Virtual microengine systems and methods

A set of instructions stored on a computer readable medium, the instructions, when executed by a processor, being operable to:

• compile a program written for execution on a virtual microengine;
• and
• link and load the program to enable it to be executed on a physical microengine;
• wherein at least one of the compile, link, and load actions includes assigning a number of threads to a group of threads corresponding to the virtual microengine, the number of threads depending, at least in part, on the hardware characteristics of the physical microengine.

A system comprising:

• a switch fabric;
• and
• one or more line cards comprising:
• one or more physical layer components;
• and
• one or more network processors, at least one of the network processors comprising:
• a processing core;
• and
• a plurality of microengines, at least one of the microengines being configured to execute a plurality of threads, the threads corresponding to two or more virtual microengines, and the at least one microengine having an intra-microengine next neighbor ring operable to facilitate communication between the two or more virtual microengines.