Virtualized network interface for lockdown and overlay of data in transmitted packets

1. A method for data lockdown, comprising:

providing a first mask comprising one or more position(s) and a data value at each of the one or more position(s);

aligning the first mask with a packet to be transmitted;

comparing the data value at each of the one or more position(s) in the first mask with a data value at each of one or more aligned position(s) in the packet to be transmitted;

providing the packet for transmission if the comparing indicates that the data value at each of the one or more position(s) in the first mask and the data value at each of one or more aligned lockable position(s) in the packet to be transmitted agree; and

dropping the packet if the comparing indicates that the data value at each of the one or more position(s) in the first mask and the data value at each of the one or more aligned lockable position(s) in the packet to be transmitted disagree.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:

providing a second mask comprising one or more position(s) and a value at each of the one or more position(s);

aligning the second mask with the packet to be transmitted; and

replacing a data value at each of one or more position(s) in the packet to be transmitted with a data value at one or more aligned position(s) in the second mask.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the providing a first mask comprises:

selecting the first mask from a plurality of first masks, each of the plurality of first masks specifying different data value at at least one of the one or more position(s); and

providing the selected first mask.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the providing a first mask comprises:

providing a first mask comprising one or more position(s) and a data value at each of the one or more position(s) corresponding to the one or more lockable position(s) in the packet to be transmitted, the data value of which are to be locked.

5. The method as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the aligning the first mask with the packet comprises:

aligning the data values at the one or more position(s) in the first mask with the data values at the one or more lockable position(s) in the packet to be transmitted, the data values of which are to be locked.

6. The method as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the providing the packet for transmission comprises:

providing the packet for transmission if the comparison indicates that the data value at each of the one or more position(s) in the first mask and the data value at each of the one or more lockable position(s) in the packet to be transmitted, the data of which are to be locked agree.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the providing a first mask comprises:

providing a first mask comprising one or more position(s) and a data vale at each of the one or more position(s);

setting the values at the one or more position(s) corresponding to the one or more lockable position(s) in the packet to be transmitted to be locked to a required value; and

setting the values at the one or more position(s) not set to the required value to a do not care value.

8. The method as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the aligning the first mask with the packet comprises:

aligning first position in the packet to be transmitted with the first mask's first position.

9. The method as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the providing the packet for transmission comprises:

providing the packet for transmission if the comparison indicates that the required data values at each of the one or more position of the first mask and the data values at the one or more lockable position(s) in the packet to be transmitted, the data of which are to be locked agree.

10. A method for data overlay, comprising:

selecting a mask from a plurality of masks, each of the plurality of the masks comprising one or more position(s) and a data value at each of the one or more position(s) and specifying different data value at at least one of the one or more position(s);

providing the selected mask;

aligning the provided mask with a packet to be transmitted; and

replacing a data value at each of one or more position(s) in the packet to be transmitted with a data value at one or more aligned position(s) in the provided mask.

11. The method as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the providing the selected mask comprises:

providing the selected mask comprising one or more position(s) and a data value at each of the one or more position(s) corresponding to the one or more position(s) in the packet to be transmitted, the data value of which are to be overlaid.

12. The method as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the aligning the provided mask with the packet to be transmitted comprises:

aligning the data values at the one or more positions in the provided mask with the data values at the one or more position(s) in the packet to be transmitted, the data values of which are to be overlaid.

13. The method as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the providing the selected mask comprises:

providing the selected mask comprising one or more position(s) corresponding to each of the one or more position(s) in the packet to be transmitted;

setting the values at the one or more position(s) corresponding to the one or more packet's position(s) to be overlaid to a required value; and

setting the values at the one or more position(s) not set to the required value to a do not care value.

14. The method as claimed in claim 13 , wherein the aligning the provided mask with the packet to be transmitted comprises:

aligning first position of the packet to be transmitted with the provided mask's first position.

