International Business Machines Corporation

Nortel Networks Corporation

Seeta Hariharan

Sridhar Rao

Anthony Matteo Gallo

Bahram Sanaei

Brooks Johnston

Hemanta K Dutta

Yanping Wang

Colin Beaton Verrilli

Marco C Heddes

Ravinder Kumar Sabhikhi

Sreekrishnan Venkateswaran

Randall W Alexander

David M Perlsweig

Marc C Lavergne

Claude Basso

Everett Arthur Corl, Jr

Sonia Kiang Rovner

Gail Irene Woodland

Nicholas M Williamson

Shou-Huey Jiang

Steven Robert Medeiros

A method and system for developing portable network processor applications and/or managing heterogeneous network processors in a network is disclosed. The network includes host processor(s) utilizing system configuration application(s) that are network processor independent. In one aspect, the method and system include using standardized interface(s) for each network processor, using a standardized transport layer compatible with the interface(s), and providing a generic message application layer. The generic message application layer defines generic payload(s) and message type(s) for configuration communications between the network and host processors. In another aspect, the method and system include providing packet processing shell(s) and generic protocol software that is coupled with the packet processing shell(s) through standard interface(s), network processor independent, and performs operations for packet processing. The method and system also include providing a library that includes network processor specific information for performing the operations and providing block(s) for performing other network processor specific operations.

Software architecture for managing a system of heterogenous network processors and for developing portable network processor applications

An apparatus for developing portable packet processing applications on network processors includes a docking platform which provides a common interface for individual packet processing applications to be plugged into the network processing environment. Each application interacts with the docking platform through the common interfaces provided by the latter. The docking platform interacts with the other modules inside the system to accomplish the requests from the application. In this manner, the applications become 'shielded' from the implementation details of the underlying hardware. The applications need not change when the network processor hardware features are changed. It therefore provides a universal packet processing programming environment in which applications can execute in a portable and flexible manner in various hardware architectures.

Docking platform for developing portable packet processing applications in a network processor

A method for managing tables that are used by network processors to control network traffic through a network. The method comprises including a first table management software application in a first network processor, in which the first table management software is dedicated to managing only tables associated with the first network processor; including a second table management software application in a second network processor, in which the second table management software application is dedicated to managing only tables associated with the second network processor; and including a table management control application in a host processor, in which the table management control application is configured to respectively manage the tables associated with the first network processor and the tables associated with the second network processor through the first table management software application and the second table management software application through a plurality of generic application programming interfaces (APIs).

Method and system for managing tables that are used by network processors to control traffic through a network

A method for controlling congestion control and avoidance behavior of a plurality of heterogeneous network processors in a network is disclosed. The network also includes at least one host processor that utilizes at least one congestion control application. The method include providing a plurality of generic application program interfaces (APIs). The generic APIs communicate with the congestion control application(s) and the heterogeneous network processors. The generic APIs communicate with the congestion control application(s) in the host processor(s) in a network processor independent manner, but manage the congestion control and avoidance behavior of the heterogeneous network processors in a network processor specific manner. Thus, the generic APIs allow the control application(s) to be network processor independent and to manage the congestion control and avoidance behavior of the heterogeneous network processors in the network processor specific manner.

Method of generically specifying congestion control and avoidance behavior

A method and system for controlling packet classification behavior of a plurality of heterogeneous network processors in a network is disclosed. The network also includes at least one host processor that utilizes at least one packet classification application. The method and system include providing a plurality of generic application program interfaces (APIs). The generic APIs communicate with the packet classification application(s) and the heterogeneous network processors. The generic APIs communicate with the packet classification application(s) in the host processor(s) in a network processor independent manner, but manage the packet classification behavior of the heterogeneous network processors in a network processor specific manner. Thus, the generic APIs allow the packet classification application(s) to be network processor independent and to manage the packet classification behavior of the heterogeneous network processors in the network processor specific manner.

Method and system of generically specifying packet classification behavior

A method for developing portable network processor applications and/or managing heterogeneous network processors in a network is disclosed. The network includes host processor(s) utilizing system configuration application(s) that are network processor independent. In one aspect, the method and system include using standardized interface(s) for each network processor, using a standardized transport layer compatible with the interface(s), and providing a generic message application layer. The generic message application layer defines generic payload(s) and message type(s) for configuration communications between the network and host processors. In another aspect, the method and system include providing packet processing shell(s) and generic protocol software that is coupled with the packet processing shell(s) through standard interface(s), network processor independent, and performs operations for packet processing. The method also include providing a library that includes network processor specific information for performing the operations and providing block(s) for performing other network processor specific operations.

