Method and apparatus for dynamic assignment of network interface card resources

1. A method for dynamically changing a first virtual network interface card (VNIC) binding, comprising:

obtaining monitoring information associated with a first hardware receive ring (HRR) and a software receive ring (SRR), wherein the first VNIC is bound to the first HRR and a second VNIC is bound to the SRR;

determining, using the monitoring information, whether a use of the first HRR is below a first threshold;

determining, using the monitoring information, whether a use of the SRR is above a second threshold;

if the use of the first HRR is below the first threshold and the use of the SRR is above the second threshold:

binding the first VNIC to the SRR and the second VNIC to the first HRR;

removing the binding from the first VNIC to the first HRR;

removing the binding from the second VNIC to the SRR; and

reprogramming a hardware classifier to send packets associated with the first VNIC to a second HRR and to send packets associated with the second VNIC to the first HRR;

reprogramming a software classifier to send packets associated with the first VNIC to the SRR,

wherein the software classifier is associated with a soft ring (SR) and the SR is configured to obtain packets from the second HRR.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the monitoring information is obtained at a set interval.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the set interval is set on a minute time scale.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first threshold corresponds to a number of packets received by the HRR in a given time interval.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second threshold corresponds to a number of packets received by the SRIR in a given time interval.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein first VNIC is bound to a first virtual network stack (VNS).

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the first VNS is configured to obtain packets from the first VNIC based an operating mode.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the operating mode is one selected from a group consisting of polling mode and interrupt mode.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the polling mode enforces bandwidth control on the first VNIC.

10. A system, comprising:

a physical network interface card (NIC) comprising a first hardware receive ring (HRR), a second HRR, and a hardware classifier;

a host, operatively connected to the NIC, comprising:

a first virtual network interface card (VNIC) initially bound to the first HRR;

a software ring (SR) comprising a software classifier and a software receive ring (SRR), wherein SR is operatively connected to the second HRR;

a second VNIC initially bound to the SRR;

a first packet destination operatively connected to the first VNIC;

a second packet destination operatively connected to the second VNIC; and

a monitoring application configured to monitor the system and generate monitoring information associated with the first HRR and the SRR,

wherein the host is configured to:

obtain the monitoring information;

determine, using the monitoring information, whether a use of the first HRR is below a first threshold;

determine, using the monitoring information, whether a use of the SRR is above a second threshold;

if the use of the first HRR is below the first threshold and the use of the SRR is above the second threshold:

bind the first VNIC to the SRR and the second VNIC to the first HRR;

remove the binding from the first VNIC to the first HRR;

remove the binding from the second VNIC to the SRR; and

reprogram the hardware classifier to send packets associated with the first VNIC to the second HRR and to send packets associated with the second VNIC to the first HRR; and

reprogram the software classifier to send packets associated with the first VNIC to the SRR.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the monitoring information is obtained at a set interval.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the set interval is set on a minute time scale.

13. The system of claim 10 , wherein the first threshold corresponds to a number of packets received by the HRR in a given time interval.

14. The system of claim 10 , wherein the second threshold corresponds to a number of packets received by the SRR in a given time interval.

15. The system of claim 10 , wherein first VNIC is bound to a first virtual network stack (VNS).

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the first VNS is configured to obtain packets from the first VNIC based an operating mode.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the operating mode is one selected from a group consisting of polling mode and interrupt mode.

18. The system of claim 16 , wherein the polling mode enforces bandwidth control on the first VNIC.

19. A computer readable medium encoded with instructions capable of being executed by a computer for:

obtaining monitoring information associated with a first hardware receive ring (HRR) and a software receive ring (SRR), wherein the first VNIC is bound to the first HRR and a second VNIC is bound to the SRR;

determining, using the monitoring information, whether a use of the first HRR is below a first threshold;

determining, using the monitoring information, whether a use of the SRR is above a second threshold;

if the use of the first HRR is below the first threshold and the use of the SRIR is above the second threshold:

binding the first VNIC to the SRR and the second VNIC to the first HRR;

removing the binding from the first VNIC to the first HRR;

removing the binding from the second VNIC to the SRR; and

reprogramming a hardware classifier to send packets associated with the first VNIC to a second HRR and to send packets associated with the second VNIC to the first HRR;

reprogramming a software classifier to send packets associated with the first VNIC to the SRR,

wherein the software classifier is associated with a soft ring (SR) and the SR is configured to obtain packets from the second HRR.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 19 , wherein the first VNIC is associated with a virtual machine.