Scalable IP edge router
AssigneeLucent Technologies Inc.
InventorThomas Y Woo
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
In a data communications network, an edge router comprises a buffer for storing data packets, one or more line interface cards for routing data packets to and from the data communications network, and a processing engine for processing a limited portion of each packet that has been captured by an associated line interface card in a packet tag. The processing engine includes one or more pipeline processing modules (PPMs) which may be dynamically configured by a system controller to perform specific processing functions in a pipelined arrangement. In order to increase edge router throughput, each packet tag is processed by the processing engine essentially in parallel with storage of the associated data packet in the buffer by the associated line interface card.
Claims37
A data communications router for routing data packets in a data communications network, each data packet including a header and an associated payload, the router comprising:
- a buffer for storing data packets;
- a processing engine arranged to process header information;
- and
- one or more line interface cards, wherein each of the one or more line interface cards is configured to receive one or more data packets from at least one data network interconnection, to create a packet tag for each received data packet that includes information from the received data packet header, to deliver a copy of each packet tag to the processing engine for processing, to store each received data packet in the buffer, to retrieve a stored data packet from the buffer in response to receiving the associated packet tag from the processing engine, and to route the retrieved data packets over the at least one data network interconnection in accordance with information provided in the processed packet tag;
- whereby the storing of a data packet by one of the one or more line interface cards and the processing of an associated packet tag by the processing engine are accomplished approximately coincidently.
A method for routing a plurality of data packets in a data communications network, each of the plurality of packets including a header and an associated payload, the method comprising the steps of:
- receiving a data packet at a first data communications network interface;
- creating a packet tag including selected information from the data packet header;
- storing the data packet in a buffer;
- processing the packet tag;
- retrieving the data packet from the buffer;
- and
- routing the retrieved packet to a second data communications network interface in accordance with information contained in the processed packet tag.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.