A method processing packets for network processor applications. The method includes receiving a packet at an ingress connector of a docking platform from a network processor application, wherein the ingress connector is not specific to the network processor application. The method also includes processing the packet by a PPA shell, the PPA shell comprising a plurality of interfaces between the docking platform and the network processor application, where the plurality of interfaces is not specific to the network processor application, and where the processing comprises invoking at least one of a plurality of functions utilizing one of the plurality of interfaces, wherein the plurality of functions is specific to the network processor application.

Developing portable packet processing applications in a network processor

A method and system for managing a plurality of tables for a plurality of heterogeneous network processors in a network is disclosed. The network also includes at least one host processor that utilizes at least one table management application. The method and system include providing a plurality of generic application program interfaces (APIs). The generic APIs communicate with the control application(s) and the heterogeneous network processors. The generic APIs communicate with the table management application(s) in a network processor independent manner, but manage the tables for the heterogeneous network processors in a network processor specific manner. Thus, the generic APIs allow the control application(s) to be network processor independent and to manage the tables for the heterogeneous network processors in the network processor specific manner.

Method and system of generically managing tables for network processors

An efficient method for performing state based ingress packet selection for a packet processing system in a network processor is disclosed. With this method, each set of message classes is associated with a state of an application, and each set of message classes is assigned to a semaphore. The application blocks one of the semaphores based on its current state. When a message is received, and the message belongs to a class assigned to the blocked semaphore, the blocked semaphore is signaled. The blocked semaphore then wakes the application. In this manner, when the application is awakened, it is guaranteed to find a message that it is interested in processing in its current state, resulting in greater efficiency in the processing of ingress messages.

Method and system for processing ingress messages for a state based application associated with a network processor

A method and system for memory management in a network processing system provides for allocation of physical memory areas within network processors coupled to a control point processor by a bus. The allocation scheme provides a memory management layer without requiring a complete operating system interface and supports asynchronous completion of the allocation requests. Multicast allocation is supported allowing an allocation to be simultaneously requested on multiple network processors. The allocation mechanism returns a token, which may then be used to access the memory location via a protocol over the bus, and a single token may refer to an allocation made on several network processors where the actual physical addresses and memory configurations are different.

Method and system for memory management in a network processing system

A method and system for downloading software managed trees (SMTs) in a network processing system provides dynamic update of frame classifiers while maintaining proper network protocol processing. The network processing system includes a general purpose processor acting as control point processor and a plurality of network processors. The new SMT is built by an application on the control point processor and downloaded to one or more of the network processors. The new SMT is placed in a separate memory location accessible to the network processors, rather then overwriting the existing SMT. The active tree pointers are then changed to transfer control to the new SMT.

Method and system for downloading software managed trees in a network processing system

A system and method for controlling overall behavior of a network processor device implemented in a network processing environment servicing a communications network. The method includes steps of receiving a guided control frame including one or more control functions for configuring various functional devices within the network processor with device control parameter data; a step of forwarding one or more control functions from a received control frame to a functional device within the network processor to be configured; and, executing the control functions as specified in the control frame. A novel control frame data structure and communications infrastructure is implemented whereby any network processor device operating in a distributed network processing environment may be controlled in accordance with executed control functions and device control parameter data.

Method for defining and controlling the overall behavior of a network processor device

Method and apparatus for alleviating switch congestion caused by long hold times for on-line access calls. A protocol converting device is connected to the originating switch in a public network, usually an ISDN switch. We call the protocol converting device a &ldquo;smart connector&rdquo;. The smart connector is connected to the switch by a high speed LAN. The smart connector and the switch include computer program code and hardware which allow the smart connector to transparently re-direct on-line access calls away from the switch and the public network and to a service provider, usually an Internet service provider, through a dedicated data network connected to the provider's point-of-presence (POP). The smart connector provides protocol conversion functions.

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Raleigh, NC, United States of America

Seeta Hariharan