Patent ID: 9021125
Filing Date: 2015-04-28
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A data switch in combination with a proxy controller, the data switch being configured for routing data traffic and control traffic between at least one input/output (I/O) device and at least one server including a memory having an address space including a set of data buffers and a list of command/status descriptors, the control traffic comprising transaction types: a) commands from at least one server to the at least one input/output (I/O) device; b) status reads by the at least one server of resources in the at least one I/O device; c) reads by the at least one I/O device of command descriptors in the memory of the at least one server; d) writes by the at least one I/O device of status descriptors in the memory of the at least one server; and the data traffic comprising transaction type: e) reads/writes by the at least one I/O device of data buffers in the memory of the at least one server; wherein the proxy controller is configured to create a virtual address space for the at least one I/O device, the virtual address space including well-defined regions for command status descriptor lists of the at least one I/O device; and wherein the data switch is configured to: i) by examining packet headers, distinguish between transaction types a) and b) on the one hand and transaction types c), d), and e) on the other hand; ii) by examining virtual address space addresses, distinguish between transaction types c) and d) on the one hand and e) on the other hand; iii) route the data traffic directly between the at least one I/O device and the at least one server; and iv) route only the control traffic by way of the proxy controller configured to process the control traffic to virtualise the at least one I/O device.