Patent ID: 7894426
Filing Date: 2011-02-22
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A network device, comprising: a number of network chips coupled to one another through a high speed interconnect on the device; a number of processors; and an independent multiplexor and buffer pair associated with each of the number of processors respectively; wherein the number of processors are responsible for processing packets, received to any network chip on the device, wherein each of the number of network chips has a number of external ports and additionally a designated conduit port to exchange packets with the number of processors, and wherein each processor includes a single conduit port to exchange packets with the number of network chips through the respective independent multiplexor and buffer pair; wherein a respective multiplexor of the pair is configured for selecting the designated conduit port on one of the number of network chips to exchange packets with a respective processor; and wherein each respective buffer of the pair is configured to broadcast an output from the single conduit port on the respective processor to an input side of each of the conduit ports on the number of network chips.