Hardware-assisted central processing unit access to a forwarding database

• US 5,909,686 A
• Filed: 06/30/1997
• Issued: 06/01/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Oracle America, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sun Microsystems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Murthy, Shree, Muller, Shimon, Hendel, Ariel, Yeung, Louise, Hejza, Leo
• Primary Examiner(s): Lintz, Paul R.
• Application Number:
  US08/885,047
• Time in Patent Office: 701 Days
• Field of Search: 707/1, 707/104, 370/400, 370/401, 370/402, 370/229, 395/200.47, 395/200.48, 395/200.49
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/25 Integrating or interfacing systems involving database management systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/254 Centralised controller, i.e. arbitration or scheduling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/3009 Header conversion, routing tables or routing tags
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99948 Application of database or data structure, e.g. distributed, multimedia, or image

Abstract

A method and apparatus for providing hardware-assisted CPU access to a forwarding database is described. According to one aspect of the present invention, a switch fabric provides access to a forwarding database on behalf of a processor. The switch fabric includes a memory access interface configured to arbitrate access to a forwarding database memory. The switch fabric also includes a search engine coupled to the memory access interface and to multiple input ports. The search engine is configured to schedule and perform accesses to the forwarding database memory and to transfer forwarding decisions retrieved therefrom to the input ports. The switch fabric further includes command execution logic that is configured to interface with the processor for performing forwarding database accesses requested by the processor. According to another aspect of the invention one or more commands are provided to implement the following functions: (1) learning a supplied address; (2) reading associated data corresponding to a supplied search key; (3) aging forwarding database entries; (4) invalidating entries; (5) accessing mask data, such as mask data that may be stored in a mask per bit (MPB) content addressable memory (CAM), corresponding to a particular search key; (6) replacing forwarding database entries; and (7) accessing entries in the forwarding database.

Claims

1. A switch fabric comprising:

a memory access interface configured to arbitrate accesses to a forwarding database memory, the accesses to the forwarding database include operations from a set of device dependent operations that are associated with the particular implementation of the forwarding database memory;

a search engine coupled to the memory access interface and to a plurality of input ports, the search engine configured to schedule and perform accesses to the forwarding database memory and to transfer forwarding decisions retrieved therefrom to the plurality of input ports; and

command execution logic configured to interface with a processor for performing forwarding database access on behalf of the processor, the command execution logic coupled between the memory access interface and the processor, the command execution logic supporting a predetermined set of commands that are independent of the particular implementation of the forwarding database memory and performing one or more operations of the set of device dependent operations responsive to issuance of a command from the set of predetermined commands by the processor.

2. The switch fabric of claim 1, wherein the command execution logic further includes an interface memory comprising one or more programmable input registers and one or more output registers, the one or more programmable input registers for receiving a command of the predetermined set of commands, and data associated with the command, if any, from the processor, the one or more output registers allowing the processor to read forwarding database memory access results, if any, and forwarding database memory access status.

3. The switch fabric of claim 1, wherein the predetermined set of commands includes a command for reading a search key from the forwarding database memory.

4. The switch fabric of claim 1, wherein the predetermined set of commands includes a command for writing a search key to the forwarding database memory.

5. The switch fabric of claim 1, wherein the predetermined set of commands includes a command for reading data from the forwarding database memory corresponding to a supplied search key.

6. The switch fabric of claim 1, wherein the predetermined set of commands includes a command for performing learning of a supplied address, wherein if no forwarding database memory entry is found in the forwarding database memory that matches the supplied address, then a new forwarding database memory entry will be inserted.

7. The switch fabric of claim 1, wherein the forwarding database memory has stored therein at least two types of forwarding database memory entries, and wherein the predetermined set of commands includes a first command for aging a first type of forwarding database memory entry and a second command for aging a second type of forwarding database memory entry.

8. The switch fabric of claim 1, wherein the predetermined set of commands includes a command for invalidating an active forwarding database memory entry.

9. The switch fabric of claim 1, wherein the predetermined set of commands includes a command for updating mask data corresponding to a particular search key.