15. An apparatus for data lockdown, comprising:

a hypervisor configured to provide a first mask comprising one or more position(s) and a data value at each of the one or more position(s); and

a virtual network interface card communicatively coupled to the hypervisor, the virtual network interface card configured to:

align the first mask with a packet to be transmitted,

compare the data value at each of the one or more position(s) in the first mask with a data value at each of one or more aligned position(s) in the packet to be transmitted, and

provide the packet for transmission if the comparing indicates that the data value at each of the one or more position(s) in the first mask and the data value at each of one or more aligned lockable position(s) in the packet to be transmitted agree; and

drop the packet if the comparison indicates that the data value at each of the one or more position(s) in the first mask and the data value at each of the one or more aligned lockable position(s) in the packet to be transmitted disagree.

16. The apparatus as claimed in claim 15 , wherein the hypervisor is configured to provide a second mask comprising one or more position(s) and a value at each of the one or more position(s); and

the virtual network interface card is configured to:

align the second mask with the packet to be transmitted; and

replace a data value at each of one or more position(s) in the packet to be transmitted with a data value at one or more aligned position(s) in the second mask.

17. The apparatus as claimed in claim 15 , wherein the hypervisor is configured to

select the first mask from a plurality of first masks, each of the plurality of first masks specifying different data value at at least one of the one or more position(s); and

provide the selected first mask.

18. The apparatus as claimed in claim 15 , wherein the hypervisor is configured to

provide a first mask comprising one or more position(s) and a data value at each of the one or more position(s) corresponding to the one or more lockable position(s) in the packet to be transmitted, the data value of which are to be locked.

19. The apparatus as claimed in claim 18 , wherein virtual network interface card is configured to

align the data values at the one or more position(s) in the first mask with the data values at the one or more lockable position(s) in the packet to be transmitted, the data values of which are to be locked.

20. The apparatus as claimed in claim 18 , wherein the virtual network interface card is configured to

provide the packet for transmission if the comparison indicates that the data value at each of the one or more position(s) of the first mask and the data value at each of the one or more lockable position(s) in the packet to be transmitted, the data of which are to be locked agree.

21. The apparatus as claimed in claim 15 , wherein the hypervisor is configured to:

provide a first mask comprising one or more position(s) and a data vale at each of the one or more lockable positions in the packet to be transmitted;

set the values at the one or more position(s) corresponding to the one or more lockable position(s) in the packet to be transmitted to be locked to a required value; and

set the values at the one or more position(s) not set to the required value to a do not care value.

22. The apparatus as claimed in claim 21 , wherein virtual network interface card is configured to

align first position in the packet with the first mask's first position.

23. The apparatus as claimed in claim 21 , wherein virtual network interface card is configured to

provide the packet for transmission if the comparison indicates that the required data values at each of the one or more position of the first mask and the data values at the one or more lockable position(s) in the packet to be transmitted, the data of which are to be locked agree.

24. An apparatus for data overlay, comprising: a hypervisor configured to: select a mask from a plurality of masks, each of the plurality of the masks comprising one or more position(s) and a data value at each of the one or more position(s) and specifying different data value at least one of the one or more position(s); and provide the selected mask; and a virtual network interface card communicatively coupled with the hypervisor, the virtual network interface card configured to: align the provided mask with a packet to be transmitted; and replace a data value at each of one or more position(s) in the packet to be transmitted with a data value at one or more aligned position(s) in the provided mask.

25. The apparatus as claimed in claim 24 , wherein the hypervisor is configured to:

provide the selected mask comprising one or more position(s) and a data value at each of the one or more position(s) corresponding to the one or more position(s) in the packet to be transmitted, the data value of which are to be overlaid.

26. The apparatus as claimed in claim 25 , wherein virtual network interface card is configured to:

align the data values at the one or more positions in the provided mask with the data values at the one or more position(s) in the packet to be transmitted, the data values of which are to be overlaid.

27. The apparatus as claimed in claim 24 , wherein the hypervisor is configured to

provide the selected mask comprising one or more position(s) corresponding to each of the one or more position(s) in the packet to be transmitted;

set the values at the one or more position(s) corresponding to the one or more position(s) in the packet to be transmitted to be locked to a required value; and

set the values at the one or more position(s) not set to the required value to a do not care value.

28. The apparatus as claimed in claim 27 , wherein the virtual network interface card is configured to:

align first position of the packet to be transmitted with the provided mask's first position.