IN-LINE NETWORK ACCELERATOR

摘要

A smart NIC (Network Interface Card) is provided with features to enable the smart NIC to operate as an in-line NIC between a host's NIC and a network. The smart NIC provides pass-through transmission of network flows for the host. Packets sent to and from the host pass through the smart NIC. As a pass-through point, the smart NIC is able to accelerate the performance of the pass-through network flows by analyzing packets, inserting packets, dropping packets, inserting or recognizing congestion information, and so forth. In addition, the smart NIC provides a lightweight transport protocol (LTP) module that enables it to establish connections with other smart NICs. The LTP connections allow the smart NICs to exchange data without passing network traffic through their respective hosts.

主权项

1. An in-line network interface card (NIC) to handle network flows that conform to a transport protocol, the in-line NIC comprising:
a first media access controller (MAC) for connecting to a NIC of a host; a second MAC for connecting to a network; processing hardware configured to:
provide passthrough transmission of packets of the network flows between the host and the network by (i) buffering, and transmitting from the first MAC, packets received by the second MAC and by (ii) buffering, and transmitting from the second MAC, packets received by the first MAC, andmonitor the network flows on a per-flow basis and according to the monitoring perform congestion control actions on a per-flow basis.