Pipelined packet switching and queuing architecture
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Abstract
An architecture for a line card in a network routing device is provided. The line card architecture provides a bi-directional interface between the routing device and a network, both receiving packets from the network and transmitting the packets to the network through one or more connecting ports. In both the receive and transmit path, packets processing and routing in a multi-stage, parallel pipeline that can operate on several packets at the same time to determine each packet'"'"'s routing destination is provided. Once a routing destination determination is made, the line card architecture provides for each received packet to be modified to contain new routing information and additional header data to facilitate packet transmission through the switching fabric. The line card architecture further provides for the use of bandwidth management techniques in order to buffer and enqueue each packet for transmission through the switching fabric to a corresponding destination port. The transmit path of the line card architecture further incorporates additional features for treatment and replication of multicast packets.
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Citations
38 Claims
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1-20. -20. (canceled)
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21. An apparatus comprising:
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a packet processor; and
a bridge module, coupled to the packet processor, comprising a plurality of buffers configured to store network packet data, and configured to provide network packet data to the packet processor, and insert a buffer threshold exceeded indication in network packet data provided to the packet processor if an amount of network packet data stored in a configured number of buffers exceeds a configured first threshold; and
wherein the packet processor is configured to selectively drop the network packet data provided to the packet processor if the network packet data comprises the buffer threshold exceeded indication. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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28. A method comprising:
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storing network packet data in a plurality of queues;
determining if an amount of network packet data stored in a configured number of the plurality of queues exceeds a configured first threshold;
processing provided network packet data, wherein the provided network packet data comprises network packet data provided from one of the plurality of queues; and
selectively dropping the provided network packet data if the amount of network packet data stored in the configured number of queues exceeds the first threshold. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
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34. An apparatus comprising:
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a plurality of buffers;
means for storing network packet data in the plurality of queues;
means for configuring a first threshold;
means for determining if an amount of network packet data stored in a configured number of queues exceeds the first threshold;
means for processing provided network packet data, wherein the provided network packet data comprises network packet data provided from one of the plurality of queues; and
means for selectively dropping the provided network packet data if the amount of network packet data stored in the configured number of queues exceeds the first threshold. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36, 37, 38)
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Specification