Patent · US Expired

Systems and methods for implementing counters in a network processor with cost effective memory

US7293158B2 · kind B2 · utility

4Cited by
10References
20Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateMar 2, 2005
Grant dateNov 6, 2007
Priority date
Expiry dateJun 24, 2025

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH04L49/90
  • WIPO fieldDigital communication
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

Systems and methods for implementing counters in a network processor with cost effective memory are disclosed. Embodiments include systems and methods for implementing counters in a network processor using less expensive memory such as DRAM. A network processor receives packets and implements accounting functions including counting packets in each of a plurality of flow queues. Embodiments include a counter controller that may increment counter values more than once during a R-M-W cycle. Each time a counter controller receives a request to update a counter during a R-M-W cycle that has been initiated for the counter, the counter controller increments the counter value received from memory. The incremented value is written to memory during the write cycle of the R-M-W cycle. A write disable unit disables writes that would otherwise occur during R-M-W cycles initiated for the counter during the earlier initiated R-M-W cycle.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.