Cisco Technology, Inc.

Trevor Gamer

William Robert Lee

Martin Hughes

Dennis Briddell

Scott Smith

Robert Jeter

Gegory Goss

Techniques for processing each of multiple threads that share a core processor include receiving an intra-thread register address from the core processor. This address contains C bits for accessing each of 2registers for each thread. A thread ID is received from a thread scheduler external to the core processor. The Thread ID contains T bits for indicating a particular thread for up to 2threads. A particular register is accessed in a register bank that has 2registers using an inter-thread address that includes both the intra-thread register address and the thread ID. The particular register holds contents for the intra-thread register address for a thread having the thread ID. Consequently, register contents of all registers of all threads reside in the register bank. Thread switching is accomplished rapidly by simply accessing different slices in the register bank, without swapping contents between a set of registers and memory.

Techniques for hardware-assisted multi-threaded processing

Techniques for synchronizing use of buffer descriptors for data, such as packets transmitted over a network, include receiving private index data that indicates a particular buffer descriptor owned by a DMA controller, for moving data between a data port and a corresponding memory buffer. A write command is placed on a memory exchange queue to change the owner to a different processor and the private index data is incremented. A public index is determined, which indicates a different buffer descriptor in which the owner is most recently changed to the processor and is known to be visible to the processor. In response to receiving a request from the processor for the most recent buffer descriptor changed to processor ownership, the public index data is sent to the processor. Based on the public index data, the processor exchanges data with buffer descriptors guaranteed to be owned by the processor.

Method and apparatus for synchronizing use of buffer descriptor entries for shared data packets in memory

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Apex, NC, United States of America

Trevor Gamer