Software interface between switching module and operating system of a data packet switching and load balancing system

Abstract

A data packet switching system comprises a plurality of network interfaces each adapted to be coupled to respective external networks for receiving and sending data packets to and from the external networks via a particular communication protocol. The data packet switching system further includes a plurality of symmetrical processors, including a first processor providing a control processor and remaining ones of the processors each providing data packet switching processors. The data packet switching processors are coupled to the plurality of network interfaces. The control processor further includes a user portion and an operating system portion. The operating system portion is provided with a pseudo-network driver that appears to be a network interface to user application programs operating on the user portion of the control processor. A memory space is shared by the control processor and the data packet switching processors. The data packet switching processors route an incoming data packet directed to a user application program to the memory space. The pseudo-network driver retrieves the incoming data packet from the shared memory space and provides the data packet to the user application program.