Patent attributes
A method to offload network function packet processing from a virtual machine onto an offload destination is disclosed. In an embodiment, a method comprises: defining an application programing interface (“API”) for capturing, in a packet processor offload, a network function packet processing for a data flow by specifying how to perform the network function packet processing on data packets that belong to the data flow. Based on capabilities of the packet processor offload and available resources, a packet processing offload destination is selected. Based at least on the API, the packet processor offload for the packet processing offload destination is generated. The packet processor offload is downloaded to the packet processing offload destination to configure the packet processing offload destination to provide the network function packet processing on the data packets that belong to the data flow. The packet processing offload destination is a PNIC or a hypervisor.
