KR20040098916A - Virtual communication channel configuration method in ethernet based system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: A method for forming a virtual communication channel in an Ethernet-based system using an Ethernet multi-cast address is provided to transfer an Ethernet frame including an Ethernet multi-cast address by using the Ethernet multi-cast address as a channel identifier. CONSTITUTION: Channel information assigned to each channel is stored according to a setting state of a system operator(S41). Transmitting data and channel information related the transmitting data are received from an user interface(S43). The stored Ethernet multi-cast address is read according to the received channel information. An Ethernet frame is formed by using the received data and the Ethernet multi-cast address and the Ethernet frame is transmitted(S44).

Description

How to Implement Virtual Communication Channel in Ethernet-based System {VIRTUAL COMMUNICATION CHANNEL CONFIGURATION METHOD IN ETHERNET BASED SYSTEM}

The present invention relates to a local area communication system, and in particular, a channel identifier for distinguishing a specific virtual communication channel from an Ethernet multicast address when transmitting and receiving data by implementing a plurality of virtual communication channels in an Ethernet based system. Configure the Ethernet frame by including the Ethernet multicast address in the source address field of the Ethernet frame, and append the Ethernet address of its host system to the Ethernet multicast address contained in the destination address of the received Ethernet frame. The present invention relates to a method of implementing a virtual communication channel in an Ethernet-based system for processing received data by selectively transmitting only an Ethernet frame to an Ethernet driver.

In general, Ethernet refers to a local area network that can exchange information at a transmission speed of 10 Mbps or more between a maximum of 1,024 host systems within a distance of about 2.5 km between host systems. Transmitting / receiving Ethernet frames, which are MAC (Media Access Control) frames, based on the IEEE 802.3 standard CSMA / CD (Carrier Sense Multiple Access with Collision Detection) between Ethernet switches or Ethernet switches and Data Terminal Equipment (DTE) In the form of

Recently, Fast Ethernet, which has a bandwidth of 100 Mbps, or 10-Gigabit Ethernet, which provides a data rate of 10 gigabits per second using an optical communication network, has also emerged.

On the other hand, the structure of the conventional Ethernet-based system is, as shown in Figure 1, the Ethernet interface unit 11, Ethernet driver 12, the user interface unit 13, the multicast address database 14 It consists of.

The Ethernet interface unit 11 is hardware that is physically connected through the Ethernet 10 and is generally called a network card, and actually transmits and receives an Ethernet frame with another host system (not shown) connected through the Ethernet 10. .

When receiving data through the Ethernet 10, the Ethernet interface unit 11 monitors whether there is an Ethernet frame transmission through the Ethernet 10, and the destination address of the received Ethernet frame is itself. Reads only the Ethernet frame that contains the Ethernet multicast address previously stored in its multicast address database 14 in the Ethernet multicast address that matches the Ethernet address of the received Ethernet frame or the received Ethernet frame, and transmits the Ethernet frame to the Ethernet driver 12. .

In addition, the Ethernet driver 12 is one of software modules executed by a central processing unit (not shown) of a host system to which the Ethernet interface unit 11 is connected, and controls the Ethernet interface unit 11, which is a hardware device. Enables transmission and reception of Ethernet frames.

In addition, the user interface unit 13 is a protocol stack corresponding to a collection of software modules that implements a communication protocol required for data communication between different devices. The user interface unit 13 may be configured according to a user's setting. 13) implements a corresponding communication protocol on a system based on the Ethernet 10, for example, a TCP / IP stack, which is a part of an operating system of the host system.

On the other hand, the Ethernet driver 12 has an Ethernet address assigned to the Ethernet interface unit 11, when transmitting data through the Ethernet 10, using the assigned Ethernet address, the Ethernet frame to be transmitted as shown in FIG. Configure.

That is, the Ethernet frame is generally composed of at least 64 bytes excluding a preamble of 8 bytes, and includes a destination address, a source address, a type, data, and a cyclic redundancy check (CRC). It consists of such fields.

In addition, when configuring a plurality of virtual communication channels in the Ethernet-based system as in the prior art, the type field of the Ethernet frame is used as the channel identifier. The operation of setting a channel is performed by registering the channel number and the type value to be used by the channel to the Ethernet driver 12.

Then, the Ethernet driver 12 controls the Ethernet interface unit 11 to receive all Ethernet frames according to the channel setting operation.

