Network Systems Design with Network Processors, Agere Version

Description:

For advanced or second level courses in Computer Networking at the undergraduate or graduate level.

Focusing on network processor technology—a recent development that has become a standard tool used by designers—this book explores the motivation and use of network processors. Comer provides a superb overview, describes the design of network systems such as routers, bridges, switches, firewalls, and other equipment used on the Internet. Part I of the text considers protocol processing and covers implementations on a range of hardware architectures used in traditional network systems; Part II explores network processor technology; Part III examines one network processor in detail, the Agere APP550. Examples throughout are taken from commercially available products, but no knowledge of industry jargon is assumed.

Table of Contents:

     1 Introduction And Overview 

     2 Basic Terminology And Example Systems 

     3 Review Of Protocols And Packet Formats

PART I Traditional Protocol Processing Systems

 4 Conventional Computer Hardware Architecture

     5 Basic Packet Processing: Algorithms And Data Structures

     6 Packet Processing Functions

     7 Protocol Software On A Conventional Processor

     8 Hardware Architectures For Protocol Processing

     9 Classification And Forwarding

    10 Switching Fabrics

PART II Network Processor Technology

11 Network Processors: Motivation And Purpose

    12 The Complexity Of Network Processor Design

    13 Network Processor Architectures

    14 Issues In Scaling A Network Processor

    15 Examples Of Commercial Network Processors

    16 Design Tradeoffs And Consequences

PART III Example Network Processor

17 Overview Of The Agere Network Processor

    19 Reference Platform And Simulator (HDS, SPA)

    20 Classification With A Pattern Matching Language (FPL)

    21 State Engine And Scripting Language (C-NP)

   22 Traffic Manager (TM)

    23 Host Interface And Control Functions

    24 An Example System

 Appendix 1 Glossary Of Terms And Abbreviations 403

    Bibliography

    Index