Switch scaling for virtualized network interface controllers

1. An apparatus comprising:

a first network interface card comprising:

a plurality of virtual interfaces to share a physical network interface, each virtual interface associated with a virtual machine; and

a switch including an inter-switch communications port, the switch to receive a packet from one of the plurality of virtual interfaces through a virtual interface port and to forward the received packet over a system bus to another switch in a second network interface card through the inter-switch communications port.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the system bus is a Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) bus.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the system bus is a Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (PCIe) bus.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein upon detecting utilization of the physical network interface is below a threshold, the switch to power down the physical network interface and to redirect the packet over the system bus to another physical network interface.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein upon receiving packets directed to the physical network interface from the plurality of virtual interfaces, the switch to forward the received packets over the system bus through the inter-switch communications port, the another switch to forward the packets to the another physical network interface accessible through the another switch.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein upon receiving a packet from a first virtual interface through a first virtual port for a second virtual interface, the switch to forward the packet through a second virtual interface port to the second virtual interface.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the switch further comprises:

a bridging table storing a plurality of entries, each entry storing a destination address and a port identifier.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein upon receiving a packet from a virtual interface through a first virtual port for the physical network interface, the switch to forward the packet through a physical network interface port to the physical network interface.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the received packet is a network packet that is encapsulated in a system bus packet prior to forwarding over the system bus.

10. A method comprising:

receiving, by a first network interface card, a packet for a virtual machine through one of a plurality of virtual interfaces sharing a physical network interface; and

forwarding, by the first network interface card, the received packet over a system bus to a second switch in a second network interface card through an inter-switch communications port in a first switch in the first network interface card.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the system bus is a Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) bus.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the system bus is a Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (PCIe) bus.

13. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:

upon detecting utilization of the physical network interface is below a threshold, powering down the physical network interface; and

redirecting the packet over the system bus to another physical network interface.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:

forwarding a packet directed to the physical network interface from the plurality of virtual interfaces over the system bus through the inter-switch communications port to be forwarded to the another physical network interface accessible through the second switch.

15. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:

upon receiving a packet from a first virtual interface through a first virtual port for a second virtual interface, forwarding, by the first switch, the packet through a second virtual interface port to the second virtual interface.

16. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:

storing a plurality of entries, each entry storing a destination address and a port address.

17. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:

upon receiving a packet from a virtual interface through a first virtual port for the physical network interface, forwarding the packet through a physical network interface port to the physical network interface.

18. The method of claim 10 , wherein the received packet is a network packet that is encapsulated in a system bus packet prior to forwarding over the system bus.

19. An article including a computer readable storage medium having instructions stored thereon, wherein the instructions, when accessed, results in a machine performing:

receiving, by a first network interface card, a packet for a virtual machine through one of a plurality of virtual interfaces sharing a physical network interface; and

forwarding, by the first network interface card, the received packet over a system bus to a second switch in a second network interface card through an inter-switch communications port in a first switch in the first network interface card.

20. The article of claim 19 , wherein the system bus is a Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (PCIe) bus.

21. A system comprising:

an external Ethernet switch;

a first network interface card comprising:

a plurality of virtual interfaces to share a physical network interface through which packets are transferred to the external Ethernet switch, the virtual interfaces to process packets for a virtual machine; and

an embedded switch including an inter-switch communications port, the embedded switch to receive a packet from one of the plurality of virtual interfaces through a virtual interface port and to forward the received packet over a system bus to another embedded switch in a second network interface card through the inter-switch communications port.

22. The system of claim 21 , wherein the system bus is a Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (PCIe) bus.