Abstract: A mechanism is provided by which communication is reduced between a data plane of a network device and a control plane associated with that network device upon introduction of a new flow. A holding table is provided for every active flow table in the data plane. The holding table holds flow contexts for new flows not found in the associated active flow table, while awaiting flow information from the control plane. Each flow context includes a queue of subsequent data packets associated with the flow, which are held from the control plane pending receipt of the flow information from the control plane. A timeout mechanism compensates for packet loss between the network device and control plane. When the data plane receives the flow information from the control plane, the data plane then processes all the queued packets, deletes the flow context, and enters the data into an associated flow table.

Abstract: Embodiments of a symmetric multi-processing (SMP) system can provide full affinity of a connection to a core processor when desired, even when ingress packet distribution, protocol processing layer and applications may autonomously process packets on different cores of the SMP system. In an illustrative embodiment, the SMP system can include a server application that is configured to create a plurality of tasks and bind the plurality of tasks to a plurality of core processors. One or more of the plurality of tasks are configured to create a corresponding listening endpoint socket, bind and listen on a protocol address that is common to the plurality of tasks.

Abstract: A mechanism is provided by which communication is reduced between a data plane of a network device and a control plane associated with that network device upon introduction of a new flow. A holding table is provided for every active flow table in the data plane. The holding table holds flow contexts for new flows not found in the associated active flow table, while awaiting flow information from the control plane. Each flow context includes a queue of subsequent data packets associated with the flow, which are held from the control plane pending receipt of the flow information from the control plane. A timeout mechanism compensates for packet loss between the network device and control plane. When the data plane receives the flow information from the control plane, the data plane then processes all the queued packets, deletes the flow context, and enters the data into an associated flow table.

Abstract: Embodiments of a symmetric multi-processing (SMP) system can provide full affinity of a connection to a core processor when desired, even when ingress packet distribution, protocol processing layer and applications may autonomously process packets on different cores of the SMP system. In an illustrative embodiment, the SMP system can include a server application that is configured to create a plurality of tasks and bind the plurality of tasks to a plurality of core processors. One or more of the plurality of tasks are configured to create a corresponding listening endpoint socket, bind and listen on a protocol address that is common to the plurality of tasks.

Abstract: PATENT A network load tester includes a proprietary software based real-time operating system operating on conventional processor chips and network processors. Network processors are specialized processors for handling various network-oriented tasks at wire speed, and are micro-programmable and configurable on-the-fly. All testing configuration is driven by software, and customized application or protocol stacks can be loaded dynamically onto the network load tester to run under the real-time operating system. This device can be readily reconfigured for testing various applications and appliances across all layers of the OSI stack, even remotely through a network connection.