Pipeline for high-throughput encrypt functions

A machine-readable storage device embodying instructions which, when executed by a machine, cause the machine to:

• receive the network data at a security engine of a network device;
• receive security operation data at the security engine;
• process the security operation data into a plurality of security operation data components each of which is configured for use within a sub-operation to be performed on the network data;
• communicate the network data and the plurality of security operation data components to a systolic array including a plurality of serially interconnected processing elements each defining a processing stage, each processing stage being configured to process the network data in parallel to obtain processed network data for storage in the memory, the plurality of serially interconnected processing elements adapted to complete each respective processing stage in a fixed number of clock cycles, the fixed number of clock cycles common across the plurality of serially interconnected processing elements, and the plurality of serially interconnected processing elements each including a register file and a functional unit;
• process data in each processing stage in parallel to obtain processed network data;
• and
• store the processed data in a memory for use by a network processing module.

A network device for processing network data, the device comprising:

• a memory to receive network data and security operation data, the security operation data being associated with a security operation to be performed on the network data;
• and
• a security engine connected to the memory, the security engine including a systolic array including a plurality of serially interconnected processing elements each defining a processing stage, the security engine being configured to:
• process the security operation data into a plurality of security operation data components, each security operation data component to be used within a sub-operation to be performed on the network data, provide the network data and the plurality of security operation data components to the systolic array to process in parallel to obtain processed network data for storage in the memory,
• use the systolic array to complete the processing of the network data and each of the security operation data components in a fixed number of clock cycles, the fixed number of clock cycles common across all of the serially interconnected processing elements of the systolic array, and
• store the processed network data within the memory;
• wherein each of the serially interconnected processing elements of the systolic array include a register file and a functional unit.

A network device to process data in a network device, the device comprising:

• means for receiving the network data at a security engine;
• means for receiving security operation data at the security engine, the security operation data being associated with a security operation to be performed on the network data;
• means for processing the security operation data into a plurality of security operation data components, each security operation data component configured to be used within a sub-operation to be performed on the network data;
• means for communicating the network data and the security operation data to a systolic array including a plurality of serially interconnected processing elements each defining a processing stage, the plurality of serially interconnected processing elements adapted to complete each respective processing stage in a fixed number of clock cycles, the fixed number of clock cycles common across the plurality of serially interconnected processing elements, and the plurality of serially interconnected processing elements each including a register file and a functional unit;
• means for processing data in each processing stage in parallel to obtain processed network data;
• and
• means for storing the processed data in a memory for use by a network processing module.