That is, when data is to be transmitted through a specific virtual communication channel, when the user interface unit 13 transmits the data to be transmitted and the number of the channel to which the data is to be transmitted to the Ethernet driver 12, the Ethernet driver 12 is configured to transmit the data. By converting the data into the form as shown in Figure 2 to configure an Ethernet frame, it is transmitted to the receiving host system through the Ethernet interface unit 11 and Ethernet (10).

In this case, a type value allocated for each specific virtual channel is input to the type field of the Ethernet frame, and the type field indicates information on which virtual channel the receiving host system receives the Ethernet frame data. It serves as a channel identifier to provide.

In the Ethernet frame, the Ethernet address of the Ethernet interface unit 11 managed by the Ethernet driver 12 is input to the source address field, and the destination address is the Ethernet interface of the receiving host system of the specific virtual channel to be used. Enter the negative Ethernet address.

Meanwhile, when receiving data through a specific virtual communication channel, the Ethernet interface unit 11 reads all Ethernet frames from the transmitting host system detected through the Ethernet 10 and transfers them to the Ethernet driver 12. The Ethernet driver 12 examines the type field of the transmitted Ethernet frame.

That is, the type field value is compared with the previously stored type value, and it is determined whether the type value of the transmitted Ethernet frame corresponds to a channel identifier which is to be transmitted and received.

When the Ethernet frame transmitted from the Ethernet interface unit 11 has a type value that is determined to be received by the determination result, the data and channel identifier extracted from the Ethernet frame are transmitted to the user interface unit 13. To process the received data.

However, in the conventional technology as described above, when receiving a data through the Ethernet by configuring a plurality of virtual communication channels in the Ethernet-based system, first receiving all the Ethernet frames transmitted over the Ethernet, and then received By comparing the type field value of the Ethernet frame with a pre-stored channel identifier that can transmit and receive data, and extracting data from the received Ethernet frame, the amount of computation of the host system increases as the number of Ethernet frames transmitted through Ethernet increases. In other words, there is a problem that the time delay for the processing increases, and thus the processing performance of the host system decreases.

In addition, the type field of the Ethernet frame is composed of 2 bytes. The value from 0 to 1500 bits is the length in the IEEE 802.3 protocol. The '2048th and 2054th bits' are also referred to as Internet protocols. Protocol, IP) and Address Resolution Protocol (ARP), which means that when using a type value as an identifier of a channel, it is not only limited to selecting a channel identifier, but also a type value already defined as described above. In order to transmit and receive data with the channel identifier, a separate encoding must be accompanied, and thus, a separate cost due to the addition of a processor increases.

Accordingly, the present invention has been proposed to solve the above-mentioned conventional problems, and when the Ethernet-based system implements a plurality of virtual communication channels to transmit and receive data, the Ethernet multicast address is specified as a specific virtual. Configures an Ethernet frame by including the Ethernet multicast address in the source address field of the Ethernet frame using the channel identifier that distinguishes the communication channel, and accordingly the Ethernet multicast address contained in the destination address of the received Ethernet frame. An object of the present invention is to provide a method of selectively transmitting only an Ethernet frame to which an Ethernet address of a host system is attached to an Ethernet driver to process received data.

1 is a block diagram showing the structure of a system based on a conventional Ethernet.

2 is a view showing the structure of an Ethernet frame in a system based on a conventional Ethernet.

Figure 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an apparatus implementing the virtual communication channel implementation method in a system based on the present invention Ethernet.

Figure 4 is a flow chart showing the operation of the virtual communication channel implementation method in a system based on the present invention Ethernet.

*** Description of the symbols for the main parts of the drawings ***

30: Ethernet 31: Ethernet interface unit

32: Ethernet drive unit 33: user interface unit

34: multicast address database 35: channel information database

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention, when transmitting data through a specific virtual communication channel, after storing the channel information allocated to each channel according to the setting of the system operator, and then the data to be transmitted from the user interface unit and its transmission Receiving channel information designated for use in a network; And reading the prestored Ethernet multicast address according to the received channel information, and constructing and transmitting an Ethernet frame using the received data and the read Ethernet multicast address.

Hereinafter, an embodiment according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Figure 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the device for implementing the virtual communication channel implementation method in the Ethernet-based system of the present invention, as shown, Ethernet interface unit 31, Ethernet driver 32, the user The interface unit 33, the multicast address database 34, and the channel information database 35 are configured.

The present invention applies to a system on a local area network based on Ethernet, such as Fast Ethernet, 10-Gigabit Ethernet, and the like.

