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

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NCHARGE Remote Management of the Field
Programmable Port Extender (FPX)
Todd Sproull Washington University, Applied
Research Lab August 15, 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
• - NCHARGE
• - Telnet
• - Web Interface / CGI
• - Basic_send
• - User Applications
• Software Plug-ins
• - Concepts
• - Functionality
• Emulation
• Nid_listener
• Rad_listener

Fip Memory
Manager
Remote
Applications
Read
WEB
Basic
Telnet
Fip
Access
Send
CGI
Basic
Send
Software
Controller
NCHARGE
NCHARGE
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 software interfaced with
hardware
NCHARGE 0-7.0/1
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NCHARGE

• Issues control cells to FPX
• Provides reliable connections over ATM
• Allows for multiple users to connect remotely

Multiple TCP Sockets for Remote Applications
NCHARGE 0-7.0/1
Control cells Sent to and from FPX (RAD NID)
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Controlling Flows on the NID

• Consists of 4 ports used for cell traffic
• 0 - SW (Switch)
• 1 - LC (Line Card)
• 2 - RAD_SW
• 3 - RAD_LC
• Cells routed based on VCI Lookup Table
• Cell routes are modified by issuing Write VCI
  Table Control cells
• VCI Table Control cells consist of number
  indicating the destination of a cell
• VCI Lookup Table is generated based on VCI
  Updates, default routes, and the table data
  definitions

RAD
RAD
RAD
RAD
Switch
LineCard
Switch
LineCard
VC
VC
VC
VC
VC
VC
VC
VC
ccp
ccp
EC
EC
EC
EC
LineCard
Switch
LineCard
Switch
Default Flow Action
VCI 0x34
(Bypass)
(Control Cell)
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VCI Updates and Status

• VCI Update Commands
• Write VCI entries
• Format T VPI VCI SW LC RAD_SW RAD_LC
• Example T 0 7E 3 2 1 0
• Read VCI entries
• Format A VPI VCI
• Example A 0 7E
• Response A VPI0 VCI7E SW3 LC2 RAD_SW1
  RAD_LC0

Table data definitions
RAD_LC 2-bit LUT RAD_SW 2-bit LUT LC 2-bit LUT SW 2-bit LUT
RAD_LC 3 3 3 3
RAD_SW 2 2 2 2
LC 1 1 1 1
SW 0 0 0 0
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Web VCI Updates and Status
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VCI Updates and Status

• Status Control registers
• Lets users check status of FPX
• Useful for debugging hardware if problems arise
• Displays the following information
• RAD Configuration Status (RAD_Done)
• Single bit that indicates completion of
  configuration and beginning of startup sequence
• RAD Initialization Status (RAD_Init)
• Single bit that indicates when the RAD is ready
  to accept data
• Type Link
• Line card identifier ( OC3, Dual G-link)
• VCI Compare Register
• Display current VCI to send control updates on
• RAD Programming Byte Count
• Indicates number of bytes RAD has loaded in
  memory

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VCI Status Control Example

• Checking VCI Status

• Example S
• Response VPI 0x0
• VCI 0x22
• Opcode 0x42
• VCI Compare Register 0x22
• RAD_DONE 0x1
• RAD_INIT 0x1
• Type LINK 0x3
• RAD Programming Byte Count 0x000

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Web VCI Status Control Example
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Configuration Memory Updates

• Memory updates provide
• - A reliable protocol to transfer VHDL designs
• - Ability to program RAD with multiple modules
• - A one step transfer and program option
• - Debugging information by displaying the
  contents of a specified location in memory

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Configuration Memory Example

• Transfer vhdl design from PC to NID

• Format L filename offset
• Example L test_file 100

• Program RAD with NID vhdl design

• Format F offset byte_count
• Example F 100 50

NCHARGE
Load Configuration
Full RAD Configuration
NID
RAD
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Web Configuration Memory Example
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RAD Memory Updates

