Centralized packet processor for a network

• US 8,804,733 B1
• Filed: 06/02/2011
• Issued: 08/12/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/02/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Marvell Asia Pte Limited (Marvell Technology Group Limited)
• Original Assignee: Marvell International Limited (Marvell Technology Group Limited), Marvell Israel MISL Limited (Marvell Technology Group Limited)
• Inventors: Safrai, Uri, Daniel, Tsahi
• Primary Examiner(s): Moore, Jr., Michael J
• Application Number:
  US13/151,927
• Time in Patent Office: 1,167 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 370/392
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4645 Details on frame tagging routing of packets H04L45/00; support for virtual LAN H04L49/354
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0226 Mapping or translating multiple network management protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/42 Centralised routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/586 of virtual routers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/10 characterised by the switching fabric construction
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/111 Switch interfaces, e.g. port details
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/08 Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion

Abstract

A centralized packet processor device for use in a communication system includes a plurality of physical ports to couple the centralized packet processor device to a plurality of network devices, a port manager coupled to the plurality of physical ports and configured to assign to a packet received at the centralized packet processor device a virtual port that uniquely identifies at least one of a physical port and a trunk of the network device from which the packet is received and that is used with the centralized packet processor to process the packet, and a packet processor unit coupled to the plurality of physical ports, where the packet processor is configured to process the packet using the assigned virtual port.

Claims

1. A centralized packet processor device for use in a communication system, the centralized packet processor device comprising:

a plurality of first physical ports to couple the centralized packet processor device to a plurality of network devices;

a port manager coupled to the plurality of first physical ports and configured to form a virtual port identifier (ID) for a packet received at the centralized packet processor device, the packet including a tag with at least one of i) a) a device ID field for indicating a particular one of the network devices from which the packet is received, and b) a source port ID field for indicating a second physical port of the one network device, or ii) a trunk ID field for indicating a trunk via which the packet was received, wherein the port manager is configured to form the virtual port ID using at least one of i) a) bits from the device ID field, and b) bits from the source port ID field, or ii) bits from the trunk ID field; and

a packet processor unit coupled to the plurality of first physical ports, wherein the packet processor is configured to process the packet using the virtual port ID for the packet.

2. The centralized packet processor of claim 1, wherein the port manager is configured to form the virtual port ID using a) a subset of bits from the device ID field, and b) a subset of bits from the source port ID field.

3. The centralized packet processor of claim 1, wherein the port manager is configured to form the virtual port ID using a subset of bits from the trunk ID field.

4. The centralized packet processor of claim 1, wherein the port manager is configured to form the virtual port ID further using bits of an identifier of a physical port of the centralized packet processor at which the packet is received.

5. The centralized packet processor of claim 1, wherein the tag is included in a header of the packet.

6. The centralized packet processor of claim 1, wherein the packet processor unit implements a packet processing function that is not available at the network device from which the packet is forwarded.

7. The centralized packet processor of claim 6, wherein the packet processor unit supports a protocol not supported by at least one of the plurality of network devices.

14. The centralized packet processor of claim 7, wherein the port manager is configured to form the virtual port ID using a subset of bits from the trunk ID field.

15. The centralized packet processor of claim 7, wherein:

the centralized packet processor is coupled to the one network device via another network device.

8. A centralized packet processor for use in a communication system, the centralized packet processor comprising:

a plurality of first physical ports coupled to a plurality of network devices to receive a packet, wherein each of the plurality of network devices includes a respective set of second physical ports, and wherein the packet includes a tag with at least one of i) a) a device identifier (ID) field for indicating a particular one of the network devices from which the packet is received, and b) a source port ID field for indicating a second physical port at which the packet is received, or ii) a trunk ID field for indicating a trunk via which the packet was received;

a port manager coupled to the plurality of first physical ports and configured to form a virtual port ID using at least one of i) a) bits from the device ID field, and b) bits from the source port ID field, or ii) bits from the trunk ID field; and

a packet processor unit coupled to the plurality of first physical ports, wherein the packet processor is configured to (i) process the received packet using the virtual port ID and (ii) apply a packet processing function that is not available at the one network device from which the packet is forwarded.

9. The centralized packet processor of claim 8, wherein the port manager is configured to form the virtual port ID to uniquely identify the second physical port at the network device at which the packet is received.

10. The centralized packet processor of claim 8, wherein the packet processor is configured to support a communication protocol not supported by at least one of the plurality of network devices.

11. The centralized packet processor of claim 8, wherein:

the packet is received from a first one of the plurality of network devices; and

the packet processor unit is configured to forward the packet to a second one of the plurality of network devices.

12. The centralized packet processor of claim 8, wherein the tag is included in a header of the packet.

13. The centralized packet processor of claim 8, wherein the port manager is configured to form the virtual port ID using:

a) a subset of bits from the device ID field, and b) a subset of bits from the source port ID field.

16. A method for processing packets in a centralized packet processor, wherein the centralized packet processor includes a plurality of first physical ports and operates in a communication network including the centralized packet processor and a plurality of network devices communicatively coupled to the centralized packet processor via respective ones of the plurality of first physical ports, the method comprising:

receiving, via one of the plurality of first physical ports of the centralized packet processor, a packet forwarded from one of the plurality of network devices, the packet including a tag with at least one of i) a) a device identifier (ID) field for indicating the one network device from which the packet is received, and b) a source port ID field for indicating a second physical port of the one network device, or ii) a trunk ID field for indicating a trunk via which the packet was received;

forming a virtual port ID for the received packet using at least one of i) a) bits from the device ID field, and b) bits from the source port ID field, or ii) bits from the trunk ID field; and

processing the packet using the virtual port ID.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein processing the packet includes applying a packet processing function to the packet unavailable at the network device from which the packet is received.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein forming the virtual port ID for the received packet includes using a) a subset of bits from the device ID field, and b) a subset of bits from the source port ID field.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein forming the virtual port ID for the received packet includes further using an identifier of the physical port of the centralized packet processor at which the packet is received.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein forming the virtual port ID for the received packet includes using a subset of bits from the trunk ID field.