Reconfigurable packet header parsing

摘要

The invention relates to a method and device for configurable parsing of packet headers in a network. A configurable packet header parser (CPHP) includes hard-coded packet header logic implementing a hard-coded state machine and a reconfigurable header parsing logic that is coupled to the hardcoded logic and includes programmable registers. The CPHP is remotely programmable by means of a command packet parser that may receive command packets carrying CPHP configuration data and program the registers with the CPHP data to enable parsing packet including new types of headers. The hybrid hard-coded/programmable CPHP requires only a relatively small number of programmable elements enabling ASIC-based implementation.

主权项

1. A configurable packet header parser (CPHP), comprising:
a command packet parser configured to:
receive a command packet from a network,identify the command packet, andparse the command packet,
the command packet including configuration data for the CPHP; a plurality of programmable memory registers coupled to the command packet parser, each of the plurality of programmable memory registers configured to:
store the configuration data; and a reconfigurable packet parsing engine (RPPE) coupled to the plurality of programmable memory registers, the RPPE configured to: parse a header of a data packet, received from the network, based on the configuration data stored in one or more of the plurality of programmable memory registers,
the RPPE including:
a hardcoded header parsing portion configured to:
identify headers of a plurality of header types and header transitions in the data packet, andoutput header type numbers for the identified headers, anda programmable header parsing portion that includes one or more new header logics (NHLs), each of the one or more NHLs being coupled to one or more of the plurality of programmable memory registers.