Intel Corporation

Steven D Williams

Prashant Dewan

Amir Zinaty

Carey W Smith

Gideon Prat

Philip W Martin

Marc Millier

In one embodiment, in response to receiving a notification to enter a packet filtering mode of operation for a NIC operating a link to a hub/switch in a normal mode of operation at one operating speed, a lower power consuming operating speed is re-negotiated with the hub/switch for the NIC to operate the link in the packet filtering mode. In another embodiment, another link to the hub/switch through another NIC is operated in the packet filtering mode at a lower power consuming speed, in place of the original link and NIC instead. In yet another embodiment, the lowest power consuming NIC among a number of jointly operating NICs is operated in the packet filtering mode, with the remaining NICs being shut down.

Method and apparatus for conserving power consumed by a network interface device in packet filtering mode

An integrated circuit includes logic to process a received transport-protocol compliant packet. The logic is adapted to forward at least some portions of the packet so that the portions will be transmitted along an auxiliary bus. The portions are forwarded based, at least in part, on specific binary digital signals being provided in fixed, predetermined locations in the packet.

Network controller

A method is provided that allows a networked computer to generate a routable response to a status query without invoking its communication protocol stack. The computer is provided with a network controller that includes query detection and data routing modules. A message received by the network controller is scanned for a recognition code that identifies the message as a status query. A status query message includes a prototype response that includes the IP data necessary to respond to the query. When a message is identified as a status query, the data routing module extracts network routing data and the prototype response from the message and generates a routable response packet from the extracted information. Status data may be added to the routable response packet by the data routing module.

Network controller for processing status queries

A method and apparatus for reducing the number of interrupts issued by a first device to a second device in a computer system. A delay interval is specified to the first device, the delay interval indicating an amount of time for the first device to wait after receiving data from the second device before issuing an interrupt to the second device. The first device issues the interrupt immediately after receiving the data from the second device when the specified delay is zero. When the delay is non-zero, the first device is scheduled to interrupt the second device after the delay interval expires. If a second unit of data is received from the second device before the delay interval expires, the scheduled interrupt is canceled. Otherwise, the interrupt is issued immediately after the delay interval expires.

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Portland, OR, United States of America

Steven D Williams