Avago Technologies International Sales Pte. Limited

Rajib Dutta

Michael M Li

Changbai He

Samir Bhattacharya

Tony Devadason Titus

Aravindu Maneti

Provided are systems, methods, and computer-readable medium for enabling sharing of a multi-channel packet processor by multiple processes executing on a network device. The network device can include a memory management unit, configured to include an address map. The address map can include a reserved portion. The virtual machine can allocate a guest portion in the address map, where the guest portion is allocated in a part of the address map that does not include the reserved portion. A first channel from the packet processor can be assigned to the guest portion, and the virtual machine can use the first channel to receive packets. The reserved portion can be assigned to a host process executing on the network device. A second channel from the packet processor can be assigned to the reserved portion. The host process can transmit packets to the network using the second channel.

Multichannel input/output virtualization

A network device may execute a software keep-alive process (SKAP) that enables the network device to continue to send keep-alive packets without interruption even during events such as a network operating system failover/switchover or an in-place system upgrade. The network device maintains a database of keep-alive network sessions storing information that is used to schedule and send keep-alive messages or packets for the keep-alive network sessions. The database may be shared between network operating subsystems and programs executed by the network device. The database may be updated by a network operating subsystem and the information may then be used by the SKAP to schedule and send out keep-alive messages or packets for the keep-alive network sessions. For example, a virtual machine may store information for a keep-alive network session in the database, which is used by SKAP to schedule transmission of keep-alive packets for that keep-alive network session.

Keep-alive technique in a network device

A network device may execute a process (e.g., a software keep-alive process (SKAP)) that schedules the transmission of keep-alive messages or packets. The network device maintains a database of keep-alive network sessions storing information that is used for scheduling the transmission of the keep-alive messages or packets for the keep-alive network sessions. The database may be read and a next transmission time and session frequency for one or more keep-alive sessions may be determined. The one or more keep-alive sessions may then be placed in appropriate banks within a timer queue based on the determined next transmission time and session frequency. Each bank is associated with a time period from the current time. The keep-alive sessions having sooner next transmission times are placed in higher priority banks. The scheduler may allow for real-time scheduling of the one or more keep-alive sessions.

Keep-alive scheduler in a network device

One embodiment of the present invention provides a switching system. The switching system includes a plurality of line cards, each of which includes one or more ports, a processor, one or more switch fabric cards for facilitating switching among the line cards, and a memory storing instructions for facilitating efficient hot-swapping. During operation, the switching system identifies a hot-swapping event of a first switch fabric card based on a data structure indicating the one or more switch fabric cards. The hot-swapping event indicates insertion or removal of the first switch fabric card while the switching system remains in an operational state. The switching system then determines an event type associated with the hot-swapping event and manages the first switch fabric card based on the determined event type.

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Cupertino, CA, United States of America

Rajib Dutta