A formal model for network processor workload

Abstract

Due to the heterogeneity of network processor architectures and constantly evolving network applications, it is currently a challenge to characterize the network processor workloads. In this paper, we formally model the task-level workloads of network processors as reactive dataflow process network (RDPN). RDPN is a suitable model of computation for formally describing the behaviors of packet-level parallel processing and event interaction with control point of network processors. We extend the expressive capability of RDPN by using three transformations (i.e., clustering, decomposing and duplicating) to analyze the model and support the further design space exploration of network processors. © IFIP International Federation for Information Processing 2005.