Patent ID: 7471676
Filing Date: 2008-12-30
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A router for interconnecting external devices coupled to said router, said router comprising: a switch fabric; and a plurality of routing nodes coupled to said switch fabric, wherein each of said plurality of routing nodes comprises: i) packet processing circuitry configured to exchange data packets with external devices and to exchange data packets with other ones of said plurality of routing nodes via said switch fabric and ii) control processing circuitry configured to perform control and management functions, wherein said control processing circuitry comprises: a first network processor configured to perform a first group of control and management functions, wherein the control and management functions in the first group are determined based on contents of a first configuration register of the first network processor; and a second network processor configured to perform a second group of control and management functions, wherein the control and management functions in the second group are determined based on contents of a second configuration register of the second network processor, wherein said first network processor determines the first group of control and management functions allocated to said first network processor by examining the first configuration register, wherein said second network processor determines the second group of control and management functions allocated to said second network processor by examining the second configuration register, wherein a first one of said control and management functions may be re-allocated from said first group of control and management functions to said second group of control and management functions by modifying the contents of said first configuration register and said second configuration register, and wherein said first network processor is a master device with respect to said first group of control and management functions and said second network processor is a slave device with respect to said first group of control and management functions.