Routing architecture including a compute plane configured for high-speed processing of packets to provide application layer support

1. A routing node comprising a forward plane, a compute plane, and a control plane, the forward plane adapted to:

a) receive packets including first packets requiring basic forwarding by the forward plane, second packets requiring processing by the compute plane, and third packets requiring processing by the control plane;

b) send the second packets to the compute plane and the third packets to the control plane;

c) receive processed packets from the compute plane; and

d) forward the first packets and the processed packets received by the compute plane;

the compute plane adapted to provide application level processing on the second packets received from the forward plane and return the processed packets to the forward plane for forwarding; and

the control plane adapted to configure the compute plane and the forward plane.

2. The routing node of claim 1 wherein the forward plane is further adapted to implement forwarding rules on the packets received to identify and forward the first packets, the second packets, and the third packets.

3. The routing node of claim 2 wherein the control plane further comprises a filter for implementing the forwarding rules on the packets received.

4. The routing node of claim 2 wherein the forwarding rules are based on at least one header in the packets received and the forward plane is further adapted to analyze the at least one header in the packets received in light of the forwarding rules to identify the first packets, the second packets, and the third packets.

5. The routing node of claim 2 wherein the control plane is adapted to at least partially define the forwarding rules.

6. The routing node of claim 1 wherein the compute plane is further adapted to process application data carried in payloads of the second packets according to an application to create the processed packets.

7. The routing node of claim 1 wherein the second packets require processing according to one of a plurality of unique applications and the compute plane is further adapted to process the second packets according to a corresponding one of the plurality of unique applications to create the processed packets.

8. The routing node of claim 1 wherein the compute plane includes a plurality of compute processors adapted to provide the application level processing on the second packets such that application level processing is distributed among the plurality of compute processors.

9. The routing node of claim 1 wherein the second packets require processing according to one of a plurality of unique applications and the compute plane includes a plurality of compute processors adapted to provide the application level processing on the second packets according to a corresponding one of the plurality of unique applications to create the processed packets.

10. The routing node of claim 1 wherein the control plane is adapted to at least partially define functions facilitating the application level processing on the second packets.

11. The routing node of claim 10 wherein the control plane is further adapted to at least partially define the forwarding rules.

12. The routing node of claim 1 wherein the control plane is further adapted to receive at least one of the third packets and configure at least one of the forward plane and the compute plane based on the at least one of the third packets.

13. The routing node of claim 1 wherein the forward plane is further adapted to manipulate headers of the first packets to facilitate forwarding of the first packets over a network toward a destination.

14. The routing node of claim 1 wherein:

a) the forward plane includes a network interface associated with a plurality of forward processors adapted to receive the packets via the network interface and implement forwarding rules on the packets received to identify the first packets, the second packets, and the third packets;

b) the compute plane includes a plurality of compute processors adapted to provide the application level processing on the second packets such that the application level processing is distributed among the plurality of compute processors; and

c) a backplane coupling together the forward plane, compute plane, and control plane.

15. The routing node of claim 14 wherein the compute plane further includes a host processor associated with each of the plurality of compute processors and adapted to establish processing rules to implement the application level processing for each of the plurality of compute processors.

16. The routing node of claim 14 wherein the forward processors and the compute processors are high-speed processing architectures consisting of one or a combination of the group consisting of field programmable gate arrays, digital signal processors, network processors, and application specific integrated circuits.

17. The routing node of claim 1 wherein the routing node is a router and the forward plane includes a network interface to facilitate packet-switched communication over a packet-switched network.

18. The routing node of claim 1 wherein the routing node is a media gateway and the forward plane is associated with a network interface to facilitate communications between at least two networks.

19. A routing architecture for a forward plane of a routing node including the forward plane, a compute plane, and a control plane, the architecture for the forward plane comprising:

a) means for receiving packets including first packets requiring basic forwarding by the forward plane, second packets requiring processing by the compute plane, and third packets directed to the control plane;

b) means for identifying the first packets, the second packets, and the third packets; and

c) means for forwarding the third packets to the control plane; the second packets to the compute plane for processing; and the first packets and packets processed by the compute plane over a network toward a destination based on forwarding rules.

