Hardware-assisted monitoring and reporting

A method comprising:

• at a network switching subsystem of a network device, receiving packets via a plurality of network interfaces;
• temporarily storing the packets in one or more buffer memories of the network switching subsystem while the packets await processing at one or more packet processors of the network switching subsystem;
• using the one or more packet processors, determining where to forward the packets;
• collecting status information of components of the network switching subsystem;
• generating a status message based on the collected status information;
• receiving the status message at a message decoder;
• based on at least one field of data in the status message, the message decoder determining an LED indicator of an LED array to light, the LED indicator corresponding to a state indicated by the status message;
• sending, from the message decoder to the LED array, formatted output data configured to cause at least the LED indicator to light.

A method of manufacturing a network device, comprising:

• connecting a network switching circuit to a message decoding circuit;
• wherein the network switching circuit comprises:
• one or more packet processors configured to determine where to forward packets received via the plurality of network interfaces;
• one or more buffer memories configured to temporarily store the packets while the packets await processing by the one or more packet processors;
• and
• a reporting component configured to collect status information of components of to the network switching subsystem, generate status messages based on the collected status information, and send the status messages to the message decoding circuit;
• wherein the message decoding circuit is a programmable logic device;
• connecting the message decoding circuit to an LED array, the LED array comprising an LED matrix driver and a plurality of LED indicators;
• programming the message decoding circuit to determine one or more manners in which to light particular LED indicators of the LED array based on particular status messages received from the network switching circuit, and to generate formatted output data configured to instruct the LED matrix driver to light the particular LED indicators based on the determining.