Network switching with co-resident data-plane and network interface controllers
A system with co-resident data-plane and network interface controllers embodying a method for network switching of a data packet incoming from a network at a packet input processor portion of a network interface resource comprising the packet input processor, a packet output processor, and a network interface controller, implemented on a chip, to a target entity, is disclosed. Additionally, the system embodying a method for network switching of a data packet outgoing from an internal facing interface of a network interface controller portion of the network interface resource to a network is disclosed.
1. A method for network switching with co-resident data-plane processors and a network interface controller, comprising:
receiving a packet from a network at a medium access controller;
determining by the medium access controller whether the packet should be provided to a data-plane packet input processor or to the network interface controller of a network interface resource comprising: the data-plane packet input processor, a data-plane packet output processor, and the network interface controller, implemented on a chip;
providing the packet to the data-plane packet input processor according to the determining;
determining by the data-plane packet input processor that a target entity of the packet is not capable of instantiating or does not instantiate a data-plane; and
in accordance with the determination that the target entity is not capable of instantiating or does not instantiate a data-plane, providing the packet to the target entity via the data-plane packet output processor, a loopback entity and the network interface controller.
2. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein:
the determining by the medium access controller whether the packet should be provided to the data-plane packet input processor or to the network interface controller of the network interface resource comprises determining a content of the packet by the medium access controller; and
providing the packet to the data-plane packet input processor according to the determining comprises providing the packet to the data-plane packet input processor in accordance with the determined content of the packet.
3. The method as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the content of the packet is a source address or a destination address; and
providing the packet to the data-plane packet input processor is in accordance with the source address or the destination address.
4. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein:
the determining by the medium access controller whether the packet should be provided to the data-plane packet input processor or to the network interface controller of a network interface resource comprises determining a state of a register; and
providing the packet to the data-plane packet input processor according to the determining comprises providing the packet to the data-plane packet input processor in accordance with the state of the register.
5. The method as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the state of the register represents a static assignment that associates an input port of the medium access controller with the data-plane packet input processor or the network interface controller; and
providing the packet to the data-plane packet input processor is in accordance with the static assignment.
6. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein:
the determining by the medium access controller whether the packet should be provided to the data-plane packet input processor or to the network interface controller of a network interface resource comprises determining a state of a register and determining a content of the packet; and
providing the packet to the data-plane packet input processor according to the determining comprises providing the packet to the data-plane packet input processor in accordance with the state of the register and the content of the packet.
7. The method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:
processing the packet by the data-plane packet input processor to determine a target entity;
providing the packet processed by the data-plane packet input processor to a storage;
requesting the packet from the storage by the target entity; and
processing the packet by a packet handling entity in accordance with a packet management policy.
8. The method as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the processing the packet by the packet handling entity in accordance with the packet management policy comprises:
discarding the packet.
9. The method as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the processing the packet by the packet handling entity in accordance with the packet management policy comprises:
providing the packet to a different destination entity than the target entity.
10. The method as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the processing the packet by the packet handling entity in accordance with the packet management policy comprises:
providing the packet to the target entity via the data-plane packet input processor.
11. The method as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the processing the packet by the packet handling entity in accordance with the packet management policy comprises:
providing the packet to the target entity via the data-plane packet output processor, a loopback entity, and the network interface controller.
12. The method as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the processing the packet by the packet handling entity in accordance with the packet management policy comprises:
switching the packet route on layer 2 and layer 3.
13. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein:
the medium access controller is not included in the network interface controller; and
the medium access controller determines whether the packet should be provided to the data-plane packet input processor or to the network interface controller prior to the packet being received by the data-plane packet input processor or by the network interface controller.
14. A network interface resource comprising:
a data-plane packet input processor;
a network interface controller; and
a medium access controller configured to:
receive a packet from a network;
determine, based on a content of the packet or a state of a register, whether the packet should be provided to the data-plane packet input processor or to the network interface controller;
provide the packet to the data-plane packet input processor according to the determining;
wherein the data-plane packet input processor is configured to:
determine that a target entity of the packet is not capable of instantiating or does not instantiate a data-plane; and
in accordance with the determination that the target entity is not capable of instantiating or does not instantiate a data-plane, provide the packet to the target entity via the data-plane packet output processor, a loopback entity and the network interface controller.
15. The network interface resource as claimed in claim 14 , wherein:
the medium access controller is not included in the network interface controller; and
the medium access controller is configured to determine whether the packet should be provided to the data-plane packet input processor or to the network interface controller prior to the packet being received by the data-plane packet input processor or by the network interface controller.
16. The network interface resource as claimed in claim 14 , wherein the content of the packet is a source address or a destination address; and
the medium access controller is configured to provide the packet to the data-plane packet input processor in accordance with the source address or the destination address.
17. The network interface resource as claimed in claim 14 , wherein the state of the register represents a static assignment that associates an input port of the medium access controller with the data-plane packet input processor or the network interface controller; and
the medium access controller is configured to provide the packet to the data-plane packet input processor in accordance with the static assignment.