Network devices with hardware accelerated table updates
AssigneeArista Networks, Inc.
InventorsThomas Dejanovic, Roman Onosovski
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Abstract
A network device can include a main processor and a packet processor. A method is provided that includes storing a table of values in the packet processor, using the packet processor to receive from the main processor a value that can be used to update the table of values, and using acceleration hardware in the packet processor to update the table of values based on the value received from the main processor without any additional interaction with the software running on the main processor.
Claims19
A method of operating a network device having a main processor and a packet processor, the method comprising:
- storing a table of values in the packet processor;
- with the packet processor, receiving from the main processor a value that is used to update the table of values;
- and
- with the packet processor, updating the table of values based on the value received from the main processor without receiving a plurality of write access requests from the main processor.
The method of dam 4, wherein the table of values comprises (2N−1) entries and wherein N is a positive integer.
A network device comprising:
- a main processor;
- and
- a packet processor coupled to the main processor, wherein the packet processor comprises:
- memory for storing a table of values, and
- table update circuitry configured to update the table of values based on an update request received from the main processor and to carry out the update request by performing a plurality of write accesses to the memory based on a single access from the main processor without receiving a plurality of additional write access requests from the main processor.
An apparatus comprising:
- a housing;
- a first processor disposed within the housing;
- and
- a second processor disposed within the housing and configured to store a table of values and to receive a table update request from the first processor, the second processor having a finite state machine configured to carry out the table update request by performing a plurality of write accesses to the table of values without receiving a plurality of write access requests from the main processor.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.