Abstract: Systems and methods for accelerating computer network policy searching are provided. According to one embodiment, a packet is received by a policy search engine (PSE) of a packet processing device. A set of candidate policies are identified from among multiple policies of the packet processing device by screening the multiple policies by a speculation unit of the PSE based on metadata associated with the received packet. Finally, a matching policy for the received packet is identified by a policy search processor (PSP) of the PSE by executing policy-search-specific instructions and general purpose instructions.

Abstract: Systems and methods for accelerating computer network policy searching are provided. According to one embodiment, a packet is received by a policy search engine (PSE) of a packet processing device. A set of candidate policies are identified from among multiple policies of the packet processing device by screening the multiple policies by a speculation unit of the PSE based on metadata associated with the received packet. Finally, a matching policy for the received packet is identified by a policy search processor (PSP) of the PSE by executing policy-search-specific instructions and general purpose instructions.

Abstract: Systems and methods for packet classification hardware acceleration are provided. According to one embodiment, a packet classification hardware accelerator system includes multiple packet classification hardware units, a memory and a cache subsystem. The packet classification hardware units are each capable of operation in parallel on a corresponding decision tree of multiple decision trees that have been derived from respective subsets of a common ruleset defining packet classification rules based on header fields of packets. The memory has stored therein non-leaf nodes, leaf nodes and rules associated with the decision trees. The cache subsystem is coupled in communication with packet classification hardware units and the memory and has stored therein (i) a cached portion of the non-leaf nodes distributed among multiple non-leaf node caches, (ii) a cached set of the leaf nodes in a leaf node cache and (iii) a cached set of the rules.

Abstract: Systems and methods for packet classification hardware acceleration are provided. According to one embodiment, a packet classification hardware accelerator system includes multiple packet classification hardware units, a memory and a cache subsystem. The packet classification hardware units are each capable of operation in parallel on a corresponding decision tree of multiple decision trees that have been derived from respective subsets of a common ruleset defining packet classification rules based on header fields of packets. The memory has stored therein non-leaf nodes, leaf nodes and rules associated with the decision trees. The cache subsystem is coupled in communication with packet classification hardware units and the memory and has stored therein (i) a cached portion of the non-leaf nodes distributed among multiple non-leaf node caches, (ii) a cached set of the leaf nodes in a leaf node cache and (iii) a cached set of the rules.