Patent ID: 7245627
Filing Date: 2007-07-17
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A network interface device, comprising: a fabric interface, for exchanging messages over a switch fabric with a plurality of host processors, the messages containing data; a network interface, comprising one or more network ports for coupling to a network external to the switch fabric; and message processing circuitry, coupled between the fabric interface and the network interface, so as to enable at least first and second host processors among the plurality of the host processors to use a single one of the network ports substantially simultaneously so as to transmit and receive frames containing the data over the network; wherein the messages comprise outgoing messages sent by the host processors over the switch fabric, and wherein the message processing circuitry extracts the data from the outgoing messages and to generates the frames containing the extracted data for transmission over the network; wherein the message processing circuitry assigns respective service levels to the host processors, and determines an order of processing the outgoing messages responsive to the service levels; and wherein the fabric interface exchanges the messages with the host processors over respective transport connections between the host processors and the fabric interface, and wherein the message processing circuitry assigns each of the transport connections to a respective one of the service levels.