Method and system of generically managing tables for network processors
View Patent ↗A method and system for managing a plurality of tables for a plurality of heterogeneous network processors in a network is disclosed. The network also includes at least one host processor that utilizes at least one table management application. The method and system include providing a plurality of generic application program interfaces (APIs). The generic APIs communicate with the control application(s) and the heterogeneous network processors. The generic APIs communicate with the table management application(s) in a network processor independent manner, but manage the tables for the heterogeneous network processors in a network processor specific manner. Thus, the generic APIs allow the control application(s) to be network processor independent and to manage the tables for the heterogeneous network processors in the network processor specific manner.
1. A system for managing tables that are used by network processors to control network traffic through a network, the system comprising:
a first network processor including a first table management software application dedicated to managing only tables associated with the first network processor, the tables associated with the first network processor being used by the first network processor to control network traffic through the network;
a second network processor including a second table management software application dedicated to managing only tables associated with the second network processor, the tables associated with the second network processor being used by the second network processor to control network traffic through the network; and
a host processor including a table management control application configured to respectively manage the tables associated with the first network processor and the tables associated with the second network processor through the first table management software application and the second table management software application, the table management control application being in communication with both the first table management software application and the second table management software application through a plurality of generic application programming interfaces (APIs), the plurality of generic application programming interfaces (APIs) including,
a Table Define application programming interface (API) configured to permit the table management control application of the host processor to uniquely define properties of the tables associated with the first network processor and uniquely define properties of the tables associated with the second network processor;
a Table Delete application programming interface (API) configured to permit the table management control application of the host processor to delete the tables associated with the first network processor and delete the tables associated with the second network processor;
a Table Add Entry application programming interface (API) configured to permit the table management control application of the host processor to add an entry to the tables associated with the first network processor and add an entry to the tables associated with the second network processor;
a Table Update Entry application programming interface (API) configured to permit the table management control application of the host processor to update an entry in the tables associated with the first network processor and update an entry in the tables associated with the second network processor;
a Table Read Entry application programming interface (API) configured to permit the table management control application of the host processor to read an entry in the tables associated with the first network processor and read an entry in the tables associated with the second network processor;
a Table Delete Entry application programming interface (API) configured to permit the table management control application of the host processor to delete an entry in the tables associated with the first network processor and delete an entry in the tables associated with the second network processor;
a Table Enable application programming interface (API) configured to permit the table management control application of the host processor to transition a given table associated with the first network processor from a disabled state to an enabled state and transition a given table associated with the second network processor from a disabled state to an enabled state;
a Table Disable application programming interface (API) configured to permit the table management control application of the host processor to transition a given table associated with the first network processor from an enabled state to a disabled state and transition a given table associated with the second network processor from an enabled state to a disabled state;
a Table Lock application programming interface (API) configured to permit the table management control application of the host processor to transition a given table associated with the first network processor from an unlocked state to a locked state and transition a given table associated with the second network processor from an unlocked state to a locked state; and
a Table Unlock application programming interface (API) configured to permit the table management control application of the host processor to transition a given table associated with the first network processor from a locked state to an unlocked state and transition a given table associated with the second network processor from a locked state to an unlocked state.
2. The system of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of generic application programming interfaces (APIs) are based on an abstraction in which each of the tables associated with the first network processor and each of the tables associated with the second network processor are defined to be a fast table or a standard table, a fast table having a smaller size relative to a standard table.
3. The system of claim 2 , wherein:
each fast table is placed in a static random access memory (SRAM); and
each standard table is placed in a dynamic random access memory (DRAM).