Patent ID: 8175271
Filing Date: 2012-05-08
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A method for implementing a security protocol, comprising: receiving, by a network interface card (NIC), a packet from a network connection, wherein the NIC comprises NIC memory storing a plurality of security association database (SADB) partitions; obtaining, by a cryptographic offload engine (COE) on the NIC, an identifier for a SADB partition associated with the packet, wherein the SADB partition is one of the plurality of SADB partitions stored in NIC memory; retrieving, by the COE using the identifier, a security association from the SADB partition stored in NIC memory, wherein the SADB partition is associated with a packet destination of a plurality of packet destinations on a host directly connected to the NIC; applying, by the COE, the security association from the SADB partition to the packet; and sending, by the NIC, the packet to the packet destination associated with the SADB partition, wherein the packet is processed at the packet destination on the host.