Abstract: A method and apparatus of a device that includes a shared memory hash table that notifies one or more readers of changes to the shared memory hash table is described. In an exemplary embodiment, a device receives a key that corresponds to the value, where the key used to retrieve the value form the shared memory hash table and the shared memory hash table is written to by a writer and read from by a plurality of readers. In addition, the device retrieves an index from a local values table, where the local values table stores a plurality of indices for one of the plurality of readers and the index is an index into an entry in the shared memory hash table. The device further retrieves the value from the shared memory hash table using the index.

Abstract: A method and apparatus of a network device that allocates a shared memory buffer for an object is described. In an exemplary embodiment, the network device receives an allocation request for the shared memory buffer for the object. In addition, the network device allocates the shared memory buffer from shared memory of a network device, where the shared memory buffer is accessible by a writer and a plurality of readers. The network device further returns a writer pointer to the writer, where the writer pointer references a base address of the shared memory buffer. Furthermore, the network device stores the object in the shared memory buffer, wherein the writer accesses the shared memory using the writer pointer. The network device further shares the writer pointer with at least a first reader of the plurality of readers. The network device additionally translates the base address of the shared memory buffer to a reader pointer, where the reader pointer is expressed in a memory space of the first reader.

Abstract: A method and/or network system is able to perform an in-service software upgrade (“ISSU”) using virtualization technology while ongoing network service is maintained. After receipt of an upgrade signal such as a command of software upgrade, a new or second virtual machine (“VM”) is created in response to the upgrade signal. After downloading the new version of program to the second VM while maintaining the first version of program running on the first VM, the process for providing network management begins to migrate from the first version of program to the new version of program. The process simultaneously facilitates ISSU for a data-path module such as a line card to convert from the previous version of software to the new version of the software.

Abstract: A method and apparatus of a device that reads and writes a plurality of counters is described. In an exemplary embodiment, a device receives plurality labels that correspond to the plurality of counters. The plurality of counters is stored in a shared memory table in the shared memory of the device. In addition, a writer writes counter data for each of the plurality of counters to the shared memory table. For each of the plurality of labels, the device performs a lookup of that label for a memory reference to a corresponding counter that is one of the plurality of counters and retrieves the memory reference for the corresponding counter. The device further reads the counter data for plurality of counters using the plurality of memory references. The device additionally sends the counter data to the client.

Abstract: A method and apparatus of a device that includes a shared memory hash table that notifies one or more readers of changes to the shared memory hash table is described. In an exemplary embodiment, a device modifies a value in the shared memory hash table, where the value has a corresponding key. The device further stores a notification in a notification queue that indicates the value has changed. In addition, the device invalidates a previous entry in the notification queue that indicates the value has been modified. The device signals to the reader that a notification is ready to be processed.

Abstract: A method and/or network system is able to perform an in-service software upgrade (“ISSU”) using virtualization technology while ongoing network service is maintained. After receipt of an upgrade signal such as a command of software upgrade, a new or second virtual machine (“VM”) is created in response to the upgrade signal. After downloading the new version of program to the second VM while maintaining the first version of program running on the first VM, the process for providing network management begins to migrate from the first version of program to the new version of program. The process simultaneously facilitates ISSU for a data-path module such as a line card to convert from the previous version of software to the new version of the software.

Abstract: A method and apparatus of a device that reads and writes a plurality of counters is described. In an exemplary embodiment, a device receives plurality labels that correspond to the plurality of counters. The plurality of counters is stored in a shared memory table in the shared memory of the device. In addition, a writer writes counter data for each of the plurality of counters to the shared memory table. For each of the plurality of labels, the device performs a lookup of that label for a memory reference to a corresponding counter that is one of the plurality of counters and retrieves the memory reference for the corresponding counter. The device further reads the counter data for plurality of counters using the plurality of memory references. The device additionally sends the counter data to the client.

Abstract: A method and/or network system is able to perform an in-service software upgrade (“ISSU”) using virtualization technology while ongoing network service is maintained. After receipt of an upgrade signal such as a command of software upgrade, a new or second virtual machine (“VM”) is created in response to the upgrade signal. After downloading the new version of program to the second VM while maintaining the first version of program running on the first VM, the process for providing network management begins to migrate from the first version of program to the new version of program. The process simultaneously facilitates ISSU for a data-path module such as a line card to convert from the previous version of software to the new version of the software.

