Programming Model For Network Processors

Network Processor (NP) is designed for optimizing packet processing which combines programmability of CPU and high performance of ASIC. It places burden on programmer because complexity and diversity of NP, so we need develop a software platform which abstracts hardware architecture. Formalization language is used to describing hardware types and above application, then, founding their mapping relations. It is possible to develop application efficiently without knowing all of the details of target architecture. Thus, We introduce Programming Model.This paper is based on the project of "The New Technology of Operating System for Network Processor Application". The goal is to study system software platform suitable for NP architecture. The hardware environment is IXP2400 NP and the evaluation board is ENP-2611 of RADISYS corp.I combined high-level descriptive language and Microcomponent technology to design programming model. Click is a special language for describing network applications which use configuration graphs and independent of NP platform, so it can be expanded in more types. Microcomponent provides many Micro modules running on PE to complete special function which makes code writing simple. The integration of two technologies realize modularization of network application.I designed the frame of programming model, which consists of high-level descriptive language, compiler, system mapping, runtime system and system model. For special application and architecture, it realizes automatic conversion from high language to Microcode. All achieved functions were integrated in GUI, which make programmer develop application effectively without knowing details about system.For realizing high efficiency about processing packet, NP will be applied in more fields. The research on programming model plays an important role in widening the application, industrializing the NP product, and improving the competition of software. With the development of network technology, NP shall be the key technology of next generation network.