Nvidia Corporation

Robin Yasu Uyeshiro

John Shigeto Minami

Michael Ward Johnson

Steve Su

Daniel Leo Greenfield

Michael John Sebastian Smith

Addison Kwuanming Chen

Thien E Ooi

Murray Wallace

Mihir Shaileshbhai Doctor

A gigabit Ethernet adapter provides a provides a low-cost, low-power, easily manufacturable, small form-factor network access module which has a low memory demand and provides a highly efficient protocol decode. The invention comprises a hardware-integrated system that both decodes multiple network protocols in a byte-streaming manner concurrently and processes packet data in one pass, thereby reducing system memory and form factor requirements, while also eliminating software CPU overhead. A preferred embodiment of the invention comprises a plurality of protocol state machines that decode network protocols such as TCP, IP, User Datagram Protocol (UDP), PPP, Raw Socket, RARP, ICMP, IGMP, iSCSI, RDMA, and FCIP concurrently as each byte is received. Each protocol handler parses, interprets, and strips header information immediately from the packet, requiring no intermediate memory. The invention provides an Internet tuner core, peripherals, and external interfaces. A network stack processes, generates and receives network packets. An internal programmable processor controls the network stack and handles any other types of ICMP packets, IGMP packets, or packets corresponding to other protocols not supported directly by dedicated hardware. A virtual memory manager is implemented in optimized, hardwired logic. The virtual memory manager allows the use of a virtual number of network connections which is limited only by the amount of internal and external memory available.

Gigabit ethernet adapter

A system and method are provided for validating a security service associated with packets communicated on a network. A hash of a security service associated with packets communicated on a network is generated. In use, the security service associated with the packets is validated utilizing the hash.

Integrated policy checking system and method

A system and method are provided for establishing network connections. Initially, an attempt to establish a connection on a network is identified. A portion of memory is then allocated for storing data associated with the connection.

Connection management system and method for a transport offload engine

A method for accessing and maintaining socket control information for high speed network connections. A multi-port control block (CB) cache contains socket control information in CB entries for sockets assigned to the transport offload engine (TOE) by a host computer. Each port provides a TOE client direct access to the CB cache. Time critical logic are each provided dedicated ports to enable higher bandwidth accesses to the CB cache for these time critical clients. All other non-time critical TOE clients are given arbitrated access via a separate dedicated port. An optional external memory is given direct access to the CB cache via a dedicated port and can store more CB entries for additional sockets.

Method and apparatus for accessing and maintaining socket control information for high speed network connections

The invention is embodied in a gigabit Ethernet adapter. A system according to the invention provides a compact hardware solution to handling high network communication speeds. In addition, the invention adapts to multiple communication protocols via a modular construction and design.

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Kailua, HI, United States of America

Robin Yasu Uyeshiro