Patent ID: 6731652
Filing Date: 2004-05-04
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
A method for processing a packet in a packet processor having a line interface unit, comprising:the line interface unit receiving a packet; converting the packet into a task comprising the packet and a task overhead information; sending the task overhead information to a first request engine of a first pipeline stage in a generic routing pipeline assembly; sending the packet to a packet buffer; the first request engine receiving the task overhead information and preparing a first lookup request based on information in the task overhead information; the first request engine sending the first lookup request to a lookup engine; the lookup engine receiving the first lookup request and looking up new information based on the first lookup request; the lookup engine retrieving a first lookup result comprising the new information and sending the first lookup result to a first modifier engine of the first pipeline stage; the first modifier engine retrieving the packet from the packet buffer; the first modifier engine modifying the packet, based on the first lookup result, to a modified packet; and the first modifier engine sending the modified packet to a second request engine of a second subsequent pipeline stage.