Distributed routing core
View Patent ↗A routing device for forwarding data packets in a communication system includes a set of routing processors at least one interface that receives and transmits data packets and a routing table manager that maintains a forwarding table of routes provided by the set of routing processors. Each routing processor is associated with a routing protocol that determines a set of routes. The routing device may also include a set of fast forward engines that forward a data packet based on the forwarding table. The routing table manager may be implemented on a separate processor than each routing processor.
1. A routing device for forwarding data packets in a communication system, the routing device comprising:
at least one interface for receiving and transmitting data packets;
a set of routing processors disposed on a single card coupled to the at least one interface, including a first routing processor exclusively associated with a first routing protocol for determining a set of routes, and a second routing processor exclusively associated with a second routing protocol for determining a set of routes; and
a routing table manager coupled to the set of routing processors, for maintaining a forwarding table of routes provided by the set of routing processors.
2. A routing device according to claim 1 , further including a set of fast forward engines coupled to the at least one interface and the routing table manager for forwarding a data packet based on the forwarding table.
3. A routing device according to claim 1 , wherein the routing table manager is exclusively associated with a third processor.
4. A routing device according to claim 3 , wherein the routing table manager processor includes memory in which the forwarding table may be stored.
5. A routing device according to claim 1 , wherein each routing processor includes memory.
6. A routing device according to claim 1 , further including a memory that includes RAM, cache memory and queue memory.
7. A routing device according to claim 1 , further including: a control data module coupled to the at least one interface for receiving and processing control data messages from a control data bus; and a routing data module coupled to the at least one interface and the set of routing processors for receiving and processing routing data messages from a routing data bus.
8. A routing device according to claim 7 , wherein the control data module and the routing data module are implemented on the same processor.
9. An apparatus for aggregating and maintaining routing information for a routing device that forwards data packets in a communication system, the apparatus comprising:
an input for receiving routing information associated with a set of routing protocols;
a set of routing protocol processors disposed on a single card coupled to the input, including a first routing protocol processor exclusively associated with a first routing protocol from the set of routing protocols for determining a set of routes for the first routing protocol, and a second routing protocol processor exclusively associated with a second routing protocol from the set of routing protocols for determining a set of routes for the second routing protocol; and
a forwarding table coupled to the set of routing protocol processors for maintaining a list of routes provided by the set of routing protocol processors.
10. An apparatus according to claim 9 , further including a routing table manager coupled to the set of routing protocol processors for updating the forwarding table.
11. An apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the routing table manager is exclusively associated with a third processor.
12. An apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein each routing protocol processor includes memory.
13. An apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein the memory includes RAM, cache memory and queue memory.
14. A communication system comprising at least one routing device, the routing device for forwarding data packets in a communication system, the routing device comprising:
at least one interface for receiving and transmitting data packets;
a set of routing processors disposed on a single card coupled to the at least one interface, including a first routing processor exclusively associated with a first routing protocol for determining a set of routes, and a second routing processor exclusively associated with a second routing protocol for determining a set of routes; and
a routing table manager coupled to the set of routing processors, for maintaining a forwarding table of routes provided by the set of routing processors.
15. A communication system according to claim 14 , wherein the routing device further includes a set of fast forward engines coupled to the at least one interface and the routing table manager for forwarding a data packet based on the forwarding table.
16. A communication system according to claim 14 , wherein the routing table manager is exclusively associated with a third processor.
17. A communication system according to claim 14 , wherein the routing device further includes: a control data module coupled to the at least one interface for receiving and processing control data messages from a control data bus; and a routing data module coupled to the at least one interface and the set of routing processors for receiving and processing routing data messages from a routing data bus.
18. A communication system according to claim 17 , wherein the control data module and the routing data module are implemented on the same processor.
19. A communication system according to claim 14 , wherein each routing processor includes memory.