Abstract: Systems and methods for increasing the speed with which a network device can process “heartbeat” packets that are transmitted between the network device and its peers to verify that the communication links between them are active, or to detect when the communication links go down (i.e., are inactive). Received heartbeat packets are processed primarily by a switching application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) rather than a CPU of the network device. The switching ASIC identifies heartbeat sessions corresponding to received heartbeat packets and resets aging timers for these sessions if the timers have not already expired. The reduced processing and faster timing mechanism of the switching ASIC enables the network device to accommodate spikes in the received packet rate.

Abstract: Processing an ingress packet in a packet pipeline to determine a forwarding rule includes identifying a matching rule in each forwarding table in the pipeline. Prefix lengths of the respective matching rules are compared. The matching rule with the greatest prefix length serves as the basis for forwarding an egress packet.

Abstract: A method for network hardware table management includes: obtaining, by a network device table manager of a network device, a first feature table entry of a first feature table, where the first feature table entry comprises a first prefix and a first action to take for a first feature; obtaining, by the network device table manager, a second feature table entry of a second feature table, where the second feature table entry comprises a second prefix and a second action to take for a second feature; making a first determination that the first prefix and the second prefix include a common portion and that the common portion is an entirety of each of the first and second prefixes; and in response to the first determination, adding a combined feature table entry to a combined feature table.

Abstract: Processing an ingress packet in a packet pipeline to determine a forwarding rule includes identifying a matching rule in each forwarding table in the pipeline. Prefix lengths of the respective matching rules are compared. The matching rule with the greatest prefix length serves as the basis for forwarding an egress packet.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and computer readable mediums for network hardware table management including obtaining, by a network device table manager of a network device, a first feature table entry published by a first feature; obtaining, by the network device table manager, a second feature table entry published by a second feature; making a first determination that the first feature table entry and the second table feature entry each comprise a common prefix; and based on the first determination, adding a first combined feature table entry to a combined feature table, the first combined feature table entry comprising the common prefix, a first feature action of the first feature table entry and a second feature action of the second feature table entry.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and computer readable mediums for network hardware table management including obtaining, by a network device table manager of a network device, a first feature table entry published by a first feature; obtaining, by the network device table manager, a second feature table entry published by a second feature; making a first determination that the first feature table entry and the second table feature entry each comprise a common prefix; and based on the first determination, adding a first combined feature table entry to a combined feature table, the first combined feature table entry comprising the common prefix, a first feature action of the first feature table entry and a second feature action of the second feature table entry.

Abstract: Methods and systems are described for comparing values using an associative memory. An associative memory lookup is performed based on a key that comprises a first number, a second number, and a third number. The associative memory includes sets of mask rows that are configured such that the associative memory returns a result of true when the sum of the first number and the second number is equal to the third number. The result of the associative memory lookup is outputted. The associative memory configured in this manner may be used, for example, by a packet forwarding device to perform a zero-value boundary condition check or packet sequence check.

Abstract: Methods and systems are described for comparing values using an associative memory. An associative memory lookup is performed based on a key that comprises a first number, a second number, and a third number. The associative memory includes sets of mask rows that are configured such that the associative memory returns a result of true when the sum of the first number and the second number is equal to the third number. The result of the associative memory lookup is outputted. The associative memory configured in this manner may be used, for example, by a packet forwarding device to perform a zero-value boundary condition check or packet sequence check.

Abstract: A method and apparatus of a device that triggers a pause watchdog is described. In an exemplary embodiment, the device receives a pause message from a second network element on a first network element, where the pause message indicates that data should not be transmitted by the first network element. The device additionally triggers a pause watchdog on the first network element if the pause message is above a pause watchdog threshold, where the pause watchdog reduces the effect of the pause message.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and computer readable mediums for network hardware table management including obtaining, by a network device table manager of a network device, a first feature table entry published by a first feature; obtaining, by the network device table manager, a second feature table entry published by a second feature; making a first determination that the first feature table entry and the second table feature entry each comprise a common prefix; and based on the first determination, adding a first combined feature table entry to a combined feature table, the first combined feature table entry comprising the common prefix, a first feature action of the first feature table entry and a second feature action of the second feature table entry.

Abstract: A method and apparatus of a device that triggers a pause watchdog is described. In an exemplary embodiment, the device receives a pause message from a second network element on a first network element, where the pause message indicates that data should not be transmitted by the first network element. The device additionally triggers a pause watchdog on the first network element if the pause message is above a pause watchdog threshold, where the pause watchdog reduces the effect of the pause message.

Abstract: A method and apparatus of a network element that installs a control plane data rule from system memory to specialized hardware memory in a network element is described. In an exemplary embodiment, the network element receives control plane data processing statistics of control plane data that is received by the network element, where the control plane data is policed using a plurality of control plane data policing rules stored in the system memory. The network element further determines that a candidate policing rule is being utilized greater than a threshold based on at least the control plane data processing statistics, where the candidate policing rule is one of the plurality of control plane data policing rules stored in the system memory. The network element additionally installs the candidate policing rule in the specialized hardware memory, where the candidate policing rule is subsequently used by the network element to police the control plane data.

Abstract: A method and apparatus of a device that triggers a pause watchdog is described. In an exemplary embodiment, the device receives a pause message from a second network element on a first network element, where the pause message indicates that data should not be transmitted by the first network element. The device additionally triggers a pause watchdog on the first network element if the pause message is above a pause watchdog threshold, where the pause watchdog reduces the effect of the pause message.

Abstract: A method and apparatus of a network element that installs a control plane data rule from system memory to specialized hardware memory in a network element is described. In an exemplary embodiment, the network element receives control plane data processing statistics of control plane data that is received by the network element, where the control plane data is policed using a plurality of control plane data policing rules stored in the system memory. The network element further determines that a candidate policing rule is being utilized greater than a threshold based on at least the control plane data processing statistics, where the candidate policing rule is one of the plurality of control plane data policing rules stored in the system memory. The network element additionally installs the candidate policing rule in the specialized hardware memory, where the candidate policing rule is subsequently used by the network element to police the control plane data.

Abstract: A method and apparatus of a device that triggers a pause watchdog is described. In an exemplary embodiment, the device receives a pause message from a second network element on a first network element, where the pause message indicates that data should not be transmitted by the first network element. The device additionally triggers a pause watchdog on the first network element if the pause message is above a pause watchdog threshold, where the pause watchdog reduces the effect of the pause message.