Patent ID: 8346884
Filing Date: 2013-01-01
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A network interface controller (NIC) which provides an interface between a network and a plurality of operating system domains (OSDs), each OSD having a logically distinct load-store domain that uses a common memory map to address both random access memory (RAM) and input-output (I/O) devices, the controller existing within the load-store domain of each of the plurality of OSDs, the controller comprising: a bus interface between the plurality of OSDs and the controller, the bus interface enabling each OSD to directly access the controller from within its own logically distinct load-store domain using load-store instructions that address one or more memory-mapped addresses for the shareable NIC that are within the common memory map of the OSD's load-store domain; a network interface between the network and the controller; and association logic, coupled to both said bus interface and said network interface to associate data coming from the network with at least one of the plurality of operating system domains.