基于网络处理器IXP2400系统的软件设计

Design on Network Processor IXP2400 Based on Systems

网络处理器高性能的包处理能力及可编程的灵活性适应了当前网络发展需求,广泛应用于高端路由器、边缘多业务宽带接入、媒体网关和安全等领域。基于网络处理器成功构建一个网络系统的关键在于网络处理器软件系统的设计与开发,其核心问题就是要软件系统充分发挥网络处理器灵活性和高性能的特点,面向网络处理器的硬件体系结构编程,合理利用网络处理器,为优化数据包处理的各种硬件资源设计高效的多处理器、多线程并行机制。本文以网络处理器 IXP2400实现高速网络应用为例,介绍基于网络处理器系统的软件开发过程和设计方法,探讨开发高性能的微码软件的策略和技术。首先介绍了基于网络处理器系统的硬件体系结构配置和软件开发框架、应用软件的系统分析和总体设计,着重分析了基于网络处理器系统的多微引擎、多线程的并行处理机制,以及互斥问题和包排序问题的解决方法,最后讨论了系统的性能评估方法。

As the Internet gets more and more complicated with the rise of new protocols and standards, the network product vendors are in need of intelligent processing at wire speed. Network processors satisfy the demand for intelligent processing at wire speed and system flexibility. The Intel IXP2400 network processor is designed for a wide range of applications including multi-service switches, routers, broadband access devices and wireless infrastructure systems. It is important for the product designers to leverage parallel processing in the data plane to make an efficient, cost effective end product. This paper will give the outline of design issues and challenges which a designer may face while designing a wire speed performance network system using network processors. It introduces the hardware architecture and software framework of network processor based system and describes the system development processes. Then it discusses the parallel programming models and challenges for multi-threaded multiple micro-engines. In the end, the performance evaluation methods for the system are provided.