Abstract: A method or network system able to efficiently redistribute information, data, and/or context between virtual machines (“VMs”) using an in-memory file system (“IMFS”) is disclosed. After requesting memory access by an application program, a process of VM using IMFS is able to forward the memory allocation request from a VM kernel operating under a VM environment to an emulator. The emulator, which operates between the VM kernel and the hypervisor, again redirects the memory allocation request to the hypervisor for storage allocation. The hypervisor subsequently allocates at least a portion of storage space in the IMFS in accordance with the memory allocation request.

Abstract: A method and apparatus of a device that grows and/or shrinks a table that is shared between a writer and a plurality of readers is described. In an exemplary embodiment, a device receives an entry to be added to the shared table. In response to receiving the entry, the device remaps shared table to add a new storage segment to the shared table. The device further adds the entry to the shared table, where the entry is stored in the new storage segment. In addition, the device updates a shared table characteristic to indicate that the shared table has changed. The device further shrinks the shared table by remapping the table to remove a segment of the table.

Abstract: A method and apparatus of a device that includes a shared memory hash table that notifies one or more readers of changes to the shared memory hash table is described. In an exemplary embodiment, a device receives a key that corresponds to the value, where the key used to retrieve the value form the shared memory hash table and the shared memory hash table is written to by a writer and read from by a plurality of readers. In addition, the device retrieves an index from a local values table, where the local values table stores a plurality of indices for one of the plurality of readers and the index is an index into an entry in the shared memory hash table. The device further retrieves the value from the shared memory hash table using the index.

Abstract: A method and apparatus of a device that reads and writes data using a shared memory hash table and a lookaside buffer is described. In an exemplary embodiment, a device locates a bucket for the data in a shared memory hash table, where a writer updates the shared memory hash table and a reader that is one of a plurality of readers reads from the shared memory hash table. The device further retrieves an initial value of a version of the bucket. If the initial value of the version is odd, the device copies the data from a lookaside buffer of the writer to a local buffer for the reader, wherein the lookaside buffer stores a copy of the data while the bucket is being modified.

Abstract: A method and apparatus of a device that includes a shared memory hash table that notifies one or more readers of changes to the shared memory hash table is described. In an exemplary embodiment, a device modifies a value in the shared memory hash table, where the value has a corresponding key. The device further stores a notification in a notification queue that indicates the value has changed. In addition, the device invalidates a previous entry in the notification queue that indicates the value has been modified. The device signals to the reader that a notification is ready to be processed.

Abstract: A method and apparatus of a device that includes a shared memory hash table that notifies one or more readers of changes to the shared memory hash table is described. In an exemplary embodiment, a device modifies a value in the shared memory hash table, where the value has a corresponding key. The device further stores a notification in a notification queue that indicates the value has changed. In addition, the device invalidates a previous entry in the notification queue that indicates the value has been modified. The device signals to the reader that a notification is ready to be processed.

Abstract: A method and apparatus of a device that includes a shared memory hash table that notifies one or more readers of changes to the shared memory hash table is described. In an exemplary embodiment, a device modifies a value in the shared memory hash table, where the value has a corresponding key. The device further stores a notification in a notification queue that indicates the value has changed. In addition, the device invalidates a previous entry in the notification queue that indicates the value has been modified. The device signals to the reader that a notification is ready to be processed.

Abstract: A method and apparatus of a device that reads and writes data using a shared memory hash table and a lookaside buffer is described. In an exemplary embodiment, a device locates a bucket for the data in a shared memory hash table, where a writer updates the shared memory hash table and a reader that is one of a plurality of readers reads from the shared memory hash table. The device further retrieves an initial value of a version of the bucket. If the initial value of the version is odd, the device copies the data from a lookaside buffer of the writer to a local buffer for the reader, wherein the lookaside buffer stores a copy of the data while the bucket is being modified.

Abstract: A method and/or network system is able to perform an in-service software upgrade (“ISSU”) using virtualization technology while ongoing network service is maintained. After receipt of an upgrade signal such as a command of software upgrade, a new or second virtual machine (“VM”) is created in response to the upgrade signal. After downloading the new version of program to the second VM while maintaining the first version of program running on the first VM, the process for providing network management begins to migrate from the first version of program to the new version of program. The process simultaneously facilitates ISSU for a data-path module such as a line card to convert from the previous version of software to the new version of the software.

Abstract: A method and/or network system is able to perform an in-service software upgrade (“ISSU”) using virtualization technology while ongoing network service is maintained. After receipt of an upgrade signal such as a command of software upgrade, a new or second virtual machine (“VM”) is created in response to the upgrade signal. After downloading the new version of program to the second VM while maintaining the first version of program running on the first VM, the process for providing network management begins to migrate from the first version of program to the new version of program. The process simultaneously facilitates ISSU for a data-path module such as a line card to convert from the previous version of software to the new version of the software.