Multiple message receive routine for network packets
A method for receiving a plurality of messages that includes obtaining the plurality of messages, grouping the plurality of messages into a data structure, generating a system call from a user-level application to a kernel, wherein the system call includes a request for the plurality of message, and returning a reference to the data structure to the user-level application in response to the request, and for each message in the plurality of messages in the data structure: extracting a selected message from the plurality of messages in the data structure using the reference to the data structure by the user-level application, and consuming the selected message by the user-level application.
1. A method for receiving a plurality of messages comprising:
obtaining the plurality of messages from a physical network, wherein the plurality of messages are sent by a plurality of senders;
grouping, by the kernel, the plurality of messages into a data structure, wherein the plurality of messages are grouped into the same data structure;
generating a system call from a user-level application to the kernel, wherein the system call comprises a request for the plurality of message; and
returning, by the kernel, a reference to the data structure to the user-level application in response to the request; and
for each message in the plurality of messages in the data structure:
extracting, by the user-level application, a selected message from the plurality of messages in the data structure using the reference to the data structure, wherein the user-level application directly accesses the data structure to extract the message, and
consuming, by the user-level application, the selected message.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of messages comprises a message header and a message body.
3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the message header comprises a socket descriptor.
4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the message body indirectly references a plurality of message buffers.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the system call comprises a count corresponding to a number of messages in the data structure and a flag.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the system call comprises a socket for receiving the plurality of messages for the user-level application.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the data structure is a vector.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the selected message comprises a field storing a length of the selected message, and wherein the field storing the length of the selected message is used to extract the selected message.
9. A system for receiving a plurality of messages comprising:
a kernel for:
obtaining the plurality of messages from a physical network, wherein the plurality of messages are sent by a plurality of senders;
grouping the plurality of messages into a data structure, wherein the plurality of messages are grouped into the same data structure; and
returning a reference to the data structure to a user-level application in response to a request from the user-level application, wherein a system call comprises the request for the plurality of messages; and
the user-level application for:
extracting a selected message from the plurality of messages in the data structure using the reference to the data structure, wherein the user-level application directly accesses the data structure to extract the message; and
consuming the selected message for each message in the plurality of messages in the data structure.
10. The system of claim 9 , wherein each of the plurality of messages comprises a message header and a message body.
11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the message header comprises a socket descriptor.
12. The system of claim 10 , wherein the message body indirectly references a plurality of message buffers.
13. The system of claim 9 , wherein the system call comprises a count corresponding to a number of messages in the data structure and a flag.
14. The system of claim 9 , wherein system call comprises a socket for receiving the plurality of messages for the user-level application.
15. The system of claim 9 , wherein the data structure is a vector.
16. The system of claim 9 , wherein the selected message comprises a field storing a length of the selected message, and wherein the field storing the length of the selected message is used to extract the selected message.
17. A computer usable medium having computer readable program code embodied therein for causing a computer system to execute a method for receiving a plurality of messages comprising:
obtaining, by a kernel, the plurality of messages from a physical network, wherein the plurality of messages are sent by a plurality of senders;
grouping, by the kernel, the plurality of messages into a data structure, wherein the plurality of messages are grouped into the same data structure;
receiving, by the kernel, a system call from a user-level application, wherein the system call comprises a request for the plurality of message; and
returning a reference to the data structure to the user-level application in response to the request,
wherein, for each message in the plurality of messages in the data structure, the user-level application:
extracts the selected message from the plurality of messages in the data structure using the reference to the data structure, wherein the user-level application directly accesses the data structure to extract the message, and
consumes the selected message.
18. The computer usable medium of claim 17 , wherein system call comprises a socket for receiving the plurality of messages for the user-level application.
19. The computer usable medium of claim 17 , wherein each of the plurality of messages comprises a message header and a message body.
20. The computer usable medium of claim 18 , wherein the message header comprises a socket descriptor.