10. The switch fabric of claim 1, wherein the predetermined set of commands includes a command for reading mask data corresponding to a particular search key.

11. The switch fabric of claim 1, wherein the predetermined set of commands includes a command for replacing a forwarding database memory entry.

12. A network device comprising:

a bus interface for communicating data to and from a processor; and

a switch fabric coupled to the bus interface and configured to provide hardware-assisted processor access to a forwarding database memory, the switch fabric including

a memory access interface configured to arbitrate accesses to the forwarding database memory,

a search engine coupled to the memory access interface and to a plurality of input ports, the search engine configured to schedule and perform accesses to the forwarding database memory and to transfer forwarding decisions retrieved therefrom to the plurality of input ports, and

command execution logic coupled between the processor and the memory access interface, the command execution logic configured to support a predetermined set of commands to provide forwarding database memory accesses on behalf of the processor, the command execution logic including an interface memory comprising one or more programmable input registers and one or more output registers, the one or more programmable input registers for receiving a command of the predetermined set of commands, and data associated with the command, if any, from the processor, the one or more output registers allowing the processor to read forwarding database memory access results, if any, and forwarding database memory access status.

13. The network device of claim 12, wherein the predetermined set of commands includes a command for writing a search key to the forwarding database memory.

14. The network device of claim 12, wherein the predetermined set of commands includes a command for reading data from the forwarding database memory corresponding to a supplied search key.

15. The network device of claim 12, wherein the predetermined set of commands includes a command for performing learning of a supplied address, wherein if no forwarding database memory entry is found in the forwarding memory database that matches the supplied address, then a new forwarding database memory entry will be inserted.

16. The network device of claim 12, wherein the forwarding database memory has stored therein at least two types of forwarding database memory entries, and wherein the predetermined set of commands includes a first command for aging a first type of forwarding database memory entry and a second command for aging a second type of forwarding database memory entry.

17. The network device of claim 12, wherein the predetermined set of commands includes a command for invalidating an active forwarding database memory entry.

18. The network device of claim 12, wherein the predetermined set of commands includes a command for updating mask data corresponding to a particular search key.

19. The network device of claim 12, wherein the predetermined set of commands includes a command for reading mask data corresponding to a particular search key.

20. The network device of claim 12, wherein the predetermined set of commands includes a command for replacing a forwarding database memory entry.

21. A method comprising the steps of:

a processor requesting access to a forwarding database memory associated with a switch fabric by issuing a forwarding database access command of a predetermined set of forwarding database access commands that are supported by command execution logic of the switch fabric, the predetermined set of forwarding database access commands being independent of the particular implementation of the forwarding database memory; and

responsive to the forwarding database access command, the command execution logic accessing the forwarding database memory on behalf of the processor by performing one or more operations of a set of operations that are dependent upon the particular implementation of the forwarding database memory.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the forwarding database access command comprises a command for reading a forwarding database memory entry from the forwarding database memory, and wherein the method further comprises the steps of:

the processor programming an address counter register in the switch fabric to identify a starting address of the forwarding database memory entry in the forwarding database memory;

the processor providing the command execution logic with the command by programming to a command register in the switch fabric; and

the command execution logic reading the starting address from the address counter register, reading the forwarding database memory entry from the forwarding database memory, and writing the forwarding database memory entry to an output register that is accessible by the processor when the command execution logic is granted access to the forwarding database memory.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the forwarding database access command comprises a command for writing a forwarding database memory entry to the forwarding database memory, and wherein the method further comprises the steps of:

the processor providing the command execution logic with the forwarding database memory entry by programming a write register in the switch fabric;

the processor identifying a start address in the forwarding database memory to which the forwarding database memory entry is to be written by programming an address counter register in the switch fabric;

the processor providing the command execution logic with the command by programming a command register in the switch fabric; and

the command execution logic reading the starting address from the address counter register and writing the forwarding database memory entry to the forwarding database memory when the command execution logic is granted access to the forwarding database memory.