Processing data units

1. A method for processing data units, the method comprising: at a computing platform comprising a network equipment test device, wherein the network equipment test device comprises a plurality of processors for performing data unit concatenation, wherein the computing platform has throughput limitations associated with processing data:

sorting or classifying individual data units using processor affinity values, wherein each of the processor affinity values identifies to which processor of the plurality of processors an individual data unit should be forwarded to for concatenation with other individual data units associated with the same processor affinity value;

concatenating, using a first processor of the plurality of processors associated with a first processor affinity value, multiple individual data units into a concatenated data unit (CDU), wherein the CDU includes a header portion for at least one of the multiple data units, wherein the multiple individual data units in the CDU are associated with the first processor affinity value;

processing the CDU as a single data unit rather than as multiple individual data units such that the CDU incurs processing overhead of a single data unit rather than that of multiple individual data units; and

de-concatenating the CDU into the multiple individual data units, wherein the concatenating, processing, and de-concatenation occur in a network interface of the network equipment test device.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the CDU includes a first data unit associated with a first flow and a second data unit associated with a second flow, the second flow being different from the first flow.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the CDU includes a first data unit associated with a first flow and a second data unit associated with the first flow.

4. The method of claim 1 comprising compressing or encrypting the CDU or one or more of the individual data units.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein concatenating the multiple individual data units into the CDU includes generating and storing a decode data portion in the CDU for de-concatenating the CDU.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the decode data portion includes offset information indicating locations of each of the multiple individual data units in the CDU or includes size information associated with each of the multiple individual data units in the CDU.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein concatenating the multiple data units into the CDU includes determining, using a time out period, a counter, preconfigured information, dynamic information, or information in one or more of the multiple individual data units, how many data units to include in the CDU.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein processing the CDU includes transferring, moving, or copying the CDU from the network interface.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the multiple data units are received from or sent to a device under test.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the concatenating, processing, and de-concatenation occur between a physical layer and a data link layer.

11. A system for processing data units, the system comprising: a computing platform having throughput limitations associated with processing data, the computing platform comprising a network equipment test device, wherein the network equipment test device comprises:

a plurality of processors for performing data unit concatenation; and

a memory, wherein the computing platform is configured to sort or classify individual data units using processor affinity values, wherein each of the processor affinity values identifies to which processor of the plurality of processors an individual data unit should be forwarded to for concatenation with other individual data units associated with the same processor affinity value; to concatenate, using a first processor of the plurality of processors associated with a first processor affinity value, multiple individual data units into a concatenated data unit (CDU), wherein the CDU includes a header portion for at least one of the multiple data units, wherein the multiple individual data units in the CDU are associated with the first processor affinity value, to process the CDU as a single data unit rather than as multiple individual data units such that the CDU incurs processing overhead of a single data unit rather than that of multiple individual data units, and to de-concatenate the CDU into the multiple individual data units, wherein the concatenating, processing, and de-concatenation occur in a network interface of the network equipment test device.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the CDU includes a first data unit associated with a first flow and a second data unit associated with a second flow, the second flow being different from the first flow.

13. The system of claim 11 wherein the CDU includes a first data unit associated with a first flow and a second data unit associated with the first flow.

14. The system of claim 11 wherein the computing platform is configured to compress or encrypt the CDU or one or more of the individual data units.

15. The system of claim 11 wherein the computing platform is configured to generate and store a decode data portion in the CDU for de-concatenating the CDU.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein the decode data portion includes offset information indicating locations of each of the multiple individual data units in the CDU or includes size information associated with each of the multiple individual data units in the CDU.

17. The system of claim 11 wherein the computing platform is configured to determine, using a time out period, a counter, preconfigured information, dynamic information, or information in one or more of the multiple individual data units, how many data units to include in the CDU.

18. The system of claim 11 wherein the computing platform is configured to transfer, move, or copy the CDU from the network interface.

19. The system of claim 11 wherein the multiple data units are received from or sent to a device under test.

20. The system of claim 11 wherein the computing platform is configured to concatenate, process, and de-concatenate between a physical layer processing and a data link layer.

21. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising computer executable instructions embodied in the non-transitory computer readable medium that when executed by a processor of a computer perform steps comprising: at a computing platform comprising a network equipment test device, wherein the network equipment test device comprises a plurality of processors for performing data unit concatenation, wherein the computing platform has throughput limitations associated with processing data:

sorting or classifying individual data units using processor affinity values, wherein each of the processor affinity values identifies to which processor of the plurality of processors an individual data unit should be forwarded to for concatenation with other individual data units associated with the same processor affinity value;

concatenating, using a first processor of the plurality of processors associated with a first processor affinity value, multiple individual data units into a concatenated data unit (CDU), wherein the CDU includes a header portion for at least one of the multiple data units, wherein the multiple individual data units in the CDU are associated with the first processor affinity value;

processing the CDU as a single data unit rather than as multiple individual data units such that the CDU incurs processing overhead of a single data unit rather than that of multiple individual data units; and

de-concatenating the CDU into the multiple individual data units, wherein the concatenating, processing, and de-concatenation occur in a network interface of the network equipment test device.