Patent ID: 6675221
Filing Date: 2004-01-06
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
A system for distributing processing of special data frames received by a network processor (NP) device in a distributed networking environment comprising one or more general purpose control processors (GPP) that control one or more NP devices, said system comprising;a configurable table implemented in said NP device for mapping special data frame types received at said NP device with a target address and a target port address associated with a target GPP capable of handling said special frame type; an application programming interface for customizing said configurable table in said NP device with said target address and target port address entries through said GPP, wherein said NP device includes mechanism for classifying the received data frames and comparing each said frame to entries in said configurable table, and if said classified frame type has a corresponding entry in said table, said NP device forwarding said frame to said target GPP through a corresponding target port address, wherein said target GPP is provisioned for handling forwarding of said special data frame type.