Software interface between switching module and operating system of a data packet switching and load balancing system
US6424621B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Nov 17, 1998 |
| Grant date | Jul 23, 2002 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Nov 17, 2018 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04L49/351
- WIPO fieldDigital communication
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A data packet switching system comprises a plurality of network interfaces each adapted to be coupled to respective external networks for receiving and sending data packets to and from the external networks via a particular communication protocol. The data packet switching system further includes a plurality of symmetrical processors, including a first processor providing a control processor and remaining ones of the processors each providing data packet switching processors. The data packet switching processors are coupled to the plurality of network interfaces. The control processor further includes a user portion and an operating system portion. The operating system portion is provided with a pseudo-network driver that appears to be a network interface to user application programs operating on the user portion of the control processor. A memory space is shared by the control processor and the data packet switching processors. The data packet switching processors route an incoming data packet directed to a user application program to the memory space. The pseudo-network driver retrieves the incoming data packet from the shared memory space and provides the data packet to the user…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.