Network Packet FEC Offload Using a Dedicated Hardware Engine
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current packet transmission processes face challenges in meeting high throughput requirements due to the computational intensity of forward error correction (FEC) encoding and decoding, which are typically handled by CPUs with limited capabilities.
Innovation Solution
Implementing FEC encoding and decoding tasks in a target hardware engine within network devices, rather than the CPU, to reduce CPU overhead and enhance processing efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If FEC encoding and decoding are performed by CPU, then packet loss recovery is achieved, but computing capability and computing rate are limited, making it difficult to meet large throughput requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a hardware engine as an intermediary component between the CPU and the FEC encoding/decoding process. This hardware engine specifically handles the computationally intensive FEC operations, allowing the CPU to focus on other tasks while maintaining high throughput and reliability simultaneously
2Reliability
If FEC encoding and decoding are performed by CPU, then packet recovery function is implemented, but CPU overhead is high and computing rate is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the software-based FEC encoding/decoding implementation in the CPU with a dedicated hardware engine. This substitution of computational mechanism dramatically reduces computing time and CPU overhead while maintaining the packet recovery function
Data Source
AI summary
A packet processing method includes generating, by a processor of a network device, a first encoding task based on M original packets in a to-be-processed first data stream, where M is a positive integer, and where the first encoding task instructs to encode the M original packets; and performing, by a target hardware engine of the network device and based on the first encoding task, forward error correction (FEC) encoding on the M original packets to obtain R redundant packets, where R is a positive integer.