Patent ID: 7756012
Filing Date: 2010-07-13
Classification: G06F,H04L

Abstract:
1. A method for offloading a network connection from a host software module to a first hardware offload engine included in a failover network interface card (NIC), the method comprising: monitoring packets being received by a plurality of functional NICs, wherein packets associated with the network connection are being received by a first NIC in the plurality of functional NICs; detecting that a packet associated with the network connection has been received by a second NIC in the plurality of functional NICs and identifying the second NIC as the failover NIC; communicating the identity of the failover NIC to a hash engine that runs a hash algorithm used to determine the identities of failover NICs; setting an entry in a first delegated connection table included in the first hardware offload engine, wherein the entry includes connection state for the network connection; and setting a hardware identifier in a connection table included in the host software module that corresponds to the network connection, wherein the set hardware identifier indicates that the network connection is being run through the first hardware offload engine.