Abstract: Apparatus and methods are provided for a Network Address Translation (NAT)-aware unified cache. According to one embodiment, multiple packet-processing applications distributed among one or more processors of a network device share one or more unified caches without requiring a cache synchronization protocol. When a packet is received at the network device, a first packet-processing application, such as NAT or another application that modifies part of the packet header upon which a cache lookup key is based, tags the packet with a cache lookup key based upon the original contents of the packet header. Then, other packet-processing applications attempting to access the cache entry from the unified cache subsequent to the tagging by the first packet-processing application use the tag (the cache lookup key generated by the first packet-processing application) rather than determining the cache lookup key based upon the current contents of the packet header.

Abstract: A method and apparatus to detect configuration information that may be used to configure a permanent virtual circuit (PVC) between a digital subscriber line (DSL) customer premise equipment (CPE) and a DSL access module (DSLAM) is described.

Abstract: A system for using Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) address assignments to determine a local destination address of a received packet in a Network Address Translation (NAT) environment. The system includes a DHCP server to assign local IP addresses to devices on a network. The system has a NAT device to execute network address translation, and a packet device to receive packets. The system further includes an addressing device to determine the local destination address of a packet received by the packet device. The addressing device uses an association table created from symbolic names of the devices on the network and the local IP addresses associated with the devices.

Abstract: A system for using Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) address assignments to determine a local destination address of a received packet in a Network Address Translation (NAT) environment. The system includes a DHCP server to assign local IP addresses to devices on a network. The system has a NAT device to execute network address translation, and a packet device to receive packets. The system further includes an addressing device to determine the local destination address of a packet received by the packet device. The addressing device uses an association table created from symbolic names of the devices on the network and the local IP addresses associated with the devices.

Abstract: A Plug-in equipped updateable firmware includes a number of value added software or “plug-in” modules stored in association with a firmware module within a non-volatile memory device, such as FLASH. In one embodiment, the plug-in and firmware modules are stored in a compressed form within the FLASH, whereupon during boot-up they are extracted into random access memory (RAM). The firmware is extracted into the RAM at a predetermined memory address, whereas each plug-in is extracted into the RAM at a re-allocable memory address. In one embodiment, the memory address associated with each extracted plug-in is stored in a table for reference by the firmware. When the firmware calls a function of a plug-in stored within RAM, the firmware references the table to locate the memory address for the extracted plug-in, and initialization code within the plug-in returns to the firmware a pointer to the function.

Abstract: A method and apparatus to detect configuration information that may be used to configure a permanent virtual circuit (PVC) between a digital subscriber line (DSL) customer premise equipment (CPE) and a DSL access module (DSLAM) is described.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods are provided for a Network Address Translation (NAT)-aware unified cache. According to one embodiment, multiple packet-processing applications distributed among one or more processors of a network device share one or more unified caches without requiring a cache synchronization protocol. When a packet is received at the network device, a first packet-processing application, such as NAT or another application that modifies part of the packet header upon which a cache lookup key is based, tags the packet with a cache lookup key based upon the original contents of the packet header. Then, other packet-processing applications attempting to access the cache entry from the unified cache subsequent to the tagging by the first packet-processing application use the tag (the cache lookup key generated by the first packet-processing application) rather than determining the cache lookup key based upon the current contents of the packet header.

Abstract: A system for using Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) address assignments to determine a local destination address of a received packet in a Network Address Translation (NAT) environment. The system includes a DHCP server to assign local IP addresses to devices on a network. The system has a NAT device to execute network address translation, and a packet device to receive packets. The system further includes an addressing device to determine the local destination address of a packet received by the packet device. The addressing device uses an association table created from symbolic names of the devices on the network and the local IP addresses associated with the devices.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for transmitting generic information in an Ethernet Media Access Control (MAC) header. A packet that includes a MAC header and a payload is received. The packet is classified. Relevant generic information for the packet is determined. An Ethernet frame is formatted and the generic information inserted into the type/length field of the Ethernet frame MAC header. The formatted Ethernet frame is sent to a destination based on the generic information in the MAC header. The generic information is a tag/label.