FPGA2000 - Field Programmable port Extender (FPX) for Distributed Routing and Queuing

1
Software Tools for the Field Programmable Port
Extender (FPX)
Todd Sproull Washington University, Applied
Research Lab January 11, 2001 Supported by NSF
ANI-0096052 and Xilinx Inc. http//www.arl.wustl.
edu/arl/projects/fpx
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Controlling the FPX

• Methods of Communication
• - Fpx_control
• - Telnet
• - Web Interface / CGI
• - Basic_send
• - User Applications
• Emulation
• Nid_listener
• Rad_listener
• Software Plug-ins
• - Concepts
• - Functionality

Fip Memory
Manager
Remote
Applications
Read
WEB
Basic
Telnet
Fip
Access
Send
CGI
Basic
Send
Software
Controller
fpx_control
fpx_control
0.0
7.1
VCI 76 (NID), VCI 100 (RAD)
VCI 115 (NID), VCI 123 (RAD)
OC-3 Link
(up to 32 VCIs)
Washington University
NID
NID
Gigabit Switch
RAD
RAD
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Pictorial view of fpx_control interfaced with
hardware
Fpx_control 0-7.0/1
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FPX Software Applications

• API allows applications to communicate with
  fpx_control
• Read_FIP

- Interface between FIPL software and
fpx_control - Reads in memory updates from
FIPL - Sends updates to fpx_control -
Replies to FIPL with successful transmission
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FIPL Interface to FPX
Flow of information from FIPL to FPX -FIPL
issues an add route command -Read_FIP takes
stdin and packages the strings into 1 large
string -Read_FIP opens a TCP socket and sends
data to fpx_control -Fpx_control reads in
string and packets commands into multiple
control cells for FPX -FPX updates memory
and sends acknowledgement back to fpx_control
-Acknowledgements travel all the way back to FIPL
and user is able to enter another command
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FIPL Example

• Quit fpx_controlq
• Delete log rm rad_log_.txt
• Restart fpx_control fpx_control .
• Enable RAD logging on fpx_control g rad
• On different Xterm
• Lauch FIPL interface rf
• Add the following routes
• A 0.0.0.0/0 0
• A 10.186.192.0/19 63
• A 218.128.0.0/11 34
• A 10.186.160.0/3 4
• A 128.0.0.0/3 6
• A 10.186.160.0/19 77 (new route)
• Quit FIPL interface q

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Read_fip Software

• Read_fip is a modified version of basic_send
• Many different possibilities customizing
  basic_send

• Accepts multiple strings and bundles into a large
  string
• Sends the string after an end of command sequence
  
• - Communication from Web using CGI or Perl allows
  more options for issuing commands

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Software Plug-ins for Hardware Modules

• Software that allows RAD applications the ability
  to format unique control cells
• Enables developers to easily change the format of
  a control cell independent of fpx_control

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Contents of a Software Plug-in Module
ltmodulegt Module title and version number Fast
IP Lookup Example Module 1.0 lt/modulegt ltinput_opco
desgt Input Opcode, Menu_command,
Command_argument 0x14, R, Root_Node_Pointer, 0x16,
I, IP_Flow_1, lt/input_opcodesgt ltoutput_opcodesgt
Output opcode, Text, Command_argument 0x15,
Root node pointer Updated to ,Root_Node_Pointer, 0
x17, Name changed to ,IP_Flow_1, lt/output_opcodes
gt ltfieldsgt Command_argument, argument_type,
start_word,start_bit,stop_word,stop_bit Root_Node_
Pointer,x,1,31,1,13, IP_Flow_1,x,2,31,2,16, lt/fiel
dsgt lthelpgt Help Menu R root pointer address
update R address (hex) I Update IP Flow 1 I
address (hex) lt/helpgt

• Tags identify relevant fields
• Developer specifies data types and lengths
• Provides total control over information sent to
  RAD application
• Example is Fast IP Lookup module

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Cell Format of FIPL Module
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Using Software Plug-ins

• Issue Probe command to see what modules have been
  loaded
• p
• Load required module
• n fipl.fpx
• Issue commands for that module
• m1.r 1234
• m1.I 4321
• Commands follow the format
• m.command argument (if necessary)