Router having routing engine software instance and interface controller software instance on a single processor
US7930443B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Feb 13, 2009 |
| Grant date | Apr 19, 2011 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jul 23, 2029 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG06F9/461
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A network device is described that concurrently executing more than one instance of an operating system on a single processor. Each of the instances of the operating system executes completely independent of the other instances. In this way, disparate instances may exist for the same operating system or for different operating systems. The techniques allow the processor to concurrently execute, for example, an instance of the operating system may emulate a routing engine and an instance of the operating system may emulate an interface controller. A hyper scheduler performs context switches between the operating systems to enable the processor to concurrently execute the instances of the operating system. The techniques may provide a low cost alternative to employing multiple processors within a network device, such as a router, to execute multiple independent operating systems.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.