Abstract: A method and system is provided for a virtual local network to span multiple loop free network topology domains. According to one aspect of the invention, a network contains at least two loop free network topology domains and a virtual local area network spanning at least a portion of each of the two domains. According to one aspect of the invention, a network architecture comprises a plurality of nodes connected by paths, a first physical broadcast domain and a second physical broadcast domain each comprising a separate subset of the plurality of nodes, and a logical broadcast domain comprising a node from each subset.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for network connected computing systems that employ functional multi-processing to optimize bandwidth utilization and accelerate system performance. In one embodiment, the network connected computing system may include a switch based computing system. The system may further include an asymmetric multi-processor system configured in a staged pipeline manner. The network connected computing system may be utilized in one embodiment as a network endpoint system that provides content delivery.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for network connected computing systems that employ functional multi-processing to optimize bandwidth utilization and accelerate system performance. In one embodiment, the network connected computing system may include a switch based computing system. The system may further include an asymmetric multi-processor system configured in a staged pipeline manner. The components of the system may communicate as peers in a peer to peer environment. The network connected computing system may be utilized in one embodiment as a network endpoint system that provides content delivery.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for network connected content delivery systems that employ functional multi-processing to optimize bandwidth utilization and accelerate system performance. In one embodiment, the content delivery system may include a switch based computing system. The system may further include an asymmetric multi-processor system configured in a staged pipeline manner.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for network connected computing systems that employ functional multi-processing to optimize bandwidth utilization and accelerate system performance. In one embodiment, the network connected computing system may include a switch based computing system. The system may further include an asymmetric multi-processor system configured in a staged pipeline manner. The network connected computing system may be utilized in one embodiment as a network endpoint system that provides content delivery.

Abstract: A network processing endpoint system for responding to network requests via a network is provided. A network processor is programmed to receive network requests and to provide load balancing of the network requests or workloads. The network processor distributes network requests to a set of processing units, which are programmed to respond to the requests. An interconnection medium, which may be a system bus, a switch fabric, or shared memory, directly connects the network processor to the processing units, such that the paths and latencies of the connections are deterministic. Hardware load balancing of the processing units may also be accomplished through the assignment or re-assignment of the processing units to specific tasks to be performed.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for network connected computing systems that employ functional multi-processing to optimize bandwidth utilization and accelerate system performance. In one embodiment, the network connected computing system may include a switch based computing system. The system may further include an asymmetric multi-processor system configured in a staged pipeline manner. The network connected computing system may be utilized in one embodiment as a network endpoint system that provides content delivery.

Abstract: A network endpoint system receives requests delivered in packet format via a network. The system uses a transport accelerator at its front end, which performs all or some of the network protocol processing. The transport accelerator is directly connected to one or more processing units, which respond to the requests. The protocol processing may be partitioned between the transport accelerator and the processing units in a manner that best uses their different processing capabilities.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for network connected computing systems that employ functional multi-processing to optimize bandwidth utilization and accelerate system performance. In one embodiment, the network connected computing system may include a switch based computing system. The system may further include an asymmetric multi-processor system configured in a staged pipeline manner. The network connected computing system may be utilized in one embodiment as a network endpoint system that provides content delivery.

Abstract: A network processing system uses intelligent security hardware as a security accelerator at its front end. The security hardware performs initial processing of incoming data, such as security detection tasks. The security hardware is directly connected to one or more processing units, via a bus or switch fabric, which execute appropriate applications and/or storage programming.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for network connected computing systems that employ functional multi-processing to optimize bandwidth utilization and accelerate system performance. In one embodiment, the network connected computing system may include a switch based computing system. The switch employed in the system may be a switch fabric. The system may further include an asymmetric multi-processor system configured in a staged pipeline manner. The network connected computing system may be utilized in one embodiment as a network endpoint system that provides content delivery.

Abstract: A network bridge/router for identifying a data unit to be routed by a network bridge/router, for identifying a protocol associated with the received data unit to be routed, and for carrying out appropriate data unit transfer operations, all in hardware. A Receive Header Processor (RHP) analyzes the destination address of the received data unit, in hardware, for determining if routing or bridging is required. If routing is required, the RHP uses portions of the received data unit header as a compare value against predefined values stored in data structures which provide a protocol ID identifying the protocol of the received data unit and serving as an index to the appropriate microcode handling routine, executed by the RHP, for the data unit. The handling routine causes the RHP to forward data unit identifying information appropriate to the identified protocol and obtained from the received data unit to further hardware-based data unit processing elements.

Abstract: At least a portion of the data units in a bridge/router are processed by logic circuits according to cast type. The cast type, source address and destination address of an incoming data unit are determined by examining the header. For a unicast data unit, the source address and destination address are employed to obtain a transmit port indicator from memory, and the unicast data unit is directed to the port indicated by the transmit port indicator. For a non-unicast data unit, the source address and destination address are employed to obtain a first port mask that indicates valid ports for receipt of the data unit and a second port mask that indicates valid ports for transmission of the data unit from memory. The first and second port masks are combined to generate a third port mask, and the non-unicast data unit is directed to the ports indicated by the third port mask.