US 12,341,710 B2
Packet forwarding apparatus with buffer recycling and associated packet forwarding method
Ching-Liang Chang, Hsinchu (TW); and Wei-Lun Liu, Hsinchu (TW)
Assigned to MEDIATEK INC., Hsinchu (TW)
Filed by MEDIATEK INC., Hsin-Chu (TW)
Filed on Jul. 25, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/872,030.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/286,586, filed on Dec. 7, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2023/0179545 A1, Jun. 8, 2023
Int. Cl. G06F 13/36 (2006.01); G06F 9/50 (2006.01); G06F 13/16 (2006.01); H04L 49/90 (2022.01); G06F 13/28 (2006.01); G06F 13/42 (2006.01)
CPC H04L 49/9026 (2013.01) [G06F 9/5016 (2013.01); G06F 13/1673 (2013.01); G06F 13/28 (2013.01); G06F 13/42 (2013.01); G06F 2213/2806 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A packet forwarding apparatus comprising:
a first storage device, wherein the first storage device has a plurality of buffers allocated therein, and at least one buffer included in the plurality of buffers is arranged to buffer at least one packet; and
a processor, arranged to execute a Linux kernel to perform software-based packet forwarding associated with the at least one packet;
wherein the at least one buffer allocated in the first storage device is recycled through direct memory access (DMA) management which enqueues at least one address of the at least one buffer allocated in the first storage device for later reuse of the at least one buffer via DMA, and reused for buffering at least one other packet.