Dual purpose on-chip buffer memory for low latency switching

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a buffer memory;

at least one ingress port;

at least one egress port;

at least one processor; and

logic integrated with and/or executable by the at least one processor; the logic being configured to:

communicate with a software-defined network (SDN) controller;

store one or more look-up tables in a first portion of the buffer memory;

receive a packet using an ingress port;

determine an egress port for the packet;

heuristically determine packet flows to create port-to-port mappings between the at least one ingress port and the at least one egress port;

store the port-to-port mappings in the one or more look-up tables;

set a timer upon creating one of the port-to-port mappings;

retire at least one of the port-to-port mappings upon expiration of the timer; and

relearn the at least one of the port-to-port mappings.

2. The apparatus as recited in claim 1 , wherein the logic configured to heuristically determine the packet flows to create the port-to-port mappings is further configured to:

receive a plurality of packets to switch over a predetermined period of time;

determine an ingress port associated with each of the plurality of packets;

determine an egress port associated with each of the plurality of packets; and

determine patterns associated with characteristics of one or more of the plurality of packets, each pattern comprising a consistent ingress port for each of the one or more of the plurality of packets and a consistent egress port for each of the one or more of the plurality of packets.

3. The apparatus as recited in claim 1 , wherein the logic is further configured to:

partition the buffer memory into at least two portions, the first portion of the at least two portions configured to store the one or more look-up tables, each look-up table corresponding to one egress port, and a second portion of the at least two portions configured to buffer egress packets in one or more egress queues, each egress queue corresponding to one egress port;

search a look-up table associated with the egress port for the packet to determine additional switching information for the packet; and

store the additional switching information to the packet and/or a header of the packet.

4. The apparatus as recited in claim 1 , wherein the logic is further configured to:

create a heuristics matrix based on switching a plurality of packets through the apparatus, the heuristics matrix being configured to determine which exception packets to pass through to an egress port and which to drop; and

handle exception packets using the heuristics matrix.

5. The apparatus as recited in claim 1 , wherein the logic is further configured to:

start an egress timer upon receipt of the packet;

process the packet in order to finish processing prior to the egress timer expiring;

determine a packet size from information in a header of the packet when packet size information is available in the header;

begin to route the packet via the egress port once the egress port is determined; and

send the packet to the egress port upon expiration of the egress timer without further processing.

6. A computer program product for switching packets in a software-defined network (SDN), the computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having program code embodied therewith, the program code being readable and/or executable by at least one processor to cause the at least one processor to:

store, by the at least one processor, one or more look-up tables in a first portion of a buffer memory of a SDN-capable switching device;

receive, by the at least one processor, a packet using an ingress port of the switching device;

determine, by the at least one processor, an egress port for the packet;

heuristically determine, by the at least one processor, packet flows to create port-to-port mappings between ingress ports and egress ports of the switching device;

store, by the at least one processor, the port-to-port mappings in the one or more look-up tables;

set, by the at least one processor, a timer upon creating one of the port-to-port mappings;

retire, by the at least one processor, at least one of the port-to-port mappings upon expiration of the timer; and

relearn, by the at least one processor, the at least one of the port-to-port mappings.

7. The computer program product as recited in claim 6 , wherein the program code configured to cause the at least one processor to heuristically determine the packet flows to create the port-to-port mappings is further readable and/or executable by the at least one processor to:

receive, by the at least one processor, a plurality of packets to switch over a predetermined period of time;

determine, by the at least one processor, an ingress port of each of the plurality of packets;

determine, by the at least one processor, an egress port for each of the plurality of packets; and

determine, by the at least one processor, patterns associated with characteristics of one or more of the plurality of packets, each pattern comprising a consistent ingress port for each of the one or more of the plurality of packets and a consistent egress port for each of the one or more of the plurality of packets.

8. The computer program product as recited in claim 6 , wherein the program code is further readable and/or executable by the at least one processor to:

partition, by the at least one processor, the buffer memory of a SDN-capable switching device into at least two portions, the first portion of the at least two portions configured to store the one or more look-up tables, each look-up table corresponding to one egress port, and a second portion of the at least two portions configured to buffer egress packets in one or more egress queues, each egress queue corresponding to one egress port;

search, by the at least one processor, a look-up table associated with the egress port for the packet to determine additional switching information for the packet; and

store, by the at least one processor, the additional switching information to the packet and/or a header of the packet.

9. The computer program product as recited in claim 6 , wherein the program code is further readable and/or executable by the at least one processor to:

create, by the at least one processor, a heuristics matrix based on switching a plurality of packets through the switching device, the heuristics matrix being configured to determine which exception packets to pass through to an egress port and which to drop; and

handle, by the at least one processor, exception packets using the heuristics matrix.

10. The computer program product as recited in claim 6 , wherein the program code is further readable and/or executable by the at least one processor to:

start, by the at least one processor, an egress timer upon receipt of the packet;

process, by the at least one processor, the packet in order to finish processing prior to the egress timer expiring;

determine, by the at least one processor, a packet size from information in a header of the packet when packet size information is available in the header;

begin to route, by the at least one processor, the packet via the egress port once the egress port is determined; and

send, by the at least one processor, the packet to the egress port upon expiration of the egress timer without further processing.

11. A method for switching packets in a software-defined network (SDN), the method comprising:

storing one or more look-up tables in a first portion of a buffer memory of a SDN-capable switching device;

receiving a packet using an ingress port of the switching device;

determining an egress port for the packet;

heuristically determining packet flows to create port-to-port mappings between ingress ports and egress ports of the switching device;

storing the port-to-port mappings in the one or more look-up tables;

setting a timer upon creating one of the port-to-port mappings;

retiring at least one of the port-to-port mappings upon expiration of the timer; and

relearning the at least one of the port-to-port mappings.

12. The method as recited in claim 11 , wherein the heuristically determining the packet flows to create the port-to-port mappings comprises:

receiving a plurality of packets to switch over a predetermined period of time;

determining an ingress port of each of the plurality of packets;

determining an egress port for each of the plurality of packets; and

determining patterns associated with characteristics of one or more of the plurality of packets, each pattern comprising a consistent ingress port for each of the one or more of the plurality of packets and a consistent egress port for each of the one or more of the plurality of packets.

13. The method as recited in claim 11 , further comprising:

partitioning the buffer memory of the SDN-capable switching device into at least two portions, the first portion of the at least two portions being configured to store the one or more look-up tables, each look-up table corresponding to one egress port, and a second portion of the at least two portions being configured to buffer egress packets in one or more egress queues, each egress queue corresponding to one egress port;

searching a look-up table associated with the egress port for the packet to determine additional switching information for the packet; and

storing the additional switching information to the packet and/or a header of the packet.

14. The method as recited in claim 11 , further comprising:

creating a heuristics matrix based on switching a plurality of packets through the switching device, the heuristics matrix being configured to determine which exception packets to pass through to an egress port and which to drop;

handling exception packets using the heuristics matrix;

determining a packet size from information in a header of the packet; and

beginning to route the packet via the egress port once the egress port is determined.