Packet Forwarding Bypassing Bridge CPU Bottleneck
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing packet forwarding methods in WLANs are inefficient due to reliance on bridges, which can be slowed by low CPU processing speed or resource allocation to physical layers, affecting frame aggregation and overall communication efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A method and apparatus that determine a forwarding path by comparing information of a source interface with a destination interface, utilizing a decision unit in the first working layer and a checking unit in the second working layer to bypass bridges when addresses match, thereby accelerating packet forwarding and enhancing frame aggregation efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If a bridge is used to forward packets between interfaces, then packet forwarding can be achieved, but the forwarding speed is reduced due to CPU processing bottlenecks and resource allocation to physical layers
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the packet forwarding function from the bridge CPU by introducing a dedicated forwarding engine that operates independently. The bridge is divided into multiple functional components: the original bridge CPU handling control functions, and a separate forwarding engine handling packet forwarding operations. This segmentation allows packet forwarding to occur in parallel with bridge control operations, eliminating the CPU bottleneck and improving forwarding speed without adding overall system complexity.
2Productivity
If frame aggregation is used to increase forwarding efficiency, then fewer DIFS and backoff times are required, but the success probability of aggregation decreases when packet reception time is excessive
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary action by having the forwarding engine pre-process and prepare packets for aggregation before they reach the AP. The forwarding engine buffers incoming packets, sorts them by destination, and prepares aggregation frames in advance. This preliminary preparation ensures that when packets arrive at the AP, they are already organized for efficient aggregation, increasing both the success probability and efficiency of frame aggregation operations.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for forwarding packets first checks a forwarding table of a bridge to find whether the destination information for a packet is included in the forwarding table. If the information is found, this packet is forwarded to the destination through a physical layer directly without passing through the bridge. This method improves the efficiency of the frame aggregation of an AP (Access Point) and enhances the throughput in a WLAN (Wireless Local Area Network).