US 11,687,358 B2
Network functions virtualization platforms with function chaining capabilities
Abdel Hafiz Rabi, High Wycombe (GB); Allen Chen, Cupertino, CA (US); Mark Jonathan Lewis, Marlow Bottom (GB); and Jiefan Zhang, San Jose, CA (US)
Assigned to Altera Corporation, San Jose, CA (US)
Filed by Altera Corporation, San Jose, CA (US)
Filed on Mar. 26, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/214,522.
Application 17/214,522 is a continuation of application No. 16/683,093, filed on Nov. 13, 2019, granted, now 10,963,291.
Application 16/683,093 is a continuation of application No. 14/698,636, filed on Apr. 28, 2015, granted, now 10,489,178, issued on Nov. 26, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2021/0216354 A1, Jul. 15, 2021
Int. Cl. G06F 13/40 (2006.01); G06F 9/455 (2018.01); G06F 13/28 (2006.01)
CPC G06F 9/45558 (2013.01) [G06F 13/28 (2013.01); G06F 13/4022 (2013.01); G06F 2009/45595 (2013.01); G06F 2213/0038 (2013.01); G06F 2213/28 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An integrated circuit configurable to communicatively couple to a host processor associated with a network functions virtualization (NFV) platform, the integrated circuit comprising:
a first virtual function hardware accelerator configurable to perform a first function;
a second virtual function hardware accelerator configurable to perform a second function; and
data switching circuitry configurable to:
receive first data output from the host processor;
send the first data to the first virtual function hardware accelerator to perform the first function on the first data to generate second data; and
receive the second data from the first virtual function hardware accelerator, wherein the second virtual function hardware accelerator is configurable to perform the second function on the second data to generate third data without outputting the second data to the host processor.