Configurable packet processing pipeline for handling non-packet data

摘要

Some embodiments provide a method for a packet processing pipeline of a network forwarding integrated circuit (IC). The packet processing pipeline includes multiple match-action stages for processing packets received by the network forwarding IC. Each packet is transmitted through the pipeline using a set of data containers. The method receives data, generated by the network forwarding IC, that is separate from the packets processed by the pipeline. The method transmits through the packet processing pipeline (i) a packet using a first set of data containers and (ii) the received data using a second set of data containers. The first and second sets of data containers are transmitted together through the packet processing pipeline. For at least one of the match-action stages, the method processes the packet data in the first set of data containers and the received data in the second set of data containers in a same clock cycle.