Patent ID: 9727386
Date: 2017-08-08
CPC Classifications: G06F,H04L

Claim:
1. A method for network resource virtual partitioning, the method comprising: mapping a plurality of hardware function types at each of a plurality of physical network interface devices into a set of virtual partitions (VPs) implemented using software at an operating system (OS) layer of a host network component coupled to the physical network interface devices, wherein the set of VPs corresponding to a plurality of hardware function types at each of the plurality of physical network interface devices provides virtualization of the corresponding plurality of hardware function types, wherein the plurality of physical network interface devices correspond to different sets of VPs, and wherein each VP at the OS layer of the host network component is associated with a corresponding media access control (MAC) address assigned to a corresponding traffic flow from and to the VP; aggregating a plurality of different subsets of VPs corresponding to the plurality of physical network interface devices into a plurality of corresponding VP aggregations (VPAs), wherein the VPAs serve as virtual network interface (VNI) provider instances in servicing a plurality of clients; and managing and operating, at the OS layer, the hardware function types at each of the physical network interface devices using the corresponding set of VPs; and wherein the set of VPs corresponding to each of the physical network interface devices are configured to independently manage and operate the hardware function types at the corresponding physical network interface device.