Switch-based network processor

• US 20020080789A1
• Filed: 11/07/2001
• Published: 06/27/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 11/07/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Croft, Walter E., Henderson, Alex E.
• Application Number:
  US10/005,596
• Publication Number:
  US 20020080789A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/392
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/58 Association of routers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/60 Router architectures
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/7453 using hashing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/101 using crossbar or matrix
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/103 using a shared central buffer; using a shared memory
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/1515 Non-blocking multistage, e.g. Clos
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/30 Peripheral units, e.g. input or output ports
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/16 Implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/166 IP fragmentation; TCP segmentation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/22 Parsing or analysis of headers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/32 Architecture of open systems interconnection [OSI] 7-layer type protocol stacks, e.g. the interfaces between the data link level and the physical level
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A switch-based network processor disclosed. The switch-based network processor includes a packet parser, search and modification scheduler that parses a data packet, develops a search for a processing rule associated with the packet, and schedules a modification to be performed on the packet based on the rule. The processor also includes several search resources that each can search simultaneously for a processing rule. Multiple packet modifiers are included to modify several packets simultaneously. A core switch is also provided to switch search requests from the parser to the search resources, to switch search responses from the search resources to the parser, and to switch modification requests and responses between the parser and packet modifiers. The switch-based processor also includes a session state storage device that can be used to allow the processor to be aware of a session.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a parser to receive a packet and to generate a packet search request;

a plurality of search resources, each search resource to determine a search response to the packet search request; and

a switch to receive the packet search request from the parser and to multicast the packet search request to the plurality of search resources.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the switch is further configured to receive a search response from each of the plurality of search resources, to select one search response from the received search responses, and to transmit the selected response to the parser.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the parser is further configured to generate a modification request for the packet based on the search response.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, further comprising a plurality of packet modifiers, each packet modifier configured to modify the packet using the modification request.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the switch is configured to transmit the modification request from the parser to a packet modifier having a shortest queue.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the switch is further configured to transmit the modified packet from the packet modifier to the parser.

7. An apparatus comprising:

a parser to receive a packet and to generate a packet request;

a plurality of packet resources, each packet resource to generate a packet response based on the packet request; and

a switch to receive the packet request from the parser and to transmit the packet request to at least one of the plurality of packet resources.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the packet request is selected from the group consisting of:

a packet search request, a packet modification request, and a session identification request.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the switch is further configured to receive a packet response from at least one of the plurality of packet resources, and to transmit the packet response to the parser.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the packet response is selected from the group consisting of:

a search response, a packet modification, and a session identifier.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the packet resource is selected from the group consisting of:

a packet modifier, a packet search device, and a session device.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the packet request is selected from the group consisting of:

a packet search request, a packet modification request, and a session identification request.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein said third means further comprises means for receiving a packet response from said second means, and for transmitting the packet response to said first means.

15. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the packet response is selected from the group consisting of:

a search response, a packet modification, and a session identifier.

16. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein said second means is selected from the group consisting of:

a packet modifier, a packet search device, and a session device.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising:

using the packet resource to generate a packet response based on the packet request.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the packet request is selected from the group consisting of:

a packet search request, a packet modification request, and a session identification request.

20. The method of claim 17 further comprising using the switch to transmit the packet response from the packet resource to the parser.

21. The method of claim 17, wherein the packet response is selected from the group consisting of:

a search response, a packet modification, and a session identifier.

22. The method of claim 17, wherein the packet resource is selected from the group consisting of:

a packet modifier, a packet search device, and a session device.

12. An apparatus comprising:

first means for receiving a packet and for generating a packet request;

second means for generating a packet response based on the packet request; and

third means for receiving the packet request from said first means and for transmitting the packet request to said second means.

17. A method comprising:

receiving a packet at a parser;

generating a packet request at the parser; and

using a switch to transmit the packet request from the parser to a packet resource.

23. A method for state based packet processing comprising:

allocating session/state storage when session processing is started;

creating a session lock queue to control the order in which packets are processed;

executing lock and unlock instructions to access semaphores stored in the session state storage to suspend and restart processing of packets;

executing an instruction for processing of packets selected from the group consisting of;

lock queue create, packet insert, packet delete, queue flush, and queue destroy; and

de-allocating session/state storage when session processing is completed.