Policy based routing using a fast filter processor
AssigneeBroadcom Corporation
InventorsMohan Kalkunte, Venkateshwar Buduma, Eric A. Baden
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A network device for processing packets. The network device includes applying specific fields from a packet to an associated memory device and comparing means for comparing input to the memory device with entries in the memory device. The network device also includes enabling means for enabling selection of bits, by the memory device, that are required to match exactly with bits from the input to the memory device. The network device further includes outputting means for outputting an address for a matched entry by the memory device and applying means for applying a match from the memory device to an associated entry in a table for applying actions from the table that are associated with the match to the packet.
Claims13
A network device for routing packets, the network device comprising:
- a processor comprising a plurality of slices for classifying a received packet and for performing at least one action based on a classification of the received packet, wherein each of the plurality of slices comprises:
- a field selector configured to select at least one field from the received packet, and to apply the at least one field to the input of a ternary content addressable memory (TCAM);
- a rules table, implemented as a plurality of entries in the TCAM, wherein the TCAM is configured to compare the input to each entry and to output the address of a matching entry, and wherein each entry in the TCAM includes an input port bit map that identifies the ports on the network device to which the entry applies;
- and
- a policy table comprising a plurality of entries, wherein each entry in the policy table is indexed by the address of an associated entry in the TCAM, and includes at least one action to be performed by the network device.
A method for processing packets, the method comprising:
- parsing at least one field from a received packet and applying the at least one field to an input of a ternary content addressable memory (TCAM) device, wherein each entry in the TCAM includes an input port bit map that identifies the ports on a network device to which the entry applies;
- using a mask to select bits from the at least one parsed field that are required to match exactly with bits from an entry in the TCAM;
- outputting an address for an entry in the TCAM when the selected bits from the at least one parsed field match exactly with the bits from the entry in the TCAM;
- and
- using the output address to obtain an action from an action table and performing the action.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.