International Business Machines Corporation

Other

Marco C Heddes

Jean Louis Calvignac

Fabrice Jean Verplanken

Michael Steven Siegel

Brian Mitchell Bass

Gordon Taylor Davis

Piyush Chunilal Patel

Joseph Franklin Logan

Anthony Matteo Gallo

Claude Basso

Clark Debs Jeffries

Ross Boyd Leavens

Mark Anthony Rinaldi

Everett Arthur Corl, Jr

Ravinder Kumar Sabhikhi

Steven Kenneth Jenkins

Sridhar Rao

Antonios Maragkos

Sonia Kiang Rovner

Brian Alan Youngman

Grayson Warren Randall

Colin Beaton Verrilli

Steven Richard Perrin

Michael Raymond Trombley

James Johnson Allen, Jr

Santosh Prasad Gaur

Miroslav Vrana

Andreas Kind

Brahmanand Kumar Gorti

Robert Brian Likovich, Jr

Peter Irma August Barri

Philippe Damon

Kent Harold Haselhorst

Dongming Hwang

Tolga Ozguner

Kerry Christopher Imming

Seeta Hariharan

Ivan Oscar Clemminck

Juan Guillermo Revilla

Glen Howard Handlogten

Kenneth James Barker

James Francis Mikos

Jeffrey James Lynch

David Alan Norgaard

Chad Everett Winemiller

Gerald Arnold Marin

William John Goetzinger

Samuel Steven Allison

Bart Joseph Gerard Pauwels

Gail Irene Woodland

Loren Douglas Larsen

Metin Aydemir

Christopher Jon Johnson

Atef O Zaghloul

Peter I A Barri

Steven Paul Woolet

Alex M M Niemegeers

Matthew William Kilpatrick Brown

Techniques and articles of manufacture are provided comprising computer readable programs that, when executed on the computer, cause the computer to delete a leaf from a patricia tree having leaf keys and pattern search control blocks containing a prefix and either an end-of-trail leaf or a pointer to another of the pattern search control blocks, by placing each of the prefixes in a tree prefix table; searching for a key in the tree; searching for the key in the prefix table if the tree searching does not find the key in the tree; confirming that the key is deleted if the key is not found in the prefix table; deleting the key from one of the pattern search control blocks; and collapsing the patricia tree by eliminating the left most pattern search control block from the patricia tree if the patricia tree searching finds the key.

Deleting leaves in tree table structures

A mechanism controls a multi-thread processor so that when a first thread encounters a latency event for a first predefined time interval temporary control is transferred to an alternate execution thread for duration of the first predefined time interval and then back to the original thread. The mechanism grants full control to the alternate execution thread when a latency event for a second predefined time interval is encountered. The first predefined time interval is termed short latency event whereas the second time interval is termed long latency event.

Controller for multiple instruction thread processors

Method for compressing search tree structures used in rule classification is provided. The method includes classifying packets based on filter rules, compressing a tree structure comprising multiple levels of single bit test nodes and leaf nodes, storing the compressed tree structure in a first memory structure of a storage such that the multiple levels of single bit test nodes and leaf nodes can be accessed from the first memory structure through a single memory access of the storage, collecting single bit test nodes of the tree structure that are in a lowest level of the tree structure, storing only the collected single bit test nodes within a second memory structure of the storage that is contiguous to the first memory structure, collecting leaf nodes of the tree structure, and storing only the collected leaf nodes within a third memory structure of the storage that is contiguous to second memory structure.

System for defining data mappings between data structures

Novel data structures, methods and apparatus for finding the longest prefix match search when searching tables with variable length patterns or prefixes. To find the exact match or the best matching prefix, patterns have to be compared a bit at a time until the exact or first match is found. This requires 'n' number of comparisons or memory accesses to identify the closest matching pattern. The trees are built in such a way that the matching result is guaranteed to be a best match, whether it is an exact match or a longest prefix match. Using the trail of all the birds and associated prefix lengths enables determination of the correct prefix result from the trail. By construction, the search tree provides the best matching prefix at or after the first compare during walking of the trail or tree.

Longest prefix match (LPM) algorithm implementation for a network processor

A method and system for identifying a data structure associated with a packet of data. A processor internal to a packet processor may extract one or more fields in a packet header field of a received packet of data to generate a search key. The internal processor may then be configured to select which table, e.g., routing table, quality of service table, filter table, needs to be accessed using the search key in order to process the received packet of data. A determination may then be made by the internal processor as to whether a CAM or a hash table and a Patricia Tree are used to identify the data structure associated with the received packet of data. Based on table definitions in a register, the internal processor may make such a determination.

