Patent ID: 7415035

Claim:
A method for providing access to a network interface unit having a plurality of memory access channels, the network interface unit providing access to a plurality of processing entities, the network interface unit transporting a plurality of data flows, the method comprising: for each of said plurality of processing entities: providing a network interface software hierarchy executing on the processing entity, the network interface software hierarchy providing access to the network interface unit, wherein the network interface software hierarchy comprises: an operating system; and a device driver for communicating with the network interface unit; and, specifying at least one of said plurality of data flows to be transmitted to or received from the network interface unit by the processing entity, wherein said specifying at least on of said plurality of data flows is performed by said operating system that is executing on the processing entity; specifying at least one of said plurality of memory access channels through which said at least one data flow is to be transported, wherein said specifying at least on of said plurality of memory access channels is performed by said operating system that is executing on the processing entity; and providing to the network interface unit, via the device driver for the network interface unit, an indication of the specified at least one data flow and the specified at least one of said memory access channels through which said at one data flow is to be transported; wherein said providing is performed by said operating system that is executing on the processing entity.