TCP Offload Engine Header Extraction Reduces CPU Load
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current network devices consume significant CPU resources when processing TCP packets using software protocol stacks, leading to inefficiencies and resource wastage due to frequent reading of TCP payloads during processing.
Innovation Solution
A TCP packet processing method and TOE component that performs TCP-related protocol processing based on packet headers without reading the TCP payload, and generates storage chains to efficiently manage storage addresses, reducing the need for separate buffers and minimizing memory allocation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the TOE component reads the TCP payload from the storage block during protocol processing, then the processing can be more thorough and complete, but the processing efficiency decreases and memory resources are wasted due to frequent reading operations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the necessary packet header from the storage block for protocol processing, leaving the TCP payload in the original storage block. This selective extraction allows the TOE component to perform protocol processing on headers while avoiding unnecessary reading of payloads, thus improving processing efficiency without compromising processing completeness for what is actually needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the TCP packet into two parts: the packet header which is read for protocol processing, and the TCP payload which remains in the original storage block. This segmentation allows differential handling where only the header is accessed during TOE processing, reducing memory access overhead while maintaining complete processing capability for protocol-related operations.
2Adaptability or versatility
If separate TCP buffers are allocated for different TCP threads, then each thread can process packets independently, but storage resources are wasted due to redundant buffer allocations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a universal storage block structure that can be shared across multiple TCP threads. The storage block contains both the packet header and TCP payload, and can be accessed by different threads as needed. This multi-functional storage structure eliminates the need for separate buffers for each thread, reducing storage resource consumption while maintaining thread independence through controlled access to the shared storage blocks.
3Ease of operation
If the TOE component processes complete TCP packets including payload, then all data is processed uniformly, but CPU resources are wasted due to unnecessary processing of payload data
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the packet header portion from the complete TCP packet for TOE processing. The TOE component performs protocol processing exclusively on the extracted header data, avoiding unnecessary processing of the TCP payload. This selective extraction reduces CPU resource consumption by focusing processing efforts only on the relevant packet header information while maintaining uniform processing ease through standardized header handling procedures.
Data Source
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AI summary
This application discloses a Transmission Control Protocol TCP packet processing method, a TOE component, and a network device including the TOE component, so as to reduce a load of a CPU of the network device and save storage resources of the network device when TCP packets are processed. The TCP offload engine TOE component obtains a first storage address, where the first storage address is an address of a first storage block in a memory, the first storage block stores a target TCP packet, and the target TCP packet includes a packet header and a TCP payload. The TOE component obtains the packet header from the first storage block based on the first storage address. The TOE component performs TCP-related protocol processing based on the packet header, where the TCP payload is not read out of the first storage block by the TOE component when the TOE component performs TCP-related protocol processing based on the packet header.