The basics of network processors by Linley Gwennap, Principal Analyst, Linley Group

Network "plumbing" like routers and switches place unusual demands on processors; hence the rise of the network processor. Here's a snapshot of the state of the NPU art, outlining what makes a network processor and what features are likely to become most popular. Read entire article ...

LA-1B: Moving the Look-Aside Interface Forward by Harmeet Bhugra, Systems Architect, Integrated Device Technology Inc.

With IPv6 systems under development and carriers requiring more detailed lookups on packets and flows, the interface between network processors and other components, such as external co-processors and memory devices, is once again taking center stage in the networking sector. Currently, the Look-Aside 1 (LA-1) interface is the de-facto standard for linking these components; however, LA-1, with a clock rate of 200 MHz, does not provide the bandwidth necessary to support emerging lookup demands. Read entire article ...

Tutorial on VLANs by Manikantan Srinivasan, Engineering Manager, Net-O2 Technologies

VLANs hold the key to extending the reach of enterprise networks across the WAN. Now, through this two-part series, learn the fundamentals of making a VLAN work in a networking design.
Read Part I, and Part II

Managing Traffic in Multi-Service Designs by Rob Munoz, Agere Systems

While traffic management in different types of networks has distinct requirements, commonality between required functions and mechanisms makes it easier to deliver multi-service traffic management capabilities to networking designs. Read entire article ...