Subject: Re: Question about the FE Model

From: "Khosravi, Hormuzd M" <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 27 Jun 2005 10:37:58 -0700

Yes, this scenario is very much possible and would be a way to implement an extensible software router.
 
regards
Hormuzd
p.s. copying the ForCES list in case anyone from the FE Model team would like to add to my comment.

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From: louati [mailto:[email-masked]] 
Sent: Monday, June 27, 2005 6:03 AM
To: Khosravi, Hormuzd M
Subject: Question about the FE Model

Dear Khosravi,
 
I have a question about the FE model (Software/Hardware) implementation .

CE functions are typically performed in software running on a general-purpose CPU, while FEs can be based on a variety of different hardware platforms such as ASICs, FPGAs and network processors.

Is it possible that these FEs are also performed in software running on a general-purpose CPU ? I mean the FE Model is executed by a software forwarding path (like Click, scott ....).

In fact, ForCES provides mechanisms to realize a distributed router. Assuming that two PC based linux are connected via a gigabit network link. The first one integrates the control plane and the second PC implements only the Forwarding Plane (Software Forwarding PATH such as Linux forwarding path, Click, Scott ... rather than the use of the Network Processor). Of course, the ForCES protocol exchanges  messages between the two PCs.

Is this scenario possible? Can we consider this architecture as a software based router ? 

Thank you in advance for your answers.

Best Regards,

Wajdi

_________________________________
Wajdi LOUATI
Wireless Networks and Services Group 
Wireless Networks and Multimedia Services Department
Institut National des Télécommunications
9 rue Charles Fourier
91011 EVRY Cedex, France
Phone : 331 60 76 45 84
Fax : 331 60 76 45 78
e-mail : [email-masked]
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