• Supports 32/36/64 bit memory reads and writes
• - Multiple memory updates may be issued in one
  control cell
• - Memory updates are issued by module id

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RAD Memory Updates Example

• Reading and writing 32/36/64 bit words
• Format w32 mod_id address num_updates data
• Example w32 0 20 2 12345678 abcdef01
• Format r32 mod_id address num_reads
• Example r32 0 20 2
• Response Data from address 20 is 1234568
• Data from address 21 is abcdef01
• Reading and Writing strings
• Format ws mod_id address text
• Example ws 0 0 Bob_Smith
• Format rs mod_id address
• Example rs 0 0
• Response Bob_Smith

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Web RAD Memory Updates Example
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Other Features of NCHARGE

• NCHARGE also provides
• Ability to log all transactions to and from NID
  and RAD
• Support to add customized software interfaces to
  hardware plug-in modules
• - Probe function to display modules present on
  FPX
• - An on-screen help menu in case you are lost

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Modules on the NCHARGE Webpage
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Other Features of the NCHARGE Webpage
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More Features of the NCHARGE Webpage
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Emulation of the FPX

• Consists of two applications
• - Nid_listener
• Maintains VC tables
• Handles file transfers
• - Rad_listener
• Simulates RAD SRAM/SDRAM
• Responds to all memory read/write operations

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Communicating with the FPX

• Methods of communication
• -Console Mode
• -Telnet
• -Web Access
• -Basic_send
• -Library calls
• -User Applications (FIPL)

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Telnet Access

• Allows end hosts control of FPX
• - Supports multiple connections
• - Provides full functionality of console mode

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Web Telnet Access
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Web Access to NCHARGE
Web Access Provides
- Radio Button Interface - Allows user to submit
commands using CGI scripts - Provides for Switch
Reset - http//fpx.arl.wustl.edu
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Using Basic_send

• Simple interface to send control cells to FPX

- Opens a TCP Socket - Transfers character string
command line arguments - Displays output from
NCHARGE
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FIPL Interface to FPX
Flow of information from FIPL to FPX -Remote
Host issues Add route from Web -Web Server
processes command and sends to writefip over TCP
socket -Write_FIP sends stdout command to
FIPL -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 NCHARGE -Fpx_control
reads in string and packets commands into
multiple control cells for FPX
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Setting up the FPX as a Router
Use the FPX as a router -Start the FIPL Memory
Manager software for a particular port/stack
-Download a few (lt100) routes from MAE-WEST
-Note the name of the file that you downloaded
-Submit that list of routes to the FPX on the
Fast IP Lookup Page -Now the FIPL software is
configured to handle these routes!! -You
should be able to add additional routes -You
can also delete and modify routes from the webpage
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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 NCHARGE

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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, 1,R, Root_Node_Pointer, 0x1
6, 1,I, IP_Flow_1, lt/input_opcodesgt ltoutput_opcode
sgt Output opcode, Text, Command_argument 0x15,
1,Root node pointer Updated to ,Root_Node_Pointer,
0x17, 1,Name changed to ,IP_Flow_1, lt/output_opc
odesgt ltfieldsgt Command_argument,
argument_type, start_word,start_bit,stop_word,st
op_bit Root_Node_Pointer,x,1,31,1,13, IP_Flow_1,x,
2,31,2,16, lt/fieldsgt 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)

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FIPL Module via Web page
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Using Library Call

• Simple interface to send control cells to FPX

- fpx_message(char command,int port, int stack,
char response)
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Programming Exercise

• Construct a loop that issues sends several
  strings to a particular memory location
• Use sleep() between fpx_message calls so you can
  read the strings from the FPX webpage
• Be sure to include libNcharge.h
• When compiling include the libNcharge.cpp file as
  well
• g your_file.c libNcharge.cpp
• Include a \n character at the end of the string
• Format for write string is
• ws module_number address text_string
• Module number for this example is always 0