PACKET PROCESSING ENGINE

摘要

Methods and apparatus are disclosed for processing packets, for example, usi ng a high performance massively parallel packet processing architecture, distributing packets or subsets thereof to individual packet processors and gathering the processed packet or subsets and forwarding the resultant modified or otherwise processed packets, accessing packet processing resourc es across a shared resource network, accessing packet processing resources usin g direct memory access techniques, and/or storing one overlapping portion of a packet in a global packet memory while providing a second overlapping portio n to a packet processor. In one implementation, a packet of multiple streams o f packets is received. A subset of bytes of the packet are distributed to the next packet processor determined based on a distribution pattern. The subset of the packet is processed to generate a modified subset, which is gathered in turn based on the distribution pattern; and a modified packet including the modified subset is forwarded.