Abstract: Systems and methods for handling resource requests in programming of network device tables. A feature agent of a network device enters a resource request for a resource in a resource table and a resource server returns a response to the request, where the response includes a resource value and a dependency constraint encapsulating validity criteria for utilizing the resource value. When the resource value and dependency constraint are returned, the feature agent writes an entry to a software table, where the software table entry includes the resource and the corresponding dependency constraint. A hardware examines the software table entry and determines whether the dependency constraint has been satisfied. When the dependency constraint has been satisfied, the hardware agent writes an entry corresponding to the software table entry in a hardware table. The network device then processes packets according to the hardware table with the new entry.

Abstract: Systems and methods for maintaining order consistency for asynchronous writes in a network device. In one embodiment, a method includes issuing, by a feature agent of a network device, a plurality of writes to software tables which may be contained in the feature agent. For each write, a corresponding entry is added to a log associated with the software tables, the log entry identifying an order of the write among the plurality of writes. A hardware agent accesses the log to select a next one of the entries in the identified write order and then accesses the software table to retrieve content identified by the selected log entry. The hardware agent then translates the information from the software table to a different form if necessary and writes the information to one or more hardware tables that are indicated by the write associated with the selected log entry.

Abstract: Systems and methods for handling resource requests in programming of network device tables. A feature agent of a network device enters a resource request for a resource in a resource table and a resource server returns a response to the request, where the response includes a resource value and a dependency constraint encapsulating validity criteria for utilizing the resource value. When the resource value and dependency constraint are returned, the feature agent writes an entry to a software table, where the software table entry includes the resource and the corresponding dependency constraint. A hardware examines the software table entry and determines whether the dependency constraint has been satisfied. When the dependency constraint has been satisfied, the hardware agent writes an entry corresponding to the software table entry in a hardware table. The network device then processes packets according to the hardware table with the new entry.

Abstract: Systems and methods for maintaining order consistency for asynchronous writes in a network device. In one embodiment, a method includes issuing, by a feature agent of a network device, a plurality of writes to software tables which may be contained in the feature agent. For each writes, a corresponding entry is added to a log associated with the software tables, the log entry identifying an order of the write among the plurality of writes. A hardware agent accesses the log to select a next one of the entries in the identified write order and then accesses the software table to retrieve content identified by the selected log entry. The hardware agent then translates the information from the software table to a different form if necessary and writes the information to one or more hardware tables that are indicated by the write associated with the selected log entry.