Network Packet Steering via Configurable Association of Packet Processing Resources and Network Interfaces

摘要

Methods and systems are provided for steering network packets. According to one embodiment, a dynamically configurable steering table is stored within a memory of each network interface of a networking routing/switching device. The steering table represents a mapping that logically assigns each of the network interfaces to one of multiple packet processing resources of the network routing/switching device. The steering table has contained therein information indicative of a unique identifier/address of the assigned packet processing resource. Responsive to receiving a packet on a network interface, the network interface performs Layer 1 or Layer 2 steering of the received packet to the assigned packet processing resource by retrieving the information indicative of the unique identifier/address of the assigned packet processing resource from the steering table based on a channel identifier associated with the received packet and the received packet is processed by the assigned packet processing resource.

主权项

1. A method comprising:
providing a user interface to dynamically configure one or more packet processing resources, wherein the user interface is in communication with each packet processing resource of a plurality of packet processing resources of a network routing/switching device; generating with the user interface, a mapping that logically assigns each packet processing resource to one or more network interfaces or to one or more line interface ports associated with one or more network interfaces, wherein the one or more network interfaces or the one or more line interface ports steer, based on the mapping, a received network packet to a particular packet processing resource by which the received packet is to be processed; and sending the mapping to each packet processing resource.