MPLS label switching router implementation enhanced with network processor

摘要

The type of software router has very high flexibility and functional extensibility, whereas it has much lower performance and less wide application than the exclusive hardware router in many case. Development and utilization of the processor optimized for the network processing (NP) has attracted much attention as one of techniques to decrease a performance gap between software and hardware routers. When outside NP module handle a part of existing network stack functions, whole system can be made faster without little damage to the flexibility of software implementations. This paper discusses about the design and implementation of the hybrid router with the IXP1200 intel network processor on generic PC to improve the forwarding performance of the AYAME software MPLS router.