In addition, when transmitting and receiving data by implementing a plurality of virtual communication channels in an Ethernet-based system, the present invention uses an Ethernet multicast address as a channel identifier for identifying a specific virtual communication channel. In case of transmitting data through a specific virtual communication channel, if the user interface unit 33 designates the data to be transmitted and the number of the virtual communication channel to be used for the transmission among the plurality of virtual communication channels according to the setting of the system operator, the Ethernet driver The Ethernet 32 reads the Ethernet multicast address corresponding to the designated virtual communication channel number from the channel information database 35, and replaces the read Ethernet multicast address instead of its unicast address in the source address field of the Ethernet frame. To configure the Ethernet frame and send it via Ethernet (30) .

In addition, when receiving data through a specific virtual communication channel using Ethernet 30, Ethernet interface unit 31 detects an Ethernet frame from Ethernet 30 and reads the Ethernet multicast address from its destination address field. Extracts only the Ethernet frame having the address as a destination address and transfers it to the Ethernet driver 32, and the Ethernet driver 32 reads the number and data of the virtual communication channel from the extracted Ethernet frame to the user interface 33. Deliver and process the received data.

In the present invention, the Ethernet interface 31 is a hardware for physically connecting the system in which the Ethernet interface unit 31 is installed with a plurality of other host systems (not shown) in order to transmit and receive data through the Ethernet (30). It is also commonly called a network card.

In addition, the Ethernet interface unit 31 determines whether there is an Ethernet frame transmission command under the control of the Ethernet driver 32 or whether there is an Ethernet frame transmission through the Ethernet 30 to determine whether data is transmitted or received. When the data is transmitted by the Ethernet frame transmission command under the control of the Ethernet driver 32, the Ethernet frame configured and transmitted from the Ethernet driver 32 is transmitted through the Ethernet 30.

When the transmission of the Ethernet frame through the Ethernet 30 is detected and data is received through a specific virtual communication channel, the Ethernet frame having its own address as a destination address by reading the Ethernet multicast address of the detected Ethernet frame or It extracts an Ethernet frame, which is an Ethernet multicast address previously stored in the multicast address database 34 as a destination address, and delivers the Ethernet frame to the Ethernet driver 32.

The Ethernet interface unit 31 reads the Ethernet multicast address included in the destination address field of the Ethernet frame detected through the Ethernet 10 and transfers the Ethernet frame to the Ethernet driver 32.

Meanwhile, the Ethernet driver 32 is one of software modules executed by a central processing unit (not shown) of a host system to which the Ethernet interface unit 31 is connected. The Ethernet driver 32 is a channel from the user interface unit 33 according to a system operator's setting. After receiving the Ethernet multicast address and channel information allocated to each channel and storing it in the channel information database 35, the Ethernet interface unit 31, which is a hardware device, is controlled to enable transmission and reception of Ethernet frames.

That is, the Ethernet driver 32 transmits data by configuring an Ethernet frame by using an Ethernet multicast address previously stored in the channel information database 35, or by using the prestored virtual communication channel information. The number and data of the virtual communication channel are read and transferred to the user interface 33 to process the received data.

In addition, the user interface unit 33 is a protocol stack corresponding to a collection of software modules that implement communication protocols required for data communication between different host systems or communication devices, and the user interface unit 33. Serves to implement a corresponding communication protocol on a system based on the Ethernet 30, for example, a TCP / IP stack, which is a part of an operating system of the host system.

Meanwhile, referring to the flowchart of FIG. 4, an operation process of the present invention will be described first. In the Ethernet driver 32 in the system based on the Ethernet 30, a system operator commands a channel setting command through the user interface 33. Check whether or not the input (S40).

If there is a channel setting command, when the user interface unit 33 transmits channel information allocated for each channel according to a system operator's setting, the Ethernet driver 32 receives the channel information and stores it in the channel information database 35 (S41). ).

Here, the channel information refers to a number assigned to each channel, an Ethernet multicast address, etc. to be used as a source address when transmitting data through a channel of the assigned number.

Next, the Ethernet interface unit 31 determines whether there is an Ethernet frame transmission command under the control of the Ethernet driver 32 or whether there is an Ethernet frame transmission through the Ethernet 30 to determine whether data is transmitted or received. (S42).

At this time, when there is a transmission command of an Ethernet frame under the control of the Ethernet driver 32, and transmits data through a specific virtual communication channel, the Ethernet driver 32 transmits data from the user interface 33. And receiving the channel information designated for use in the transmission (S43), and then reading the prestored Ethernet multicast address according to the received channel information, and using the received data and the read Ethernet multicast address. This configuration is transmitted to the Ethernet interface unit 31 and then transmitted to the destination address through the Ethernet (30) (S44).

