Network processors - Architectures, protocols and platforms

Written with insight by a leading telecommunications chip industry veteran, Network Processor: Architectures, Protocols, and Platforms delivers an eye-opening whole picture look at the revolution in high-speed network equipment and provides a unique top-to-bottom review of more than 20 network processing platforms (including NP chips and coprocessors). With Network Processors, you will:

• Get a clear detailed look at all NPs commercially available through mid-2003
• Learn how and why NP architectures differ from classical CPUs
• Plan for a new generation of chips used in routers and switches
• Understand the specific design trade-offs entailed by each new NP
• Understand how to evaluate platforms and architectures while being cognizant of inevitable market forces affecting NP vendors
• Understand and prepare for the issues associated with rapidly developing reusable networking software for these new processors
• Save time with a handy down-to-earth reference that, unlike other books on the subject, does not limit itself to only one companys approach or engage in abstract scholarly discussions that are not useful for an engineers or managers everyday reality
• Get wide view coverage of this new technology followed by directions for deeper, more specialized implementation based on your own needs

A practical education in network processors:

• Why Network Processors?
• IBM PowerNP(tm) Architecture
• Intel IXA(tm) Architecture
• AMCC nP(tm) Family of Network Processors
• Agere PayloadPlus(R) Family of Network Processors
• Motorola C-Port(R) Family of Network Processors
• Other NPU Architectures
• Alternatives to NPUs: Net ASICs & Designing with IP Cores
• Switch Fabrics
• Searcg Engines and Content-Addressable Memory (CAM)
• Classification Processors
• Traffic Managers
• Storage Coprocessors and TCP Offload Engines
• Security Coprocessors
• Systems Engineering and Software Development Issues

A must read for:

• Hardware engineers who develop networking equipment
• Softwre engineers who code network software
• Communications chip designers
• Systems Architects or integrators
• Managers who need the facts
• Consultants

Contents

• Fundamentals
  • The Evolution of Network Technology: Distributed Computing and the Convergence of Networks
  • Network Processors: Justification
  • Packet Processing

• Network processor architecture
  • IBM PowerNP(tm)
  • Intel IXA^TM Network Processors
  • AMCC nP(tm) Family of Network Processors
  • Agere PayloadPlus(r) Family of Network Processors
  • Motorolas C-Port(tm) Family of Network Processors
  • Other NPU Architectures
  • Alternative Approaches to Network Processing: Net ASICs and Designing with IP Cores

• Peripheral chips supporting network processors: storage processors, classification processors, search engines, switch fabrics, and traffic managers
  • Storage Network Processors (SNPs)
  • Search Engines
  • Classification Processors
  • Switch Fabrics
  • Traffic Managers

• Putting everything together
  • Systems Engineering Issues

• Security coprocessors
  • Security Coprocessors

• List of acronyms
• Appendices
• Index