Abstract: Accessing shared resources by intelligent components is disclosed. In various embodiments, a system is configured to select a host for a bus and includes a bus configured to have a host, a shelf controller configured to host the bus and access an external interface via the bus, a plurality of line cards configured to host the bus and access an external interface via the bus, and a host selection device configured to select the shelf controller or one of the line cards as the host of the bus.

Abstract: Processing management packets is disclosed. In some embodiments, a network device includes a set of line cards. Each line card may include a management processor. In some embodiments, if it is determined that a management packet received by a first management processor of a first line card is associated with a management process that is at least in part associated with a second management processor on a second line card, the management packet may be forwarded from the first management processor to the second management processor. In some embodiments, a set of one or more management processors operate as a cluster of peers to implement the management functionality of a network device and may communicate via a private network.

Abstract: Managing processes on a network device is disclosed. A set of processes running on a network device may be monitored and managed by a set of one or more dedicated components. In some embodiments, if a process on a first management processor on a first line card has at least in part failed, the process may be migrated to a second management processor on a second line card. If a request for the migrated process is received, it is directed to the second management processor on the second line card.

Abstract: Booting intelligent components from a shared resource is disclosed. In various embodiments, booting a line card from a system storage device includes obtaining access to the system storage device, downloading operational code from the system storage device, and releasing access of the system storage device. The downloaded operational code is used by the line card to boot.

Abstract: A method and system is provided to enable redundancy in the communication between a plurality of peripheral devices and redundant hosts through redundant switches. The peripheral devices and the host are connected through a Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (PCI-Express) architecture in a data processing system. In an embodiment of the invention, the system includes a switch, a redundant switch, and switch-level exchanging means. The switch-level exchanging means enables the exchange of data packets between the peripheral devices and the host, through an available switch. The available switch is either the switch or the redundant switch. In another embodiment of the invention, the system also includes a redundant host and host-level exchanging means. The host-level exchanging means enables the exchange of data packets between an available host and the available switch. The available host is either the host or the redundant host.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a secure method of distributing configuration data for a programmable logic device (PLD). The configuration data is encrypted to generate encrypted configuration data. A decryption key is encrypted using a silicon key. The encrypted configuration data and the encrypted decryption key are transferred to a PLD. Within the PLD, the encrypted decryption key is decrypted using the silicon key. Then, also within the PLD, the encrypted configuration data is decrypted using the decryption key to recover the configuration data. The PLD is then configured using the configuration data. The silicon key may be communicated to the PLD by tying predetermined input pins to an active high voltage level or signal ground, to form a binary code.