IP Library Patent Application 18841371
Patent Application
App. No. 18/841,371

SERVER, SWITCHING METHOD, AND SWITCHING PROGRAM

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US None
App. No.
18/841,371
Abstract

A server ( 10 ) includes an FPGA-equipped NIC ( 11 ) that is connected to a 0-system vGW ( 15 a ) and is equipped with an FPGA ( 111 ) which processes a packet, an NIC ( 12 ) connected to a 1-system vGW ( 15 b ), and a switching unit ( 132 ). The switching unit ( 132 ) switches the NIC that accepts a packet to the NIC ( 12 ) by turning off a power supply of the FPGA-equipped NIC ( 11 ) when a time period is reached in which power efficiency is better when the vGW ( 15 b ) processes the packet than when the packet is processed by the FPGA ( 111 ), on the basis of a timetable. In addition, the switching unit ( 132 ) switches the NIC that accepts the packet to the FPGA-equipped NIC ( 11 ) by turning on the power supply of the FPGA-equipped NIC ( 11 ) when a time period is reached when the power efficiency is better when the packet is processed by the FPGA ( 111 ) than when the packet is processed by the vGW ( 15 b ).

Claims (24)

1 . A server comprising:

a first network interface card, wherein the first network interface card connects to a first virtual machine associated with an IP address, the first network interface card comprises a field programmable gate array, and the field programmable gate array processes an input packet addressed as input to the first virtual machine;

a second network interface card, wherein the second network interface card corresponds to the IP address of the first virtual machine, and the second network interface card connects to a second virtual machine for processing an input packet; and

a switch configured to perform switching to the second network interface card to accept the input packet by turning off a power supply of the first network interface card during a predetermined time period, wherein the predetermined time period represents a period when the second virtual machine processes the input packet at higher in power efficiency than the field programmable gate array processing the input packet.

2 . The server according to claim 1 , wherein

the switch unit is further configured to perform switching an NIC that accepts the packet to the first NIC by turning on the power supply of the first NIC during another predetermined time period when the FPGA processes the input packet at higher in power efficiency than the virtual machine processing the input packet.

3 . The server according to claim 1 , wherein

the first virtual machine and the second virtual machine represent virtual routers made redundant according to Virtual Router Redundancy Protocol (VRRP), and the first virtual machine represents a master router of the VRRP.

4 . A switching method executed by a processor in a server, comprising:

a step of switching data traffic from a first network interface card that accepts an input packet to a second network interface card by turning off a power supply of the first network interface card during a predetermined time period when the virtual machine processes the input packet at higher in power efficiency than a field programmable gate array processing the input packet,

wherein the server comprises the first network interface card and the second network interface card, the first network interface card connects to a first virtual machine, the first network interface card comprises a field programmable gate array for processing an input packet addressed to the first virtual machine with an IP address, the second network interface card corresponds to the IP address, and the second network interface card connects to a second virtual machine for processing an input packet.

5 . A computer-readable non-transitory recording medium storing a computer-executable switching program instructions that when executed by a processor cause a computer comprising a processor,

a step of switching from a first network interface card to a second network interface card to accept an input packet by turning off a power supply of the first network interface card during a predetermined time period,

wherein the first network interface card connects to a first virtual machine associated with an IP address, the first network interface card comprises a field programmable gate array, the field programmable gate array processes the input packet addressed as input to the first virtual machine,

the second network interface card corresponds to the IP address of the first virtual machine, the second network interface card connects to a second virtual machine for processing the input packet, and

the predetermined time period represents a period when the second virtual machine processes the input packet at higher in power efficiency than the field programmable gate array processing the input packet.

6 . The switching method according to claim 4 , wherein

the step of switching further comprises switching a network interface card that accepts the input packet to the first network interface card by turning on the power supply of the first network interface card during another predetermined time period when the field programmable gate array processes the input packet at higher in power efficiency than the virtual machine processing the input packet.

7 . The switching method according to claim 4 , wherein

the first virtual machine and the second virtual machine respectively represent virtual routers made redundant according to Virtual Router Redundancy Protocol (VRRP), and the first virtual machine represents a master router of the VRRP.

8 . The computer-readable non-transitory recording medium according to claim 5 , wherein

the step of switching further comprises switching a network interface card that accepts the input packet to the first network interface card by turning on the power supply of the first network interface card during another predetermined time period when the field programmable gate array processes the input packet at higher in power efficiency than the virtual machine processing the input packet.

9 . The computer-readable non-transitory recording medium according to claim 5 , wherein

the first virtual machine and the second virtual machine respectively represent virtual routers made redundant according to Virtual Router Redundancy Protocol (VRRP), and the first virtual machine represents a master router of the VRRP.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 9, 2026
From: KANO, HIROKI; KAWANO, SHINYA; MIYAMOTO, KATSUMA; SUGISONO, KOJI
To: NIPPON TELEGRAPH AND TELEPHONE CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 074324/0569 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Jan 1, 2026
From: NIPPON TELEGRAPH AND TELEPHONE CORPORATION
To: NTT, INC.
Reel/Frame 074164/0725 →