Ingress Packet Processing Using Queue State Data

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing packet processing pipelines do not effectively utilize non-packet data generated by network forwarding ICs to enhance processing decisions, leading to inefficiencies and potential delays.

Innovation Solution

Incorporating a traffic management unit that generates and processes non-packet data, such as queue state data, and stores it in stateful tables for use by ingress and egress pipelines, allowing parallel processing of packet and non-packet threads to minimize latency and optimize resource usage.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If packet processing pipelines only process packet data, then the processing pipeline remains simple, but processing efficiency and decision-making capability are limited

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepacket processing efficiencyVSAvoidprocessing pipeline complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges packet data processing and non-packet data processing into a unified pipeline architecture. The match-action unit processes both packet headers and non-packet data (such as queue state information) through the same stages, combining multiple processing functions into a single integrated system that improves efficiency without proportionally increasing complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The pipeline is designed with universal match-action stages that can process different types of data (packet headers and non-packet data) using the same hardware resources. This multi-functionality allows the system to handle diverse data formats and processing requirements without requiring separate dedicated processing paths for each data type.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Productivity

If non-packet data is processed in the same pipeline as packet data, then resource utilization is optimized, but processing latency may increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveresource utilizationVSAvoidprocessing latency

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the processing pipeline into distinct ingress and egress pipelines, with the traffic management unit separately handling non-packet data. This segmentation allows packet data and non-packet data to be processed in parallel through different paths, improving resource utilization while maintaining low latency by avoiding sequential processing bottlenecks.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The traffic management unit performs preliminary processing of non-packet data (such as queue state updates) before the data is needed for packet processing decisions. This preliminary action allows the match-action unit to have ready-access to necessary state information without introducing delays to the main packet processing flow.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Productivity

If stateful tables are used to store non-packet data, then processing decisions are enhanced, but memory requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprocessing decision qualityVSAvoidmemory capacity

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements local quality by creating separate stateful tables dedicated to storing non-packet data (such as queue state information) rather than mixing all data in a single large table. This allows the system to store only the necessary state information locally where it is needed, enhancing processing decisions while minimizing overall memory requirements by avoiding unnecessary storage of packet data in stateful structures.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentUS20260019384A1Using stateful traffic management data to perform packet processing

Publication Date: 2026.01.15 BAREFOOT NETWORKS INC

AI summary

Some embodiments provide a method for an ingress packet processing pipeline of a network forwarding integrated circuit (IC). The ingress packet processing pipeline is for receiving packets from a port of the network forwarding IC and processing the packets to assign different packets to different queues of a traffic management unit of the network forwarding IC. The method receives state data from the traffic management unit. The method stores the state data in a stateful table. The method assigns a particular packet to a particular queue based on the state data received from the traffic management unit and stored in the stateful table.