Abstract:
A transactional memory (TM) includes a control circuit pipeline and an associated memory unit. The memory unit stores a plurality of rings. The pipeline maintains, for each ring, a head pointer and a tail pointer. A ring operation stage of the pipeline maintains the pointers as values are put onto and are taken off the rings. A put command causes the TM to put a value into a ring, provided the ring is not full. A get command causes the TM to take a value off a ring, provided the ring is not empty. A put with low priority command causes the TM to put a value into a ring, provided the ring has at least a predetermined amount of free buffer space. A get from a set of rings command causes the TM to get a value from the highest priority non-empty ring (of a specified set of rings).
Abstract:
A source code symbol can be declared to have a scope level indicative of a level in a hierarchy of scope levels, where the scope level indicates a circuit level or a sub-circuit level in the hierarchy. A novel instruction to the linker can define the symbol to be of a desired scope level. Location information indicates where different amounts of the object code are to be loaded into a system. A novel linker program uses the location information, along with the scope level information of the symbol, to uniquify instances of the symbol if necessary to resolve name collisions of symbols having the same scope. After the symbol uniquification step, the linker performs resource allocation. A resource instance is allocated to each symbol. The linker then replaces each instance of the symbol in the object code with the address of the allocated resource instance, thereby generating executable code.
Abstract:
A novel linker statically allocates resource instances of a non-memory resource at link time. In one example, a novel declare instruction in source code declares a pool of resource instances, where the resource instances are instances of the non-memory resource. A novel allocate instruction is then used to instruct the linker to allocate a resource instance from the pool to be associated with a symbol. Thereafter the symbol is usable in the source code to refer to an instance of the non-memory resource. At link time the linker allocates an instance of the non-memory resource to the symbol and then replaces each instance of the symbol with an address of the non-memory resource instance, thereby generating executable code. Examples of instances of non-memory resources include ring circuits and event filter circuits.
Abstract:
A novel allocate instruction and a novel API call are received onto a compiler. The allocate instruction includes a symbol that identifies a non-memory resource instance. The API call is a call to perform an operation on a non-memory resource instance, where the particular instance is indicated by the symbol in the API call. The compiler replaces the API call with a set of API instructions. A linker then allocates a value to be associated with the symbol, where the allocated value is one of a plurality of values, and where each value corresponds to a respective one of the non-memory resource instances. After allocation, the linker generates an amount of executable code, where the API instructions in the code: 1) are for using the allocated value to generate an address of a register in the appropriate non-memory resource instance, and 2) are for accessing the register.
Abstract:
A transactional memory (TM) includes a control circuit pipeline and an associated memory unit. The memory unit stores a plurality of rings. The pipeline maintains, for each ring, a head pointer and a tail pointer. A ring operation stage of the pipeline maintains the pointers as values are put onto and are taken off the rings. A put command causes the TM to put a value into a ring, provided the ring is not full. A get command causes the TM to take a value off a ring, provided the ring is not empty. A put with low priority command causes the TM to put a value into a ring, provided the ring has at least a predetermined amount of free buffer space. A get from a set of rings command causes the TM to get a value from the highest priority non-empty ring (of a specified set of rings).
Abstract:
A Self-Timed Logic Entropy Bit Stream Generator (STLEBSG) outputs a bit stream having non-deterministic entropy. The bit stream is supplied onto an input of a signal storage ring so that entropy of the bit stream is then stored in the ring as the bit stream circulates in the ring. Depending on the configuration of the ring, the bit stream as it circulates undergoes permutations, but the signal storage ring nonetheless stores the entropy of the injected bit stream. In one example, the STLEBSG is disabled and the bit stream is no longer supplied to the ring, but the ring continues to circulate and stores entropy of the original bit stream. With the STLEBSG disabled, a signal output from the ring is used to generate one or more random numbers.
Abstract:
An egress packet modifier includes a script parser and a pipeline of processing stages. Rather than performing egress modifications using a processor that fetches and decodes and executes instructions in a classic processor fashion, and rather than storing a packet in memory and reading it out and modifying it and writing it back, the packet modifier pipeline processes the packet by passing parts of the packet through the pipeline. A processor identifies particular egress modifications to be performed by placing a script code at the beginning of the packet. The script parser then uses the code to identify a specific script of opcodes, where each opcode defines a modification. As a part passes through a stage, the stage can carry out the modification of such an opcode. As realized using current semiconductor fabrication process, the packet modifier can modify 200M packets/second at a sustained rate of up to 100 gigabits/second.
Abstract:
A transactional memory (TM) receives a lookup command across a bus from a processor. The command includes a memory address. In response to the command, the TM pulls an input value (IV). The memory address is used to read a word containing multiple result values (RVs), multiple reference values, and multiple prefix values from memory. A selecting circuit within the TM uses a starting bit position and a mask size to select a portion of the IV. The portion of the IV is a lookup key value (LKV). Mask values are generated based on the prefix values. The LKV is masked by each mask value thereby generating multiple masked values that are compared to the reference values. Based on the comparison a lookup table generates a selector value that is used to select a result value. The selected result value is then communicated to the processor via the bus.
Abstract:
An appliance receives packets that are part of a flow pair, each packet sharing an application protocol. The appliance determines the application protocol of the packets by performing deep packet inspection (DPI) on the packets. Packet sizes are measured and converted into packet size states. Packet size states, packet sequence numbers, and packet flow directions are used to create an application protocol estimation table (APET). The APET is used during normal operation to estimate the application protocol of a flow pair without performing time consuming DPI. The appliance then determines inter-packet intervals between received packets. The inter-packet intervals are converted into inter-packet interval states. The inter-packet interval states and packet sequence numbers are used to create an inter-packet interval prediction table. The appliance then stores an inter-packet interval prediction table for each application protocol. The inter-packet interval prediction table is used during operation to predict the inter-packet interval between packets.
Abstract:
An array of columns and rows of host server devices is mounted in a row of racks. Each device has a host processor and an exact-match packet switching integrated circuit. Packets are switched within the system using exact-match flow tables that are provisioned by a central controller. Each device is coupled by a first cable to a device to its left, by a second cable to a device to its right, by a third cable to a device above, and by a fourth cable to a device below. In one example, substantially all cables that are one meter or less in length are non-optical cables, whereas substantially all cables that are seven meters or more in length are optical cables. Advantageously, each device of a majority of the devices has four and only four cable ports, and connects only to non-optical cables, and the connections involve no optical transceiver.