Method and apparatus for temporal-based flow distribution across multiple packet processors

A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having computer readable code thereon for temporal-based flow distribution across multiple packet processors, the medium including instructions in which a computer system performs operations comprising:

• receiving a packet as part of an m-tuple flow, wherein m is a non-zero value indicating a number of tuples;
• computing a hash identifier (ID) for said packet;
• using said hash ID to index into a State Table and retrieving a corresponding record wherein said record includes a time credit field and a Packet Processing Engine (PE) number and does not include m-tuple flow information;
• and
• when a time credit field of said record is zero then:
• setting said time credit field to a new value;
• selecting the Packet Processing Engine whose First-In-First-Out buffer (FIFO) has the lowest fill level;
• and
• updating a PE number field in the state table record with selected PE number;
• and
• when the time credit field of said record is non-zero then:
• sending the packet to the PE based on the value stored in said record;
• and
• decrementing said time credit field in the record only if said time credit field is greater than zero.

A computer system comprising a flow distributor and a plurality of Packet Processing Engines (PEs), each of said flow distributor and said PEs comprising:

• a memory;
• a processor;
• a communications interface;
• an interconnection mechanism coupling the memory, the processor and the communications interface;
• and
• wherein the memory is encoded with an application providing for temporal-based flow distribution across multiple packet processors, that when performed, provides a process for processing information, the process causing the computer system to perform the operations of:
• receiving a packet as part of an m-tuple flow, wherein m is a non-zero value indicating a number of tuples;
• computing a hash identifier (ID) for said packet;
• using said hash ID to index into a State Table and retrieving a corresponding record wherein said record includes a time credit field and a Packet Processing Engine (PE) number and does not include m-tuple flow information;
• and
• when a time credit field of said record is zero then:
• setting said time credit field to a new value;
• selecting the Packet Processing Engine whose First-In-First-Out buffer (FIFO) has the lowest fill level;
• and
• updating a PE number field in the state table record with selected PE number;
• and
• when the time credit field of said record is non-zero then:
• sending the packet to the PE based on the value stored in said record;
• and
• decrementing said time credit field in the record only if said time credit field is greater than zero.