Virtual Switch Packet Forwarding via Network Card Offload
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Solution Overview
Problem
Virtual switches consume significant resources and require additional driver installations and maintenance in existing packet forwarding technologies, especially under the SR-IOV mechanism, which limits scalability and performance.
Innovation Solution
A packet forwarding system where a virtual switch adds input port information to packets, allowing a network card device to determine and apply forwarding rules without relying on virtual switch CPU resources, eliminating the need for driver installations and maintenance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If data forwarding is performed through a virtual switch application program, then forwarding functionality is achieved, but CPU resource consumption increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the packet forwarding logic from the virtual switch application program and relocates it to the network card device's hardware or firmware layer. This extraction enables forwarding operations to be performed independently of the host CPU, significantly reducing CPU resource consumption while maintaining forwarding functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary mechanism where the network card device acts as a mediator between the virtual switch and the physical network. The network card device receives packet forwarding rules from the virtual switch and executes them locally, serving as an intermediary that handles forwarding tasks without requiring continuous CPU intervention from the host system.
2Productivity
If SR-IOV mechanism is used for hardware acceleration, then forwarding performance improves, but driver installation and maintenance complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a universal packet forwarding rule format that can be processed by different network card devices regardless of their specific hardware architecture or manufacturer. This universal approach eliminates the need for device-specific driver implementations, as the same forwarding rule structure can be handled by various network card types through standardized interfaces.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses a standardized packet forwarding rule data structure that can be copied and applied across different network card devices. Instead of requiring custom driver code for each device type, the system copies the same forwarding rule format and processing logic to multiple devices, simplifying deployment and maintenance while maintaining high forwarding performance.
3Use of energy by moving object
If forwarding logic is moved to network card device, then CPU resource consumption decreases, but device compatibility requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enforces homogeneity in the packet forwarding rule data structure and processing interface across all network card devices. By standardizing the format of forwarding rules and the method of their application, the system ensures that all network card devices operate in a uniform manner, making the system compatible with different hardware vendors and models while maintaining low CPU resource consumption.
Data Source
AI summary
Packet forwarding methods, apparatuses, devices, and systems are disclosed. An example packet forwarding system includes a target virtual machine, a virtual switch and a network card device, wherein: the target virtual machine is configured to send a first packet to the virtual switch; the virtual switch is configured to add input port information to the first packet to obtain a second packet after receiving the first packet sent by the target virtual machine, and forward the second packet to the network card device; and the network card device is configured to determine a corresponding first forwarding rule based on the input port information included in the second packet in response to receiving the second packet sent by the virtual switch, and perform forwarding processing on the second packet based on the first forwarding rule.