network adapter throughput.
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure provides a virtual machine data flow management method. The method includes: receiving, by a host by using a specified network interface of an SR-IOV network adapter, an IP packet sent by a communication peer terminal, a target MAC address and a target IP address in the IP packet respectively being a MAC address of a specified network interface of the host and an IP address of a target virtual sub-machine; and forwarding, by the host according to the target IP address, the IP packet to a virtual connection function of the target virtual sub-machine in the same SR-IOV network adapter. Also disclosed is a virtual machine data flow management system. By means of the present disclosure, network communication performance of a virtual machine can be improved.