Network processor with single interface supporting tree search engine and CAM

The present invention relates to a system for managing a plurality of multi-field classification rules. The system provides a first table that includes a plurality of entries corresponding to a plurality of rules relating to an ingress context and a second table that includes a plurality of entries corresponding to a plurality of rules relating to an egress context. The system also includes a network processor for classifying packets of information, wherein the network processor is programmed to utilize the first table and the second table to identify any rules relating to the ingress context and any one rules relating to the egress context that match a search key.

System for managing multi-field classification rules relating to ingress contexts and egress contexts

A data flow control method and system within a data switch. The data switch includes a plurality of input sections each having an associated input buffer and each transmitting data to an output section. In response to a detection of congestion within the output section, data transmissions from the plurality of input sections to the output section are paused. Input buffer occupancies of each of the input sections are then determined. Thereafter, and in response to a backpressure relief signal, the restart of said data transmission from each of the input sections to the output section is delayed in inverse proportion to each of the determined input buffer occupancies.

Delayed-start method for minimizing internal switch congestion

A method and structure for determining when a frame of information comprised of one or more buffers of data being transmitted in a network processor has completed transmission is provided. The network processor includes several control blocks, one for each data buffer, each containing control information linking one buffer to another. Each control block has a last bit feature which is a single bit settable to 'one' or 'zero' and indicates when the data buffer having the last bit is transmitted. The last bit is in a first position when an additional data buffer is to be chained to a previous data buffer indicating an additional data buffer is to be transmitted and a second position when no additional data buffer is to be chained to a previous data buffer. The position of the last bit is communicated to the network processor indicating the ending of a particular frame.

Indicating data buffer by last bit flag

A method and system for transmitting packets in a packet switching network. Packets received by a packet processor may be prioritized based on the urgency to process them. Packets that are urgent to be processed may be referred to as real-time packets. Packets that are not urgent to be processed may be referred to as non-real-time packets. Real-time packets have a higher priority to be processed than non-real-time packets. A real-time packet may either be discarded or transmitted into a real-time queue based upon its value priority, the minimum and maximum rates for that value priority and the current real-time queue congestion conditions. A non-real-time packet may either be discarded or transmitted into a non-real-time queue based upon its value priority, the minimum and maximum rates for that value priority and the current real-time and non-real-time queue congestion conditions.

Priority based bandwidth allocation within real-time and non-real-time traffic streams

Priority based bandwidth allocation within real-time and non-real time traffic streams

A procedure is used to provide data structures that handle large numbers of active data entries and a high rate of additions and deletions of active entries. The procedure utilizes one or more of the following modifications. Timers are removed from individual session table entries and are linked via pointers. Bilateral links are established between the session table and the timer structure. Aging/timer checks are applied to the timer control block (TCB). A chain of TCBs, optionally including an excess of blocks, may be used along with packing of multiple TCBs into a single memory location. This excess of blocks permits a terminated session to continue to occupy a TCB until the timer process progresses to that block location in the chain of blocks.

Data structure supporting random delete and timer function

The present invention relates to a system and computer-readable medium for storing a plurality of multi-field classification rules in a computer system. Each multi-field classification rule includes a rule specification that itself includes a plurality of fields and a plurality of field definitions corresponding to the fields. The method of the present invention includes providing a virtual rule table, where the table stores a plurality of field definitions, and for each of the plurality of multi-field classification rules, compressing the rule specification by replacing at least one field definition with an associated index into the virtual rule table. The method also includes storing each of the compressed rule specifications and the virtual rule table in a shared segment of memory.

System and computer program for compressing multi-field classification rules

A method and structure for determining when a frame of information comprised of one or more buffers of data being transmitted in a network processor has completed transmission is provided. The network processor includes several control blocks, one for each data buffer, each containing control information linking one buffer to another. Each control block has a last bit feature which is a single bit settable to 'one or 'zero' and indicates the transmission of when the data buffer having the last bit. The last bit is in a first position when an additional data buffer is to be chained to a previous data buffer indicating an additional data buffer is to be transmitted and a second position when no additional data buffer is to be chained to a previous data buffer. The position of the last bit is communicated to the network processor indicating the ending of a particular frame.

Indicating last data buffer by last bit flag bit

An apparatus is disclosed for transporting control information in a communications system. The apparatus comprises a network processor, a control point processor operatively coupled to the network processor, and a guided frame generated by the control point processor. The guided frame comprises a first section in which frame control information is placed and is used by the network processor to update at least one control register within the network processor; a second section carrying correlators assigned by the control point processor to correlate guided frame responses with their requests; a third section carrying one or a sequence of guided commands; and an End delimiter guided command.

Network switch and components and method of operation

A control sub system, a plurality of interface processors, a plurality of media interfaces a plurality of queues are operatively coupled and responsive to a control signal to move data from a memory to a selected one of the plurality of queues.

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Raleigh, NC, United States of America

Marco C Heddes