Network packet steering via configurable association of packet processing resources and network interfaces
First Claim
1. A method comprising:
- providing a user interface to dynamically configure one or more packet processing resources, wherein the user interface is in communication with each packet processing resource of a plurality of packet processing resources of a network routing/switching device;
displaying at least one of processing capabilities or memory capabilities of the one or more packet processing resources to the user via the user interface, wherein the at least one of the processing capabilities or the memory capabilities is displayed in response to communications sent to the user interface from the at least one packet processing resource;
generating with the user interface, a mapping that logically assigns each packet processing resource to one or more network interfaces or to one or more line interface ports associated with one or more network interfaces, wherein the one or more network interfaces or the one or more line interface ports steer, based on the mapping, a received network packet to a particular packet processing resource by which the received packet is to be processed;
sending data describing the mapping to each packet processing resource; and
causing the data describing the mapping to be forwarded from each packet processing resource to the assigned one or more network interfaces or the one or more line interface ports.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Methods and systems are provided for steering network packets. According to one embodiment, a dynamically configurable steering table is stored within a memory of each network interface of a networking routing/switching device. The steering table represents a mapping that logically assigns each of the network interfaces to one of multiple packet processing resources of the network routing/switching device. The steering table has contained therein information indicative of a unique identifier/address of the assigned packet processing resource. Responsive to receiving a packet on a network interface, the network interface performs Layer 1 or Layer 2 steering of the received packet to the assigned packet processing resource by retrieving the information indicative of the unique identifier/address of the assigned packet processing resource from the steering table based on a channel identifier associated with the received packet and the received packet is processed by the assigned packet processing resource.
109 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method comprising:
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providing a user interface to dynamically configure one or more packet processing resources, wherein the user interface is in communication with each packet processing resource of a plurality of packet processing resources of a network routing/switching device; displaying at least one of processing capabilities or memory capabilities of the one or more packet processing resources to the user via the user interface, wherein the at least one of the processing capabilities or the memory capabilities is displayed in response to communications sent to the user interface from the at least one packet processing resource; generating with the user interface, a mapping that logically assigns each packet processing resource to one or more network interfaces or to one or more line interface ports associated with one or more network interfaces, wherein the one or more network interfaces or the one or more line interface ports steer, based on the mapping, a received network packet to a particular packet processing resource by which the received packet is to be processed; sending data describing the mapping to each packet processing resource; and causing the data describing the mapping to be forwarded from each packet processing resource to the assigned one or more network interfaces or the one or more line interface ports. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. An apparatus comprising:
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a network interface unit comprising one or more network interfaces or one or more line interface ports associated with one or more network interfaces and configured to receive communications over a network; a user interface to dynamically configure one or more packet processing resources; and a processor coupled to the network interface unit, the user interface, and a memory and configured to; display, using the user interface, at least one of processing capabilities or memory capabilities of the one or more packet processing resources, wherein the at least one of the processing capabilities or the memory capabilities is displayed in response to communications sent to the user interface from the at least one packet processing resource; generate, using the user interface, a mapping that logically assigns each packet processing resource to the one or more network interfaces or to the one or more line interface ports associated with one or more network interfaces, wherein the one or more network interfaces or the one or more line interface ports steer, based on the mapping, a received network packet to a particular packet processing resource by which the received packet is to be processed; send data describing the mapping to each packet processing resource; and cause the data describing the mapping to be forwarded from each packet processing resource to the assigned one or more network interfaces or the one or more line interface ports. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. One or more non-transitory computer readable storage media encoded with software comprising computer executable instructions and when the software is executed operable to:
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provide a user interface to dynamically configure one or more packet processing resources, wherein the user interface is in communication with each packet processing resource of a plurality of packet processing resources of a network routing/switching device; display, using the user interface, at least one of processing capabilities or memory capabilities of the one or more packet processing resources, wherein the at least one of the processing capabilities or the memory capabilities is displayed in response to communications sent to the user interface from the at least one packet processing resource; generate with the user interface, a mapping that logically assigns each packet processing resource to one or more network interfaces or to one or more line interface ports associated with one or more network interfaces, wherein the one or more network interfaces or the one or more line interface ports steer, based on the mapping, a received network packet to a particular packet processing resource by which the received packet is to be processed; send data describing the mapping to each packet processing resource; and cause the data describing the mapping to be forwarded each packet processing resource to the assigned one or more network interfaces or the one or more line interface ports. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification