Marvell Israel (misl) Ltd.

Yaron Katzri

Yaron Kittner

A packet processor of a network device repeatedly determines a fill level of a forwarding table that is populated with associations between network addresses and network interfaces of, or coupled to, the network device. The packet processor adjusts, based on the fill level of the forwarding table, a maximum rate according to which the packet processor is permitted to send messages to a central processing unit (CPU) coupled to the packet processor, the messages indicating network addresses that are to be stored in the forwarding table by the CPU. The packet processor of the network device receives packets via network links coupled to the network device; identifies new network addresses of the packets that are not in the forwarding table; and sends messages to the CPU at a rate that does not exceed the maximum rate, the messages indicating the new network addresses are to be added to the forwarding table.

Adapting forwarding database learning rate based on fill level of forwarding table

A network device provides a search key corresponding to a packet to a TCAM. The TCAM determines that the search key matches one or more search patterns stored in the TCAM. The network device selects one search pattern among the one or more search patterns at least by analyzing respective priority information associated with the one or more search patterns. The respective priority information indicates one or more respective priority levels that are independent from one or more physical locations of the one or more search patterns within the TCAM. In connection with selecting the one search pattern, the network device determines one or more actions to be performed on the packet by the network device, the one or more actions corresponding to the selected one search pattern.

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Ness-Ziona, Israel

Yaron Katzri