Pseudo-interface between control and switching modules of a data packet switching and load balancing system

A data packet switching system comprising:

• a plurality of network interfaces each adapted to be coupled to respective external networks for receiving and sending data packets to and from said external networks via a particular communication protocol;
• a plurality of symmetrical processors including a first processor providing a control processor and remaining ones of said processors each providing data packet switching processors, said control processor being coupled to a corresponding one of said plurality of network interfaces and each of said data packet switching processors being coupled to at least one other one of said plurality of network interfaces;
• a switch coupled to said control processor through said corresponding one of said plurality of network interfaces and coupled to at least one of said switching processors through said at least one other one of said plurality of network interfaces, said switching processors routing a received one of said data packets directed to said control processor through said switch to said control processor;
• and
• a main memory coupled to each of said plurality of processors, said control processor receiving raw load status data from said external networks and generating load distribution configuration data therefrom, said load distribution configuration data being stored in said main memory for access by said data packet switching processors, said switching processors routing received ones of said data packets to a selected one of said external networks in accordance with routing information included in a header portion of said data packets and said load distribution configuration data.

In a general-purpose multiprocessor computer system comprising a plurality of symmetrical processors, a main memory shared by said plurality of processors, and a plurality of network interfaces each adapted to be coupled to respective external networks for receiving data packets therefrom and sending data packets thereto via a particular communication protocol, a method for operating said computer system comprises the steps of:

• configuring one of said plurality of processors as a control processor and remaining ones of said processors as data packet switching processors, said control processor being coupled to a corresponding one of said plurality of network interfaces and each of said data packet switching processors being coupled to at least one other one of said plurality of network interfaces;
• coupling a switch to said control processor through said corresponding one of said plurality of network interfaces and to at least one of said switching processors through said at least one other one of said plurality of network interfaces,
• reading routing information from a header portion of a received one of said data packets to identify a virtual address for said control processor,
• modifying said received one of said data packets by re-writing said routing information to reflect a real address for said control processor, and
• sending said modified data packet to said at least one of said plurality of network interfaces coupled to said switch.