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US 9,729,431 B1Granted
Using standard fields to carry meta-information
AssigneeMarvell International Ltd.
InventorMichael Orr
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method of processing one or more packets includes receiving, at a first processing unit, a first packet including first information bits. The first information bits indicate a first control parameter. The method also includes determining whether the first control parameter will be utilized to process the first packet in at least a second processing unit and, at least partially in response to determining that the first control parameter will not be utilized to process the first packet in at least the second processing unit, replacing one or more bits of the first information bits in the first packet with second information bits. The second information bits indicate a second control parameter. The method also includes providing the first packet including the second information bits to the second processing unit.
Claims26
A method of processing one or more packets, the method comprising:
- receiving, at a first processing unit that is implemented on an integrated circuit of a network device, a first data structure corresponding to a first packet having a first header, the first data structure including a first field of the first header, the first field including first information bits that conform to a standard communication protocol, wherein the first information bits indicate a first control parameter, wherein the first data structure includes one or more second fields of the first header, and wherein the one or more second fields of the first data structure includes second information bits;
- determining whether the first control parameter will be utilized to process the first packet in at least a second processing unit that is implemented on the integrated circuit of the network device;
- and
- at least partially in response to determining that the first control parameter will not be utilized to process the first packet in at least the second processing unit,
- overwriting, in the first data structure, one or more bits of the first information bits with third information bits, wherein the third information bits indicate a second control parameter that is a different type of information than the first control parameter, and wherein the second information bits do not conform to the standard communication protocol,
- overwriting, in the first data structure, one or more bits of the second information bits with fourth information bits, wherein the fourth information bits indicate the second control parameter is available, and
- providing the first data structure that includes i) the third information bits and ii) the one or more second fields of the first header to the second processing unit of the network device.
4 more elements
A network device, comprising:
- an integrated circuit;
- a first processing unit, implemented on the integrated circuit, configured to receive a data structure corresponding to a packet having a header, the data structure including a first field of the header, the first field including first information bits that conform to a standard communication protocol, wherein the first information bits indicate a first control parameter, wherein the data structure includes one or more second fields of the header, wherein the one or more second fields of the first data structure includes second information bits, and wherein the first processing unit includes
- a pattern matching module, implemented on the integrated circuit, configured to determine whether the first control parameter will be utilized to process the packet in at least a second processing unit, implemented on the one or more integrated circuits, of the network device, and
- a bit writing module, implemented on the integrated circuit, configured to, at least partially in response to a determination by the pattern matching module that the first control parameter will not be utilized to process the packet in at least the second processing unit,
- overwrite, in the data structure, one or more bits of the first information bits with third information bits that do not conform to the standard communication protocol, wherein the third information bits indicate a second control parameter, the second control parameter being a different type of information than the first control parameter, and
- overwrite, in the data structure, one or more bits of the second information bits with fourth information bits, wherein the fourth information bits indicate the second control parameter is available,
- wherein the first processing unit is further configured to provide the data structure that includes i) the second information bits and ii) the one or more second fields of the header to the second processing unit.
4 more elements
A method of processing one or more packets, the method comprising:
- receiving, at a first processing unit implemented on an integrated circuit, a data structure corresponding to a packet having a header, the data structure including a first field of the header and a second field of the header, the first field including first information bits, wherein the first field corresponds to a first control parameter according to a standard communication protocol,
- and the second field including second information bits, wherein the second field corresponds to a second control parameter according to the standard communication protocol;
- determining which of a plurality of control parameters will or may be utilized to process the packet in at least a second processing unit, the second processing unit implemented on the integrated circuit, wherein the plurality of control parameters includes at least the second control parameter and a third control parameter, and wherein the standard communication protocol does not define a corresponding header field for the third control parameter;
- at least partially in response to i) a determination that the third control parameter will or may be utilized to process the packet in at least the second processing unit, and ii) a determination that the second control parameter will not be utilized to process the packet in at least the second processing unit, overwriting data structure (a) one or more bits of the second information bits with third information bits not conforming to the standard communication protocol, wherein the third information bits indicate the third control parameter, and (b) one or more bits of the first information bits with fourth information bits not conforming to the standard communication protocol, wherein the fourth information bits indicate the third control parameter is available;
- and
- providing the data structure that includes the third information bits and the fourth information bits to the second processing unit.
3 more elements
A network device, comprising:
- an integrated circuit;
- a first processing unit, implemented on the integrated circuit, configured to receive a data structure corresponding to a packet having a header, the data structure including a first field of the header and a second field of the header, the first field including first information bits, wherein the first field corresponds to a first control parameter according to a standard communication protocol, and the second field including second information bits, wherein the second field corresponds to a second control parameter according to the standard communication protocol, and wherein the first processing unit includes
- a pattern matching module, implemented on the integrated circuit, configured to determine which of a plurality of control parameters will or may be utilized to process the packet in at least a second processing unit, implemented on the integrated circuit, wherein the plurality of control parameters includes at least the second control parameter and a third control parameter, and wherein the standard communication protocol does not define a corresponding field for the third control parameter, and
- a bit writing module, implemented on the integrated circuit, configured to, when the pattern matching module determines that the third control parameter will or may be utilized to process the packet in at least the second processing unit, and determines that the second control parameter will not be utilized to process the packet in at least the second processing unit, (i) overwrite, in the data structure, one or more bits of the second information bits with third information bits not conforming to the standard communication protocol, wherein the third information bits indicate the third control parameter, and (ii) overwrite, in the data structure, one or more bits of the first information bits with fourth information bits not conforming to the standard communication protocol, wherein the fourth information bits indicate the third control parameter is available,
- wherein the first processing unit is further configured to provide the data structure that includes the third information bits and the fourth information bits to the second processing unit.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.