Reporting errors on serial interfaces to application layers for flexible error handling approach selection

A requester device, which is operable to be coupled with a responder device by a serial interface, the requester device operable to select an approach to handle an error in a request-response communication between the requester and responder devices over the serial interface, the requester device comprising:

• a plurality of logical processors, the plurality of logical processors including a first logical processor that is operable to execute a first application;
• a serial interface module coupled with the first logical processor, the serial interface module operable to transmit a request packet of the request-response communication over the serial interface based on a request from the first application;
• an error reporter module that is operable to report the error in the request-response communication to an application-layer error handling approach selection module;
• and
• the application-layer error handling approach selection module, which is operable to select an error handling approach, of a plurality of error handling approaches, that is to be used to handle the error.

A network processor of a network device, the network processor operable to be coupled with a look-aside device of the network device by a serial interface, the network processor operable to select an approach to handle an error in a request-response communication between the network processor and the look-aside device over the serial interface, the network processor comprising:

• a plurality of threads, the plurality of threads including a first thread that is operable to execute a first packet processing application;
• a serial interface module coupled with the first thread, the serial interface module operable to transmit a request packet of the request-response communication over the serial interface based on a request from the first packet processing application;
• an error reporter module that is operable to report the error in the request-response communication through an application programming interface (API);
• and
• an application-layer error handling approach selection module, which is operable to receive the report of the error through the API, and which is operable to select an error handling approach, of a plurality of error handling approaches, that is to be used to handle the error.

A method, performed in a network processor of a network device, the network processor coupled with a look-aside device of the network device by a serial interface, of selecting an approach to handle an error in a request-response communication between the network processor and the look-aside device over the serial interface, the method comprising steps of:

• transmitting a request packet, of the request-response communication, over the serial interface, based on a request from a packet processing application that is executing on a hardware thread of the network processor;
• reporting the error in the request-response communication through an application programming interface (API);
• and
• selecting, at an application layer, in response to receipt of the report of the error through the API, an error handling approach, of a plurality of error handling approaches, that is to be used to handle the error.