That is, when the user interface unit 33 transmits the data to be transmitted and the channel information designated for use in the transmission to the Ethernet driver 32 according to the setting of the system operator, the Ethernet driver 32 that has received this is transferred to the designated channel. According to the number of the virtual communication channel to be used for the transmission among the plurality of virtual communication channels included in the information, the device corresponding to the designated virtual communication channel number from the channel information database 35 that stores the plurality of virtual communication channel information. Read the stored Ethernet Multicast address.

In addition to the type field of the Ethernet frame determined automatically according to the type of data to be transmitted and the data field in which the received data is recorded, the read address instead of the unicast address in the source address field of the Ethernet frame is read. The Ethernet frame is composed by recording the pre-stored Ethernet multicast address and recording the Ethernet address of the partner host system in the destination address field.

Here, the Ethernet frame is generally composed of at least 64 bytes except for 8 bytes of preambles, and includes a destination address, source address, type, data, and periodic redundancy check (CRC). And so on.

As a result of the determination, when transmission of the Ethernet frame through the Ethernet 30 is detected and data is received through a specific virtual communication channel (S45), the other host system is included in the source address of the Ethernet frame in the transmitting host system. Since the Ethernet frame is sent back to the sending host system, the Ethernet multicast address is transmitted as the destination address of the Ethernet frame to be transmitted. Therefore, the Ethernet interface unit 31 reads the Ethernet multicast address included in the destination address of the received Ethernet frame. If the same as the Ethernet multicast address previously stored in the multicast address database 34, the Ethernet frame is extracted and transferred to the Ethernet driver 32 (S46).

That is, when receiving data through a specific virtual communication channel, not all Ethernet frames received by the Ethernet interface unit 31 are transferred to the Ethernet driver 32, but Ethernet multi-channels included in the destination address of the received Ethernet frame. Only the Ethernet frame having its own Ethernet address attached to the cast address is selectively transmitted to the Ethernet driver 32.

Next, the Ethernet driver 32 searches for channel information through the channel information database 35 according to the extracted Ethernet frame (S47), and reads data from the extracted Ethernet frame (S48).

Then, the read data and the retrieved channel information are transferred to the user interface 33 (S49) to process the received data.

Here, the channel information refers to a number assigned to each channel, an Ethernet multicast address, etc. to be used as a source address when transmitting data through a channel of the assigned number.

As described above, the present invention uses an Ethernet multicast address as a channel identifier for distinguishing a specific virtual communication channel when transmitting and receiving data by implementing a plurality of virtual communication channels in an Ethernet-based system. Configure the Ethernet frame by including the Ethernet multicast address in the source address field of the Ethernet frame, and attach the Ethernet address of the host system to the Ethernet multicast address included in the destination address of the received Ethernet frame. By selectively transmitting only Ethernet frames to the Ethernet driver to process the received data, it improves the processing performance of the host system, and adds a processor because there is no need for a separate encoding for transmitting and receiving data by using a predefined type value as a channel identifier. Saves extra costs due to There are effective.

Claims (4)

When transmitting data through a specific virtual communication channel, storing channel information allocated for each channel according to a system operator's setting, and then receiving data to be transmitted from the user interface unit and channel information designated for use in the transmission thereof. Wow; Reading the pre-stored Ethernet multicast address according to the received channel information, and configuring and transmitting an Ethernet frame using the received data and the read Ethernet multicast address. How to implement a virtual communication channel in a system. The virtual communication channel of claim 1, wherein the Ethernet frame is configured by recording a pre-stored Ethernet multicast address corresponding to the received channel information in a source address field. Way. When receiving data through a specific virtual communication channel, the channel information stored for each channel is stored according to a system operator's setting, and then an Ethernet frame having the pre-stored Ethernet multicast address as a destination address among the received Ethernet frames is stored. Selectively extracting; Retrieving the pre-stored channel information according to the extracted ethernet frame, reading data received from the extracted ethernet frame, and transmitting the retrieved channel information and the read data to a user interface unit; A method for implementing virtual communication channels in a system based on. [4] The Ethernet of claim 1 or 3, wherein the channel information comprises an Ethernet multicast address configured as a source address when data is transmitted through a number assigned to each channel and a channel of the assigned number. A method for implementing virtual communication channels in a based system.