摘要:
A system and method of altering frames being processed by a network processing unit. The system includes a set of defined alterations, with some of the alterations being fixed alterations which are advantageously handled by hardware to accomplish the fixed alterations rapidly and without executing a stored program and other alterations which include a variable portion, with these variable alterations being accomplished through the use of stored programs allowing the variables to be used to effect variable alterations to a frame. The present system accommodates a change in the duration of life of a frame or information unit and addition or deletion of bits and also allows for a new cyclic redundancy checking to be accomplished for a revised information unit. Advantageously, the frame alteration system is on the same substrate as the processors.
摘要:
Novel data structures, methods and apparatus for finding a full match between a search pattern and a pattern stored in a leaf of the search tree. A key is input, a hash function is performed on the key, a direct table (DT) is accessed, and a tree is walked through pattern search control blocks (PSCBs) until reaching a leaf. The search mechanism uses a set of data structures that can be located in a few registers and regular memory, and then used to build a Patricia tree structure that can be manipulated by a relatively simple hardware macro. Both keys and corresponding information needed for retrieval are stored in the Patricia tree structure. The hash function provides an n->n mapping of the bits of the key to the bits of the hash key.
摘要:
A Network Processor (NP) is formed from a plurality of operatively coupled chips. The NP includes a Network Processor Complex (NPC) Chip coupled to a Data Flow Chip and Data Store Memory coupled to the Data Flow Chip. An optional Scheduler Chip is coupled to the Data Flow Chip. The named components are replicated to create a symmetric ingress and egress structure.
摘要:
A system and method of transmitting multiple output messages from a single input message system where the system is keeping the messages in order by correlating the output messages with the input messages. For each output message, an indicator is associated with the output message indicating whether this output message is the last message being generated for the given input message. This allows multicasting to occur in a system where the output is matched to the input by allowing multiple output messages to be associated with a single input message.
摘要:
A method and system for efficiently implementing an error correction code scheme. In one embodiment of the present invention, a system comprises a processor configured to process frames of data. Each frame of data may be associated with a frame control block. The processor comprises a first queue configured to store one or more frame control blocks associated with one or more frames of data. The processor further comprises a second queue configured to store one or more frame control blocks not associated with a frame of data. The one or more frame control blocks associated with one or more frames of data in the first queue comprise a bit for storing a parity bit. The one or more frame control blocks in the second queue comprise a plurality of bits for storing a code of an error correction code scheme.
摘要:
A method for integrating Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) and frame-based traffic flows within a telecommunications network is disclosed. The telecommunications network includes a network processor having upside processing means for delivering an incoming flow from the telecommunications network to a switch and downside processing means for delivering outgoing network traffic from the switch to the telecommunications network. The incoming flow is initially received at the upside processing means as a frame-based flow. The incoming flow may be characterized as belonging to a group having frame-based flows and ATM flows. In response to the receipt of the incoming flow, the incoming flow is determined if it is destined for a legacy, ATM-only device. The incoming flow is then processed according to the determined routing requirements and the incoming flow characterization before delivering the incoming flow to the switch.
摘要:
A method and system for reserving frame modification information in a data storage unit. In one embodiment of the present invention, a system comprises a processor configured to process frames of data. The processor may comprise a data flow unit configured to receive and transmit frames of data. The processor may further comprise a data storage unit coupled to the data flow unit where the data storage unit comprises a plurality of buffers. The plurality of buffers is configured to store frames of data. A first buffer may be accessed to store the ending frame data of a first frame. A first bank in the first buffer stores the end of the first frame. A second bank in a second buffer may be reserved for storing frame modification information where the second bank corresponds to the first bank in the first buffer that stores the end of the first frame.
摘要:
A bandwidth conserving queue manager for a FIFO buffer is provided, preferably on an ASIC chip and preferably including separate DRAM storage that maintains a FIFO queue which can extend beyond the data storage space of the FIFO buffer to provide additional data storage space as needed. FIFO buffers are used on the ASIC chip to store and retrieve multiple queue entries. As long as the total size of the queue does not exceed the storage available in the buffers, no additional data storage is needed. However, when some predetermined amount of the buffer storage space in the FIFO buffers is exceeded, data are written to and read from the additional data storage, and preferably in packets which are of optimum size for maintaining peak performance of the data storage device and which are written to the data storage device in such a way that they are queued in a first-in, first-out (FIFO) sequence of addresses. Preferably, the data are written to and are read from the DRAM in burst mode.
摘要:
A method and system for identifying a data structure associated with a packet of data. A processor internal to a packet processor may extract one or more fields in a packet header field of a received packet of data to generate a search key. The internal processor may then be configured to select which table, e.g., routing table, quality of service table, filter table, needs to be accessed using the search key in order to process the received packet of data. A determination may then be made by the internal processor as to whether a CAM or a hash table and a Patricia Tree are used to identify the data structure associated with the received packet of data. Based on table definitions in a register, the internal processor may make such a determination.
摘要:
A method and structure is disclosed for dispatching appropriate data to a network processing system comprising an improved technique for extracting protocol header fields for use by the network processor. This technique includes basic classification of a packet according to the types of protocol headers present in the packet. Based on the results of the classification, specific parameter fields are extracted from corresponding headers. All such parameter fields from one or more protocol headers in the packet are concatenated into a compressed dispatch message. Multiple of such dispatch messages are bundled into a single composite dispatch message. Thus selected header fields from N packets are passed to the network processor in a single composite dispatch message, increasing the network processor's packet forwarding capacity by a factor of N. Likewise, multiple enqueue messages are bundled into a single composite enqueue message to direct enqueue and frame alterations to be taken on the bundle of N packets.