20. The routing architecture of claim 19 further comprising means for receiving processed packets from the compute plane.

21. The routing architecture of claim 19 wherein the forwarding rules are based on at least one header in the packets received and further comprising means for analyzing the at least one header in the packets received in light of the forwarding rules to identify the first packets, the second packets, and the third packets.

22. The routing architecture of claim 19 further comprising means for receiving instructions to configure at least a portion of the forwarding rules from the control plane.

23. The routing architecture of claim 19 wherein the compute plane is further adapted to process application data carried in payloads of the second packets according to an application to create the processed packets.

24. The routing architecture of claim 19 further comprising means for manipulating headers of the first packets to facilitate forwarding of the first packets over the network toward a destination.

25. A routing architecture for a compute plane of a routing node including a forward plane, the compute plane, and a control plane wherein the forward plane is adapted to receive packets including first packets requiring basic forwarding by the forward plane, second packets requiring processing by the compute plane, and third packets directed to the control plane, the architecture for the compute plane comprising:

a) means for receiving the second packets requiring processing by the compute plane from the forward plane;

b) means for processing the second packets at an application level to create processed packets; and

c) means for sending the processed packets to the forward plane for forwarding over a network toward a destination.

26. The routing architecture of claim 25 wherein the means for processing processes application data carried in payloads of the second packets according to an application to create the processed packets.

27. The routing architecture of claim 25 wherein the second packets require processing according to one of a plurality of unique applications and the means for processing processes the second packets according to a corresponding one of the plurality of unique applications to create the processed packets.

28. A routing device comprising:

a) a control plane for controlling the router;

b) a compute plane adapted to process content contained in packets requiring application processing to provide processed packets; and

c) a forward plane adapted to:

i) receive packets requiring a basic forwarding service, packets requiring application processing, and packets for general control of the router;

ii) process and forward the packets requiring the basic forwarding service;

iii) send the packets requiring application processing to the compute plane;

iv) receive the processed packets of the compute plane;

v) forward the processed packets; and

vi) send the packets for general control of the router to the control plane.

29. A method of routing packets using a forward plane, a compute plane, and a control plane comprising:

a) in the forward plane, receiving packets including first packets requiring basic forwarding by the forward plane, second packets requiring processing by the compute plane, and third packets requiring processing by the control plane; sending the second packets to the compute plane and the third packets to the control plane; receiving processed packets from the compute plane; and forwarding the first packets and the processed packets received by the compute plane over a network toward a destination;

b) in the compute plane, providing application level processing on the second packets received from the forward plane and returning the processed packets to the forward plane for forwarding; and

c) in the control plane, configuring the compute plane and the forward plane.

30. The method of claim 29 further comprising, in the forward plane, identifying the first packets, the second packets, and the third packets from the packets received and forwarding the first packets, the second packets, and the third packets based on forwarding rules.

31. The method of claim 29 wherein the forwarding rules are based on at least one header in the packets received and further comprising, in the forward plane, analyzing the at least one header in the packets received in light of the forwarding rules to identify the first packets, the second packets, and the third packets.

32. The method of claim 29 further comprising, in the control plane, defining certain of the forwarding rules.

33. The method of claim 29 further comprising, in the compute plane, processing application data carried in payloads of the second packets according to an application to create the processed packets.

34. The method of claim 29 wherein the second packets require processing according to one of a plurality of unique applications and further comprising, in the compute plane, processing the second packets according to a corresponding one of the plurality of unique applications to create the processed packets.

35. The method of claim 29 further comprising, in the control plane, defining certain functions facilitating the application level processing on the second packets for the compute plane.

36. The method of claim 35 further comprising, in the control plane, defining certain of the forwarding rules for the forward plane.

37. The method of claim 29 further comprising, in the forward plane, manipulating headers of the first packets to facilitate forwarding of the first packets over the network toward the destination.