Abstract: A system and method of processing data and managing protocol timers in a stateful protocol processing system configured to process multiple flows of messages is disclosed herein. The method includes receiving a first plurality of messages of a first of the flows comporting with a first stateful protocol. The method further includes assigning a first protocol processing core to process event information derived from the first plurality of messages. A first flow timer associated with the first of the flows is set, and a first timeout expiration event is generated upon expiration of the first flow timer. The first timeout expiration event is then forwarded to the first protocol processing core, and a first flow state associated with the first flow is retrieved in response thereto.

Abstract: A switching fabric for transmitting digital data from a plurality of sources to a plurality of destinations is described. The switching fabric includes a plurality of input ports, a plurality of output ports and a plurality of switching sections. Each of the input ports receives data frames and partitions the received data payload of at least some of the frames into a plurality of associated data cells. Each of the output ports are coupled to at least one destination associated with the headers of the data frames. Each of the switching sections may be coupled to each of the input ports and each of the output ports for transmitting each of selected ones of the data cells from the at least one input port to one or more of the coupled output ports.